When the Splatfest premiere went live, I immediately downloaded it. I was eager to see the new game for myself. Here is my experience.
When starting the demo, I just sat there for a bit, soaking in the music. The first Splatoon had a great soundtrack, and what really set it apart was the use of the Inkling language, which made it wholly unique. The sequel thankfully keeps the quality of the first game's music.
The game then threw me into the tutorial, which is the only core gameplay I have experienced so far. Being a veteran of Splatoon, I got right back into the controls; the core gameplay was completely familiar.
That is, until I tried to jump, which opened the map instead. I was taken aback by the fact that the map was a 3D model, and that the model rotated with your motion controls. It's a nice improvement over the simple map screen in the first game. Multiple times, I accidentally hit the X button instead of the B button in my attempts to jump. This game changed that part of the control scheme, and it will take some time to get used to.
Once I finished the tutorial, I was greeted with the title screen. From there, I got reintroduced to the Splatfest theme, which is cake versus ice cream. As for Off the Hook, the new hosts did a surprisingly good job introducing the Splatfest; they even debated the topic among themselves for a bit. Overall, I still prefer Callie and Marie, but that might just be me.
When I reached the point where I was free to explore Inkopolis Square, the first place I went to was Crusty Sean's food truck. It appears all that he has to offer will be available in the demo, but without coins to buy any food or drinks, we won't be able to see it in action until the Splatfest begins.
I then went to the large Amiibo box behind the truck. However, it does not appear to be working. Despite this, there is still an Amiibo option in the gear screen, though you still can't use an Amiibo, as any Amiibo you try to use must be registered at the box...
I then took a closer look at some of the art that has already been posted. Miiverse's implementation into the first Splatoon was highly beloved, and it's nice to see that it lives on in some form. You can even use the touch screen in handheld mode to draw posts, which is nice. The one downside is that you cannot create posts that are purely text, which stinks.
I then arrived at my destination: the Splatfest box. When the Splatfest was announced, I had ultimately decided to side with cake. My opinion has not changed since then, so that is the team which I will be representing in the Splatfest.
Wanting to equip the Splatfest Tee, I then went into the gear screen. I was slightly disappointed in the fact that there were no alternative options for headgear or footwear. Despite that small complaint that won't be present in the full game, I was happy with the ability to change my weapon. I really want to give the Splat Dualies a chance; they look like the type of weapon that appeals to me.
After I changed my equipment, I then talked to Judd to see what he had to say. He was kind of rude. However, his comment made me wonder as to whether or not I can play in turf wars until the event...
To my surprise, when I arrived at the entrance to the tower, the doors opened in front of me. I curiously entered. However, my curiosity did not last long. When I tried to play a match, I just got a message saying that there was no Splatfest at the moment, and I was then kicked out. In other words, no luck. Wanting to change my outfit, I entered the various stores at the Galleria. Long story short, they all kicked me out in different ways.
Sheldon didn't trust me to take care of his weapons, ...
... Flow didn't like my "energy", ...
... Bisk basically said I wasn't cool and told to get out for the sake of his reputation, ...
... Jelfonzo told me I couldn't shop there in his Old English, ...
... and Murch just plain insulted me.
Overall, I think that I am going to enjoy Splatoon 2. This first Splatfest will certainly be a blast, which brings me to this question: will you be participating in this Splatfest?