How Long Does It Take To Beat Splatoon 3?

Nintendo's third-person competitive shooter "Splatoon" is back with the much anticipated "Splatoon 3," and critics agree that it's a worthy ending to the trilogy. Critics are writing that the game builds on the staple combat mechanics of "Splatoon" while providing enough new content, such as the Table Turf Battle mode, to give the sequel a fresh feel.

"Splatoon" is best known for its PvP combat mode, Turf War, where players must coat an arena with their designated paint — but that isn't all "Splatoon" has to offer. For example, "Splatoon" games also feature a single player campaign that prepares players for the online modes. According to HowLongtoBeat, the "Splatoon" campaigns give players a considerable amount of content, with the first game taking around five and a half hours to complete and "Splatoon 2" taking around seven and a half hours to finish.

So, with "Splatoon 3" finally here, gamers are left wondering how the game's campaign mode compares to the previous entries in the series. 

IGN's Brendan Graeber said that players could blast through the single player "Splatoon 3" campaign quickly if they want. Graeber explained that players could stockpile currency collected throughout the game and use it to skip missions. Because of this, Graeber reported that it took him around four to five hours to finish the campaign after skipping many missions, but after returning to complete the missions later, he reported ending his campaign run at eight hours total.

Martin Robinson at Eurogamer also noted that the campaign provides roughly eight hours of content. Although the amount of content is in line with previous entries, Robinson wrote that the "Splatoon 3" campaign felt more like "Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion" and less like a tutorial mode, but he did specify that the campaign gave enough introduction to the game's mechanics and weapons to get players ready for multiplayer.

Gamespot's Steve Watts said that "Splatoon 3" offers around eight to ten hours of singleplayer campaign content. Watts wrote that the creativity in stage design, enjoyable combat, and numerous puzzles made the campaign worth the price of admission. Like Robinson at Eurogamer, Watts felt the campaign was much more than a tutorial mode.

It's worth noting that time spent on "Splatoon 3" heavily relies on how enjoyable a player finds the competitive multiplayer, as hardcore fans can spend hundreds of hours competing online. Still, many fans will be pleased that the "Splatoon 3" campaign has much to offer.