Splatoon Raiders Review
- Matthew Rondina
- 3 hours ago
- 4 min read
Splatoon Raiders delivers addictive action, deep customization and a great co-op, my full review.
I have spent plenty of hours painting battlefields in every neon colour imaginable, but Splatoon Raiders might be the series’ most interesting detour yet. It transforms Splatoon into a loot-driven PvE adventure packed with upgrades, build experimentation, and swarms of Salmonids. With these changes, Nintendo has created something immediately familiar but surprisingly fresh. With its addictive progression, fantastic movement, and colourful personality, Splatoon Raiders has quickly become one of the best games I have played on Nintendo Switch 2. Let’s dive into my full review and find out what makes this ink-soaked spin-off such a standout.
Splatoon Raiders details
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
Reviewed on: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer: Nintendo EPD
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Third-person action shooter
Available game modes: Single-player; 2–4 player online and local wireless co-op
ESRB Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+
Splatoon Raiders storyline – A treasure hunt gone sideways
Splatoon Raiders follows the Deep Cut trio: Shiver, Frye, and Big Man as they travel to the mysterious Spirhalite Islands with a customizable Inkling or Octoling known as “the Mechanic.” Naturally, things go wrong almost immediately. Their helicopter crashes, leaving the group stranded and eventually pushing them into a treasure hunt across islands crawling with Salmonids.
I enjoyed spending more time with Deep Cut, and their personalities add plenty of charm to the adventure. However, the story itself is fairly thin for a single-player experience. The basic setup rarely evolves far beyond exploring new areas, hunting for treasure, and uncovering a few secrets along the way. It works well enough to keep the action moving, so as a device to keep splatting, it works well. The game is about what you discover, build, upgrade, and splat along the way.
Splatoon Raiders gameplay
Gameplay is what really hooked me about Splatoon Raiders. The familiar Splatoon foundation remains intact: you fire ink, transform to swim quickly through painted surfaces, refill your supply while submerged, and constantly bounce between movement and combat.
What makes Raiders different is the progression wrapped around those mechanics. Weapons, resources, upgrades, crafting materials, gadgets, and Relic Powers constantly give you something new to experiment with. I especially liked how often the game encouraged me to rethink my approach rather than simply sticking with one favourite weapon.
There are three Ink Tank styles: Speed, Power, and Tactical; they all push you toward a different playstyle. Power rewards aggression, Speed focuses on movement, and Tactical offers more battlefield control. Combining these systems with different weapons and upgrades creates a satisfying loop of finding loot, improving a build, testing it in combat, and immediately wondering what could make it even better.
That loop is easily one of Raiders’ biggest strengths. I regularly finished a mission intending to stop, only to notice one more upgrade or piece of gear worth chasing. Suddenly, another hour had disappeared.
Co-op inking is excellent
Playing with friends online or through local wireless transforms some of the busier Salmonid encounters into wonderfully controlled chaos. Tougher groups are easier to manage when everyone is covering different angles, and coordinating gadgets and attacks makes large battles much more enjoyable.
Repetitive missions and objectives
My biggest gameplay criticism is repetition, especially later in the game. Mission objectives can begin to feel familiar, particularly when replaying stages or pushing through post-game content at higher difficulties. The excellent movement and progression help offset that repetition, but there were definitely moments where I wished objectives offered a little more variety.
Splatoon Raiders graphics and performance
Visually, Splatoon Raiders looks excellent on Nintendo Switch 2. The Spirhalite Islands offer a welcome change of scenery from the urban settings typically associated with the series, with locations ranging from beaches and ruins to snowy areas, lava-filled regions, and underground environments.
Performance also impressed me. Movement feels fast and responsive, and Raiders does a great job maintaining that sensation even when encounters become crowded. Splatoon has always depended heavily on fluid movement, and the Switch 2 hardware lets the series feel smoother and more immediate than ever.
The overall presentation is not quite as stylish as previous Splatoon games, however. I found the selection of fashion and cosmetic options somewhat limited, and Raiders does not always have the same instantly iconic visual personality that made earlier entries feel so distinctive.
Final thoughts on Splatoon Raiders
Splatoon Raiders proves that the franchise works remarkably well outside competitive multiplayer. Nintendo has taken the series’ excellent movement and shooting mechanics and built a fun progression system around them, filled with crafting, upgrades, build experimentation, and constant rewards. Splatoon Raiders is colourful, fast, addictive, and surprisingly deep. It’s an excellent Nintendo Switch 2 spin-off that proves there is plenty of ink left in the tank.
Splatoon Raiders PROS
+Deep progression and rewarding build experimentation
+Excellent co-op that makes large encounters even better
+Fast, smooth movement and strong Switch 2 performance
Splatoon Raiders CONS
-Story remains fairly basic
-Missions can become repetitive later on
-Music and customization lack some of Splatoon’s usual flair
Gameplay: 9.5/10
Graphics: 9/10
Sound: 8.5/10
Lasting appeal / Replayability: 9/10
Splatoon Raiders Overall Rating: 36/40 – 90%
Nintendo provided a review copy in order to conduct this review.
About the Author - Matthew "Dapper Tux" Rondina
Matthew has been involved in all things gaming since the 8-bit era. He is a video game and tech industry veteran who has been passionate about technology and gaming for over 20 years. In addition to being the Managing Editor of dappertux.com, he has bylines with Best Buy, Cineplex Entertainment, Mobile Syrup and Walmart. Follow Matthew’s gaming + tech adventures on multiple social platforms with the handle @dapper_tux via X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, and join in on the fun!
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