Review: Splatoon Raiders

I waded into Splatoon Raiders with lower expectations than I probably should have. I never really gelled with the previous Splatoon games, largely because when it comes to online player versus player games I am in a monogamous relationship with Fortnite.

I did flirt quite a bit with rocket league and Overwatch before that but Fortnite and I have been somewhat steady since. So, when Nintendo announced a Splatoon spin-off built around single-player exploration and Salmonid combat, I was a bit curious but wasn’t endlessly rewatching preview videos or anything like that.

A few hours in and this was the gateway I needed, similar to how Pokopia is what made Pokémon click earlier this year.

GAMEPLAY

I appreciate the way Raiders changes the series formula. Instead of Turf War, you play as a customisable Mechanic exploring the Spirhalite Islands, taking on Salmonids, the fish-like enemy creatures that usually swarm players in Splatoon’s Salmon Run mode, hunting treasure, completing raids and returning from each expedition.

The structure is closer to a looter shooter than the traditional Splatoon games, with a mixture of objectives, enemy encounters and resource gathering. It is a simple loop, but dangerously moreish, like a bag of Woolworths chuckles while we can still get them.

The comparison I kept coming back to while playing was Ratchet & Clank. Not because the two games are particularly similar visually, but because Raiders captures that same feeling of being encouraged to try another weapon, gadget or approach just to see what happens.

There is a constant stream of equipment and upgrades, while gadgets can be customised with different parts and effects. That system is probably my favourite part of the game because it turns experimentation into the point rather than something you do only when you are stuck.

The last time I was incentivised to try different loadouts was Saros (read my review on Recharged) and before that, Link’s last two adventures so I welcomed it.

I found myself changing loadouts far more often than I expected. One setup might make a particular encounter much easier, while another suits the way I want to play. The game steadily introduces new weapons, gadgets and upgrades, and the incentive to test them is strong enough that I never felt like I was simply chasing bigger numbers. There is a genuine sense of discovery in finding a combination that works.

That variety is especially useful because the combat itself remains excellent. Swimming through your own ink, resurfacing to attack and moving quickly around the environment feels satisfying, while Raiders puts much more emphasis on fighting groups of Salmonids and tougher bosses.

Some encounters can become chaotic, which makes your equipment choices matter. Some encounters were tough and forced me to grind a bit somewhere else and come back for a second shot. There are different difficulty levels so it remains accessible.

My seven-year-old is a few hours in and is starting to find it a bit tough. What really helped us was almost immediately switching off motion controls. We use the original Switch Pro Controller and motion controls made the game feel much harder to get into. Sure, we sacrificed some accuracy but it was worth it as the camera swings around chaotically if you’re a child jumping on a couch while playing.

GRAPHICS

Visually, it is colourful, expressive and unmistakably Splatoon, while the Switch 2 hardware keeps the action running smoothly even when the screen gets busy. The environments also have a rougher, more adventurous feel than the polished look of the mainline games, which suits the island setting.

It is not a technical showcase in the same way as some Switch 2 titles, but the presentation is consistently sharp and responsive. Like Donkey Kong, I think the developers compromised some detail to accommodate all the action. There’s a lot happening at once.

The other big surprise for me is how accessible Raiders feels when you remove the pressure of competitive multiplayer. You can play alone, or bring in up to three other players through local or online co-op. That flexibility makes Raiders feel like a Splatoon game designed around different kinds of players rather than one very specific audience. I didn’t get a chance to test this aspect so I’m hoping I get to in the near future.

It is not perfect. The raid structure can become repetitive, and some missions are a little hit and miss. The lack of Turf War will also disappoint players who specifically come to Splatoon for its competitive identity. For me, though, those compromises are exactly why Raiders works.

I expected to tolerate Splatoon Raiders. Hmm, maybe not tolerate as it’s a strong word, but rather I was expecting and predicting a similar experience to Splatoon 2 which I got really cheap when Musica closed down but which I also stopped playing after a few hours.

Instead, I’m looking for another raid, tweaking another loadout and wondering what happens if I change just one more gadget. Try it, I think you will enjoy it.

FINAL VERDICT

Splatoon Raiders is the Splatoon game I didn’t know I wanted. Its shift towards single-player exploration, combat and experimentation makes it far more accessible to players who never quite clicked with the competitive games. The raid loop can get repetitive, but the satisfying combat, constant stream of new gear and sheer joy of experimenting with loadouts kept pulling me back in. If, like me, you’ve never been a Splatoon convert, Raiders might finally be your gateway.