​
Written by Max Kahn
Among Nintendo giants like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, none have shone in the spotlight quite like Splatoon. Since the first game launched on the Wii U in 2015, the series has steadily grown with new entries, merchandise, manga, and even a competitive scene that has cemented it as one of Nintendo’s most prominent modern-day software successes.
As Nintendo usually does, they experimented with Splatoon’s latest release, debuting on the Switch 2 as Splatoon Raiders. While Raiders is a bit of a departure from the usual Splatoon formula, this spinoff swaps the expansive multiplayer matches of other Splatoon games for a rich, multi-layered single-player experience that keeps expanding and rewarding players even after the credits.
Raiders’ basic movement and combat are similar to the usual Splatoon games. Players customize their Inkling or Octoling and choose from several weapon types, spraying ink around the stage before transforming into a highly mobile squid form to quickly traverse the ink. In Raiders, the player defeats hordes of Salmonids, a returning foe from the previous entries. This time, the Salmonids are Raiders’ main antagonists, and the player must complete dozens of stages, splatting thousands of them to collect their power eggs and finish each stage. Afterwards, the player can amplify or swap their gear for new variants they collected throughout the stage. Then, it’s time for the next stage: splat and repeat until the very end.
With so many stages to complete, each with multiple difficulties, the developers ensured the gameplay loop wouldn’t get too repetitive thanks to the numerous stage types. Some stages are basic levels that require the player to get from point A to point B by defeating Salmonids, finding secrets, and collecting power eggs. Others build on these basic levels and offer a small, sandbox-like area that can be completed soon after starting, but spending more time yields better gear and rewards at the end. There are also smaller levels with a short timer, where players must defeat a set number of closely packed Salmonids as quickly as possible before the clock runs out. On top of a few other level types, like giant boss fights, Raiders makes sure that the next level is always fresh to avoid burnout or boredom.
As the player goes through the stages, they will accumulate numerous upgrades, weapons, and other materials to aid them in their quest. This is where Raiders truly shines, as every player can devise their own unique set of weapons, upgrades, skills, and more to tailor their character to their play style. For example, a close-range player can choose a paintbrush and the axe subweapon to fling their character into a fray with a slicing chop, then add skills that increase damage against nearby enemies. On the flip side, another player can opt for a standard splattershot gun, a large chain of bombs as a subweapon, and skills that boost damage against distant enemies. Raiders has infinite possibilities and build potential, and even more options await by leveling up existing weapons, adding in extra skills or buffs for subweapons, and more until the player meets the space-high ceiling of customization.
Raiders constantly keeps gameplay fresh thanks to its variety of weapons, skills, abilities, and stage types. If things start getting too same-y, swap a sniper for an umbrella-tipped shotgun or replace the turret subweapon with a grappling hook. Maybe one of those shorter timed levels has an annoying enemy type that becomes much easier to handle with a paint roller. You can handle almost any situation with even the most basic gear, but swapping weapons and gear can make each level feel different and help with some of the game’s more annoying sections.​
Its story is simple, tying a strange new part of the world to characters from Splatoon 3, and it delves surprisingly deep into the series’ lore. Cutscenes are few and far between, but each is packed with expressive characters, quirky dialogue, and just enough personality to make them feel like a team.​
Unfortunately, Raiders does lose some merit for its rather peculiar choice of music. The other three Splatoon games’ soundtracks often featured fictional bands performing pop and rock in an equally fictional language. Raiders swapped this for a drearier, instrumental set of songs that often sound droning, dull, or even straight-up ugly at times. None of the songs is outright bad, but one battle theme in particular plays for a good chunk of the levels. It sounds like an orchestra of trumpets drenched in sewage water, with loud horns that melodically yet disturbingly blare throughout the song. This decision makes sense, as the popish songs of the other Splatoon games seem to represent the opposing Inklings. At the same time, Raiders’ music choice reflects the grotesque, muddy, and abhorrent nature of the Salmonids. However, it doesn’t excuse the shame I feel for turning down the game’s volume to keep the music from putting me off.
Nonetheless, the game’s subpar soundtrack is a mere dent on such a marvelous game. Raiders constantly throws new weapons, gear, and stages at the player beyond the main campaign, to the point that it feels nearly infinite. Its addictive, fast-paced, fresh gameplay loop hooks players into playing just one more level, even if it’s just to try it. Even losing a level nets the player experience points, making every minute, including failure, worth it in the grand scheme.​
Splatoon Raiders is a fun game that keeps combat and levels fresh. If a player sticks to one weapon type and set of gear for the whole game, they shouldn’t be surprised if the game’s repetitiveness wears them down. Raiders encourages expression, variety, and experimentation to tackle the game’s most daunting challenges. As a series, Splatoon’s momentum keeps pushing it toward the future, shining brighter among Nintendo’s rich variety of series. With its first spinoff released, who knows what’s next for Splatoon. A fourth mainline entry? A spinoff? A movie, a Splatoon movie? Only time may tell.
​
