Splatoon 2 dev on jellyfish lore, New York subway inspiration for Octo Expansion, process of making new content, lots more
Splatoon 2 is still receiving free updates such as new stages. What is the process like for coming up with brand new stages and content like?
Nogami: To be honest, it’s a pretty involved process. While we think about content from all kinds of angles, we probably spend most of our time considering the functions of the new weapons. Once we figure out how we want the weapons to work we design the appearance to match the intended function. Finally, once the function and design are locked down, we test how it behaves in-game – to keep the game balanced.
Having said that, there are also times that we start working from a design or an idea we like. The Splatbrella started that way. We had these memories of playing with umbrellas as children, and we wanted to replicate that experience in the game. The whole idea behind Splatoon 2 is the use of ink, that emulation of childhood games – like water balloon fights – and that those childhood games have grown into the official sports of this world. It was important to use to continue that theme of bringing childhood experiences into the gameplay.
This next question isn’t directly related, but do you like eating squid or octopus more?
Nogami: Jeez… that’s a really hard one. I suppose I eat squid more often, but I wouldn’t want anyone to swap out the octopus in takoyaki for squid, you know? (Laughs) Anyway, I guess I eat squid more often, but I can’t pretend I don’t love octopus. It has more umami, and I think it makes for a better stock – adds more flavor to dishes. Hm… if you twisted my arm and made me choose I guess I’d have to say… Squid! (Laughs)
While many of our readers have already played a lot of Splatoon 2, there are also a lot of readers out there that are new to the series. If you could say one thing to each of these groups, what would it be?
Nogami: Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion was made so that people that have already been playing Splatoon 2 since its release a year ago could get a lot out of it. A consequence of this is that there are a lot of difficult challenges included in it, and some people may be concerned that it’s too hard for them. However, we designed it to feature many approaches to the gameplay – while there are tricky challenges in Octo Expansion, it can still be enjoyed at your own skill level.
However, with that said, you may want to become familiar with Splatoon 2 before you try Octo Expansion. The expansion works as a great way to get back to the core mechanics of Splatoon and its characters – to learn new techniques that you can bring into online matches and vice versa.
To the gamers out there that have already played a lot of Splatoon 2 over the last year: You already know that there are tons of weapons and pieces of equipment in the game, and I’m sure a lot of people haven’t been able to dip their toes into everything that the game has to offer. Many stages in Octo Expansion require the player to use different methods to clear them – like only using the Inkjet special weapon for a whole level – while other stages require players to rely on sneaking and dodging skills. Playing through the expansion will help players to discover new weapons and skills, new playstyles, and more. We wanted players to enjoy a wider variety of gameplay experiences.
Did you have anything else you wanted to communicate to our audience?
Nogami: Maybe just a little more about how we view the world of Splatoon 2. The game heavily features Turf Battles, and we referenced a lot of things from the real world when we were developing the idea for them. Conceptually we approached it a bit like an extreme sport – like BMX or something – one of those sports that is a little dangerous but also a lot of fun. These kinds of things tend to start as fun activities that eventually evolve into more official sports.
Take snowboarding, for example. Even at the Olympics they blast music during the events and the competitors are sort of performing for the crowd, right? That’s what the Turf War battles are like. That’s why the music is so loud and youthful. It’s like all these different genres of music are all mixed together, and the only thing that ties it together is that that’s the kind of music that happens to be popular with the youth in the world at that time.
We aren’t only focused on the content of the game, but also on the in-game culture and how it reflects the way cultures change over time in our world. We think about what it would be like to be a teenager within that world, and then try to make the world match what those teenagers would like, what kind of sports and activities they would create, what kind of music they would listen to, etc. There’s inspiration from all over the place, but the development staff was encouraged to think back to their own teenage years and the way they approached things.
So, there are different kinds of music in the game because there are different kinds of Inklings?
Nogami: Right! The soundtrack is supposed to feel like the top of the pop charts for that world. When the game is updated new songs are added, and the player can feel the trends changing over time, just like what happens in the real world.
We wanted to give the player the feeling of becoming an Inkling and inhabiting that living, breathing world. That philosophy really dictates how we approach the design process, because it’s really all about giving the player that experience.
I think that’s about it?
Perfect, this was great. Thank you for your time!
Nogami: Thank you very much.
Source: Switch news
