Splatoon Raiders reimagines the beloved Nintendo franchise as a robust action RPG, offering a compelling solo campaign that veteran players will find both familiar and refreshingly new. The game's core loop centers on tinkering with character builds, testing them in varied and challenging stages, and then enhancing them with meaningful loot earned from combat. This expertly executed cycle, built upon Splatoon's established foundation, delivers what is arguably the strongest campaign the series has seen to date and stands as one of the best Switch 2 titles available.
The narrative follows Shiver, Frye, and Big Man as they embark on a treasure hunt across the Spirhalite Islands, seeking valuable relics to help repay Splatsville's substantial debt. Their quest involves battling waves of Salmonid enemies, unfolding a swashbuckling story that enriches Splatoon's established lore. The game's setting reinforces a central theme of resourcefulness, particularly through the player character, the Mechanic. This customizable Inkling or Octoling possesses a talent for crafting, and even familiar weapons like the Splattershot and Stringer are reimagined with a scrappy, homemade aesthetic, constructed from everyday items like soda bottles and broken tennis rackets.
Gadgets and Customization
A standout addition to the gameplay is the "Gadgets" system, a collection of special equipment separate from the player's primary weapon. These Gadgets are organized into three classes based on the equipped ink tank: Speed, Power, and Tactical, each offering unique playstyles. The Speed Tank enhances mobility with items like the Jump Bomb for evasive maneuvers or the Flywire grappling hook. The Power Tank focuses on aggressive, high-damage output with abilities such as the Splatchet's sweeping slash. The Tactical Tank, however, emphasizes strategic positioning, featuring "Bombloons"—ink-filled explosives that can link together for amplified detonation effects.
Gadgets are deeply customizable, allowing for a vast array of build combinations, especially since two can be equipped simultaneously. Players can unlock new skills for their Gadgets as they progress, further expanding experimentation. For instance, Bombloons can be upgraded for increased blast radius and damage, or the tether connecting them can be leveraged for sustained damage. The game's crafting menu could benefit from a wishlist system to help track upgrade materials, a minor inconvenience in an otherwise deep customization system. The ability to swap Tank types freely and the encouragement to do so for specific mission rewards ensures players constantly rotate their loadouts and keep their Gadgets optimized.
Challenging Encounters
Splatoon Raiders presents a significant challenge, with relentless Salmonid hordes that demand strategic thinking and effective use of all available tools. The game offers three difficulty levels, which primarily affect damage intake, leaving level design and rewards unchanged. For experienced players, the highest difficulty, Survivalist, creates tense firefights with a narrow margin for error, enhancing the stakes of each encounter. Even on standard settings, the smart enemy placement and encounter design provide a satisfying learning curve. Failure is an integral part of the experience, prompting players to re-evaluate their builds and strategies.
The game does not hold the player's hand, warning of mission threat levels but allowing players to attempt challenges beyond their current capabilities. Successfully clearing a difficult mission provides a strong sense of accomplishment and can yield rare weapon or material drops. Missions are typically short, making setbacks less frustrating. Player progression is felt tangibly, with subtle improvements in combat speed and survivability complementing the visible increases in character levels.
The campaign is paced exceptionally well, with players consistently growing stronger while the Salmonid army introduces escalating challenges, ensuring players must continually adapt their strategies. The game features five main level types: linear standard levels with platforming elements, multi-level dungeons emphasizing efficiency, Salmonid Dens that often require specific tools to overcome unique enemy types, and resource-mining levels. A standout is the Sampler Dungeons, which function similarly to Breath of the Wild's shrines, limiting players to specific loadouts to teach the strengths of particular Gadgets through puzzles. Enemy variety is also a strong point, with familiar Salmonids from previous titles presenting unique problems in handcrafted levels that often feel like intricate puzzles. Boss battles are also sprinkled throughout, adding further variety.
Despite the engaging gameplay, the game's visuals are a point of criticism. While the game demonstrates its ability to render a large number of enemies on-screen at a stable 60fps, leveraging the Switch 2's power, the environments often feature a muted color palette and repeat biomes, a departure from the series' typically vibrant aesthetic.
Co-op and Endgame
Splatoon Raiders offers full online co-op support for up to four players. The game streamlines the online experience by removing the lengthy introductory newscasts found in previous titles, allowing players to jump directly into gameplay. While the host selects missions, all participants earn their own loot and receive stage completion credit. A notable feature is individual player level scaling, ensuring that higher-level players face enemies scaled to their own level, allowing them to earn appropriate rewards without trivializing lower-tiered stages for their friends. The difficulty settings are also individual, allowing for mixed-difficulty play within a group.
Players can call for assistance from others globally, earning bonus rewards for helping those in need. An in-game arcade provides entertainment while players prepare for missions. While the co-op experience is fun, the reviewer suggests playing the campaign solo first to fully appreciate the puzzle-like level design, which can be somewhat simplified in a four-player scenario. The endgame provides even more challenging content and deeper customization options, offering a substantial amount of replayability for players who enjoy extended gameplay loops and grinding for gear.