REVIEW / Splatoon Raiders (Switch 2)

It’s hard to believe that the Splatoon franchise is already 11 years old. When it was first announced, it made a huge splash (pun intended) as the first major new Nintendo IP since Xenoblade and the first based (almost) entirely on online multiplayer. I’ve never been big on playing online, but the fresh style of the Inklings drew me in, and Splatoon became the first game I actually played online with regularity. Still, the idea of a full-size single player spinoff was in my head (and the heads of many online-averse players) even then, and I’m glad we finally got our wish, even if it isn’t quite the same as the “Turf War with bots” we imagined.

Splatoon Raiders can be played solo or online with friends, but unlike many games with that setup, you can absolutely enjoy the game solo and not feel underpowered. If you do want to play with others, you can join up with friends, request help from the online player base for difficult missions, or be the one helping others. Everything is very simple and straightforward, though I do find that people coming in to help will often be so overpowered for the level in question that you don’t really end up doing much. I can live with that, though; my real complaint for multiplayer is that Splatoon Raiders doesn’t have Game Share or split-screen support; for local multiplayer, everyone has to have their own console and copy of the game. I’m sure there are technical reasons for this, but it’s still a shame.

As for the gameplay itself, anyone who has played Splatoon before will be right at home. All of the weapon types from Splatoon 3 are here, and they all control exactly as they always have. For newcomers, it might take some time to get used to all of the different weapon types and their quirks, but it’s all fairly intuitive. Where things differ in Raiders is that your secondary and “special” abilities aren’t determined by your weapon. Instead, secondary weapons are crafted from materials found throughout the levels, and you can use any of them with any weapon; their only limitation is based on the three different tanks that represent different gameplay styles. I’ll touch on those shortly, but there is a good amount of variety. Your ultimate attacks this time around are also separate from your weapons; this time, you can call in one of the members of Splatoon 3’s Deep Cut trio for special attacks; these aren’t as varied or exciting as what you get in the main series, but it is nice being able to interact with these characters more directly.

The game’s layout takes inspiration from three different parts of mainline Splatoon. To start, there’s a small hub world where you can interact with characters, choose equipment, and do your crafting. If you’re like me, the mention of crafting might make you cringe, but don’t worry; Splatoon Raiders is a looter-shooter, not a survival or life sim game. You’ll simply collect materials as you go, and new options are unlocked steadily. The levels themselves are akin to the main series’s single player mode, albeit with more variety (they aren’t all simply about reaching the end), and the enemies come straight from Splatoon 3’s Salmon Run mode. The only thing that can be a little confusing is the ink tank system; there are three tanks (Power, Speed, and Tactical) that you can switch between freely, each with their own sub-weapons and upgrades. While the game encourages you to swap them out as needed, I found that once I picked one at the beginning, I only swapped when I absolutely had to. It feels like I’m missing something, but outside of an outfit for your character, you don’t seem to gain much from leveling up all three tanks.

My biggest concern going in was that the game was going to feel very repetitive; there are only so many level types, and while there are many types of weapons, I’m only comfortable with a few of them. But thankfully, Splatoon Raiders doesn’t wear out its welcome. There is some necessary grinding, which does get annoying, but the game isn’t long enough for that to really upset me. That being said, if you want more after the credits roll, there are plenty of optional levels, increased difficulty levels, and post-game levels to keep you going for a long time.

If I, a major Splatoon fan, was skeptical about Splatoon Raiders, I’m guessing others were too. But between its moment-to-moment gameplay, level designs, and charm, it really manages to show that single-player Splatoon can absolutely carry its own game. If you enjoy the unique style of the Splatoon universe, then I highly recommend Splatoon Raiders. Even if you’re new to the franchise, by the time you finish this game, you’ll be more than ready for Splatoon 3’s Turf Wars. There’s more to the game that it seems at first, so I recommend dropping in and giving it a shot.