I love Splatoon. I have loved Splatoon since all the way back to its Wii U debut in 2015. But Splatoon doesn't always love me back.
Every time I boot up Splatoon 3, I rediscover I'm not ready for the series' signature competitive multiplayer arenas. Everyone who still plays Splatoon this long after launch is really, really good — too good for me to have much of a good time. The smattering of solo and co-op experiences that exist on the periphery can't hold my attention for very long.
It is delightful, then, to report that Splatoon Raiders is pretty damn good. The first single-player-focused entry in the decade-old series is one of the most purely fun (on a moment-to-moment basis) games on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Splatoon Raiders synthesizes some of the best side modes in previous Splatoon games into something that grabbed me and didn't let go for several days, thanks in part to some non-competitive co-op features. I can't wait to play more once it goes on sale.
Splatoon Raiders melds every non-competitive Splatoon mode into one game
I say this not as criticism, but as a compliment: Splatoon Raiders feels like DLC for a mainline Splatoon game that grew out of control.
This is still a third-person shooter where you, as a squid kid, use a variety of weapons to spread ink of your own color across a variety of battlefields. You don't run very fast, but if your ink color is on the ground, you can quickly swim around in it, recovering ammo and health in the process.
Everything about the basic mechanics and controls of Splatoon Raiders is exactly as they are in the previous games in the franchise, including its best-in-class use of gyroscopic aiming.
Where Splatoon Raiders sets itself apart is by excising competitive multiplayer entirely, in favor of something that feels like a combination of modes that existed in previous Splatoon titles. It's got level design and boss fights that are reminiscent of the story modes in the other games, plus the intensity and general flow of combat found in the co-op Salmon Run mode from Splatoons 2 and 3, and a helping of the variable character customization from the Splatoon 3 Side Order DLC.
That means a straightforward progression of hand-crafted single-player levels. Some are linear missions that combine 3D platforming with shooting; others are more open-ended and focused on collecting money and loot.
The amount of variety here feels just about right, as I never found myself getting bored or itching for something new in the 15 or so hours I spent with Splatoon Raiders.
As with the multiplayer matches in a regular Splatoon game, there's little here will take you more than five minutes to complete. Given the occasional need to replay missions for loot or leveling purposes, this is a great relief.
There is a story here, and while it might be fun to chew on for people who care a lot about Splatoon lore, I did not find myself especially engrossed. It's mostly an excuse to spend more time with series regulars Shiver, Frye, and The Big Man. The latter continues to be a very cool dude.
Customization is key in Splatoon Raiders
Where Splatoon Raiders won me over was character customization. Not in the aesthetic sense, as that part of the game is pretty basic, but in the gameplay sense.
Your protagonist gains a constant increase in basic stats like health and damage. You can equip one of three different tanks, each coming with a series of cooldown-based gadgets that you can equip in combat.
The Tactical Tank, for instance, comes with an automatic turret you can place wherever you want, but you can also unlock and equip other gadgets that can only be equipped on the Tactical Tank. Same goes for the Speed and Power tanks, which fit the kinds of play styles you'd expect.
Customization really hits its stride once you unlock the ability to customize gadgets. One fun thing you can do with several gadgets (but not all of them) is tell them to activate the moment you hit an enemy with your weapon.
By the last third or so of the story in Splatoon Raiders, I had multiple turrets flying out automatically on weapon hit, alongside a bunch of other nonsense that basically made me a walking death machine, with very little shooting required on my part.
By the end of the story, I felt roughly as powerful as you do at the end of Hades or Risk of Rain 2. But this time it came in a game with persistent progression, rather than a random, run-based roguelike.
Splatoon Raiders' solo focus also makes it a lot easier to experiment with new builds and weapon types than the franchise's standard competitive modes. In other Splatoon games, I'm worried about not letting my team down, so I generally stick with what I know can be effective.
Here, the stakes aren't so high, so I can make a ridiculous build centered around an exploding grappling hook and an ink katana without worrying about ruining someone else's fun.
In short, if you like video games where lots of things are constantly exploding in a sort of digital projectile vomit of bright colors, complete with meters filling up and a steady stream of fun upgrades after every single level, Splatoon Raiders is for you.
How co-op works in Splatoon Raiders
Nintendo has been selling Splatoon Raiders as a single-player experience, and it can be one if that's what you want. Still, almost every single level in it is also playable with up to three other players in co-op. I didn't get a lot of time in the review period to test these features out, but based on a demo session with other game reviewers, the developers made basically every correct design decision.
Chiefly, they seem to have nailed difficulty balancing. In one session my character was level 42 and had completed the story, while another player in my group was only level 10. Splatoon Raiders smartly and dynamically adjusted numerical values so the difficulty feels right for everyone in the game, without arbitrarily strengthening or weakening anyone.
I was able to bring in my stupid endgame loadout and the challenge of combat felt exactly right, even though these were levels I would cruise through if I weren't playing them in co-op.
Every player also gets their own level-appropriate loot in co-op — so not only is it fun regardless of level, but it's productive, too. Nintendo is not the first company to nail this element of co-op play in games with levels and loot, but it's still one of the best experiences I've had to date.
Alas I didn't get to try is the "Call For Help" function, but the idea is you can press a button on the level select screen to matchmake with any players who have flagged themselves as available to assist you. This is similar to the way co-op works in Monster Hunter.
Not all great Splatoon elements made the jump
Unfortunately, Splatoon Raiders does fall a bit short of series expectations in some key areas — specifically, fashion and music.
The other Splatoon games have pretty deep dress-up features that allow you to look fresh and funky as hell. Here, there are a smattering of unlockable outfits, but I didn't love the way most of them look.
Dressing like a greaseball mechanic makes more sense for the treasure-hunting escapades in Splatoon Raiders, but personally, I miss the streetwise fashion of the other games. I just want to wear a snapback with a squid on it.
And while Splatoon Raiders' soundtrack is still a step above most video games, it's a bit disappointing compared to its brethren. The audio direction here goes in the direction of strange, non-standard sounds rather than catchy, hummable rock or pop melodies. Previous Splatoon games have served both ends of the musical spectrum.
Regardless of shortcomings, Splatoon Raiders is another pleasant Switch 2 surprise, along the lines of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Pokémon Pokopia, both of which also launched this year.
Those were games I was only medium-level interested in prior to release; now they're all some of the best (or at least most interesting) games on the platform. As we wait patiently for the next big Mario or Zelda release, it's nice to experience these fun, experimental takes on existing franchises.
