Splatoon Raiders review for Nintendo Switch 2

Splatoon’s one of those newer backbone franchises for Nintendo, encompassing three standalone titles across two generations of consoles. This is now a fourth standalone game on a 3rd generation of Nintendo platform thanks to Splatoon Raiders for the Nintendo Switch 2. Splatoon’s always had a pretty solid single player mode with a pretty heavy focus on the unique and enjoyable multiplayer, so the announcement of the campaign-focused Splatoon Raiders announcement may have shocked many players. Inklings rejoice because Splatoon Raiders absolutely delivers on a fun and enjoyable single-player focused experience.

I can’t speak on where the plot starts from as my Splatoon experience is mostly on the first game back in the WiiU days with a teeny bit of Splatoon 2 near its initial release, but Splatoon Raiders starts with you crash landing on some mysterious archipelago. You’ll find yourself with Big Man, Shiver, and Frye as you try to find a way to uncover more secrets and treasure. Of course you’ll be equipped with some pretty recognizable gear. From the OG blasters to Dualies to Umbrellas and Buckets and more, you’ve got a whole plethora of weapons to pick from while clearing out the Salmonids.

During your treasure hunt, you’ll notice you’re in a roguelike style adventure. As you progress and re-do missions you’ll be acquiring new upgrades, new weapons, new abilities for your gear, and more. This is pretty important after the first few opening missions as you might notice a big level spike pretty quick. This is where Splatoon Raiders begins to really make it clear you’re intended to replay levels for more experience, new gear acquisition, etc. If your current loadout feels too weak, it’s likely time for you to make some adjustments and see where your damage might be lacking.

You’ll have three different types of ink tanks to pick from, each with their own gadgets you can equip to further aid you in battles. You’ve got your Speed Tank with its gadgets focused on movement and controlling positioning for both you and your enemies, your Power Tank with gadgets focused on dealing devastating damage to your enemies, and your Tactical Tank for more supportive things such as a sentry turret to keep pestering your foes during your normal shooting.

You’re not alone despite this game being very single-player focused, either. You can call for help or assist other players with a push of a button, enabling up to 3 player co-op. This is super nice if you just want to clear a raid or dungeon and don’t want to spend the time upgrading your gear and instead make it a group effort. Having multiplayer does make me wonder if there’s a legitimate Splatoon 4 on the way for Switch 2 now.

The cooperative play is extra important when it comes to the extra difficulty you’ll unlock after your first major raid boss. You have the opportunity to re-do previous levels at a much higher level of difficulty for the prospect of much better loot than you’ve gotten before. Need a higher tier version of a weapon you’re using or a new mod for your gear? Invite some help and take on the challenging Spicy mode! I would not recommend jumping into any Spicy Raids the moment you gain access as you will more than likely not be properly prepared. Take some time, progress a little more, then return to the start and see if you can handle it then.

You’ll have the option to pick between three difficulty modes if you find yourself overwhelmed or underwhelmed at any given point. If you’re starting on easy and wanna kick it up just a little, move to normal or make the full leap into hard mode if you’re seeking a bit more thrill. For the sake of getting a regular experience, I spent my time with the game on Raider difficulty, which is Splatoon Raiders’ equivalent of Normal difficulty. It has just enough challenge for someone that doesn’t have a bunch of experience, especially recently, with Splatoon.

Splatoon Raiders marks an excellent entry to the Splatoon franchise I’d wager, and anybody that enjoyed the previous games but might’ve wanted a more fleshed out solo experience is gonna have a blast here. It might be a little repetitive if you’re not familiar with this style of looter gameplay, but otherwise it’s a fantastic experience. From the blend of stick aiming and gyro aiming to the fun soundtrack these games always offer and all the way down to the core gameplay, Raiders is an addictive title well worth playing. Personally, I’d wager I like it just a little more than the standard Splatoon titles if not solely for the fact I’m definitely not as good at Splatoon than other kinds of shooters. Existing Splatoon fans will have a great time with Splatoon Raiders, but for new fans or anybody interested in Splatoon it’s probably the best way to get into the series in a solo environment before you decide to make the plunge into the main games.

Note: Nintendo provided us with a Splatoon Raiders code for review purposes.

Click Here to buy Splatoon Raiders on Amazon