Even with massive recent releases like Pokémon Pokopia and Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream, this week’s new arrival, the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive Splatoon Raiders, still deserves to be in the conversation for game of the year. It takes everything you love about the quirky squid-based shooter, wraps it in a tight and satisfying single-player narrative, then turns the entire affair up to 11.
You take on the role of the Mechanic, an Inkling or Octoling that you can customize to your liking, who joins the members of Splatoon 3‘s host band, Deep Cut, as they plumb the depths of the mysterious Spirhalite Islands. Promising treasure and adventure, the island chain also offers up ample natural resources like Spirhalite Crystals and Salmonid Power Eggs.
Oh, did I forget to mention the Salmonids? Yeah, this place is lousy with them!
From Lesser and Boss Salmonids you might recognize from previous Splatoon entries to Raiders‘ own Seasoned variants and even a handful of super-sized Mythic Salmonids, the game throws wave after wave of slimy foes at you as you work toward that next goal or waypoint.
Of course, since this is Splatoon we’re talking about, you’re not exactly defenseless against this onslaught. You’ll start things off with a fairly basic weapon, but you’ll quickly begin amassing quite an arsenal dropped by splatted enemies. Weapons each have a level, representing base damage, as well as a star rating. The more stars, the more likely a weapon is to have special characteristics, things like speed or damage increases or properties allowing enemies to become Scorched or Frozen.
Despite Splatoon Raiders‘ single-player slant, you aren’t forced to go it alone. A member of Deep Cut will accompany you as your Bot Buddy, piloting the heavily armored, drill-equipped Exploration Bot. Collecting Power Eggs fills a special Showstopper meter. With the gauge full, your Bot Buddy can unleash a powerful attack to punish big bads or easily eliminate scores of lesser enemies. Still, as impressive as it is, that’s not the only thing the Exploration Bot has to offer. Your Bot Buddy will attack enemies independently, but you can easily call them close to help you out in a jam or just to give you a little jump boost as you investigate the terrain.
The biggest addition Raiders provides to the Splatoon universe is its tank system. The Speed, Power, and Tactical Tanks represent purpose-built devices for different styles of gameplay. Whether your plan is to outrun, outgun, or simply outclass the Salmonid army, there’s a tank for that.
Like your character himself, these tanks can be leveled up through gameplay, making them all the more formidable. Most importantly, each tank has attachment points for specialty Gadgets. Replacing the sub-weapons of old, gadgets support each tank’s gameplay style, from the Power Tank’s crushing Meteor Mitt to the Speed Tank’s gravity-defying Flywire.
The Mechanic’s Tinker ability allows him to equip newly discovered parts to said Gadgets, customizing them to your liking, and later in the game, Shiver can even help you develop parts of your own. Fret not, Deep Cut fans, for Frye provides a similar service on the weapons front while Big Man manages your Hoard, a veritable treasure trove of… well, treasure, including Salmonid research, Briny Scrolls filled with off-the-wall lore, and your Relic Collection.
These shimmering relics do more than just bump up your collection’s value; they also unlock unique powers that can be equipped to your tank to provide more game-changing buffs. Some relics are tied to specific tanks, but several (including many of the most powerful) can be equipped to any tank.
From the relative safety of your Hideout Ship, a central hub that grows and changes as the Mechanic gathers more and better supplies, you’ll launch routine raids on various island locations using your Treasure Map. Some focus squarely on the hunt for relics, while others have you powering up the Exploration Bot to mine massive crystals, and others still have you exploring dangerous Salmonid dens in search of Spirhalite Gems. There are also optional Sampler Dungeons, hidden mini-challenge missions that swap out your current equipment for specific tank, weapon, or gadget combos. Successfully navigate the challenge to discover the skill tomes needed to upgrade your tanks.
As you blast your way through each of these challenges, leveling up and learning more about your allies along the way, you’ll simultaneously uncover another delightfully strange Splatoon universe story. Unsurprisingly, this one focuses largely on the secrets of the Spirhalite Islands and its Salmonid inhabitants. Taken together, it’s a little bit Legend of Zelda, a little bit cosmic horror, and a whole lot of post-apocalyptic Inkling charm.
From start to finish (and beyond), Splatoon Raiders rewards the player for the simple act of playing. Whether or not your raid was successful, you’ll still arrive back at your home base with all your salvage, experience, and crystals intact. Have fun, cause chaos, splat some Salmonids, and if you fail? Just try again!
If you get really stuck, you can even call for help, allowing players online to come in for the assist so that you can complete that particularly troublesome raid. You can also make yourself available to be others’ knight in shining armor, using your freshest, fiercest gear in the service of others.
A game of squids and kids that’s not afraid to ramp up the difficulty (or to hit you with the occasional truly haunting visual) and a solo shooter with robust multiplayer support, Splatoon Raiders is a game that could certainly be accused of doing too much. Yet, somehow, it manages to execute it all flawlessly.
Available this Thursday, July 23, exclusively on the Nintendo Switch 2, this one is a must-buy that’s sure to please! And should a particularly devious dungeon get the better of you in Splatoon Raiders, just send out the call for assistance, and I’ll come running.
Review and promotional materials provided by Nintendo of America. This post contains affiliate links. Surely the real treasure is the friends we made along the way.
