With wonderfully designed missions and a plethora satisfying progression systems, Splatoon Raiders is a must-play for Nintendo Switch 2 owners

Date:
Tue, 21 Jul 2026 13:00:00 +0000

Description:
Splatoon Raiders delivers a fantastic solo experience filled with enjoyable shooting, loads of satisfying progression, and smartly designed levels.

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youve always loved the world of the Splatoon series but have been understandably put off by the prospect of its sweaty competitive multiplayer modes, then this latest Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive third-person shooter is for you. Review info Platform reviewed: Nintendo Switch 2 Available on: Nintendo Switch 2 Release date: July 23, 2026 Splatoon Raiders offers an incredibly compelling, single-player take on the series trademark ink-spewing action. Its all underpinned by the same excellent shooting mechanics that
make online matches of Splatoon 3 such a blast, now smartly recontextualized in a wholly player versus environment (PvE) format and enhanced with a plethora of satisfying progression systems that allow you to experiment with countless impactful character builds. Nintendo Splatoon Raiders at Amazon for 41.99 The sheer volume of content here is formidable: there are a vast number of highly replayable missions that can be tackled in multiple difficulty levels, more than a hundred weapons to wield, and even lend others a hand in online co-op for more unlockable rewards. This is comfortably one of the best Nintendo Switch 2 games and I know Ill be coming back to it, even now Ive
seen the credits roll. Latest Videos From Watch full video here: Fishy business (Image credit: Nintendo) While the main Splatoon games are known for their clean urban aesthetics, Splatoon Raiders sets itself apart with a much grimier, more salvaged look. Set on the distant Spirhalite Islands, it
follows an unnamed mechanic working for the Deep Cut trio the iconic TV show hosts from Splatoon 3 who apparently moonlight as treasure hunters. With the group stranded on a raft after their latest treasure hunting expedition goes awry, theyre forced to improvise gear and track down the resources necessary to escape.

Fashioned from wooden crates and metal grates, the raft functions as your hub world in between missions and can be outfitted with a range of useful
features like a customizable firing range and a range of upgrade stations, in addition to more whimsical options like an arcade cabinet that offers some cute pixel-art minigames. You always feel like theres a meaningful upgrade that youre working towards, and watching your craft develop from a ramshackle structure into a fully-fledged mobile base as you progress through the story is immensely satisfying.

Thats not to say that you need much encouragement to complete missions, however, as theyre a load of fun. There are three main types: quickfire dens that have you beating a few waves of foes in a short time limit, longer raids where you drop into large semi-open environments to secure nearby treasure chests, and dungeons that challenge you to get to a goal with a set loadout. Best bit (Image credit: Nintendo) I love the character creator in Splatoon Raiders . It lets you choose between an Inkling or Octoling protagonist, with customizable facial features and a range of cute hairstyles that are perfect for expressing yourself in co-op. The generous selection of unlockable
outfits is lovely too. It seems pretty basic at first, but there are an incredible number of unique twists that keep each new mission feeling fresh.
A den, for example, might throw hundreds of the same area-denial enemies at you coating the small arena with noxious slime that chips away at your
health and forces you to stay on your feet while a raid could surprise you with tricky platforming sections and a strict time limit. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

The dungeons, meanwhile, are more focused around puzzles and cleverly serve
to tutorialize many of the weapons and abilities that you can unlock. In the tank (Image credit: Nintendo) Your character can carry one of three ink tanks (which basically determine your chosen class), designed for raw power, speed, or more careful ranged tactics. They all play completely differently, with their own roster of powerful gadgets to unlock and an overall power level
that gradually ticks up with use.

I mainly relied on the Power Tank, which, true to its name, is all about big, bombastic attacks that deal massive damage. My favorite gadgets include the inky hatchet with its huge slashing strike that is invaluable for taking out tankier foes and a charging rocket launcher that wonderfully shreds through groups of smaller ones.

It might be tempting to rely on one favorite, but there are plenty of good reasons to try the others. Fully upgrading one tank requires you to spend
time with the others, and some dungeons even have specific rewards depending on which you use to complete them. I initially thought that this might prove
a frustrating barrier to progression, but soon came to appreciate being made to step out of my comfort zone because all three tanks are equally enjoyable to use with a huge variety of gadgets to discover. (Image credit: Nintendo) Every gadget is highly customizable as well, with a plethora of collectible parts that do everything from minor stat upgrades to fundamentally change how they work. You can only add a certain number of parts at a time, so youll
need to think carefully in order to craft a new build to successfully
overcome a particularly tricky challenge.

Theres just as much depth to the wide selection of weapons. The 11 types on offer will all be familiar if youve played Splatoon 3 , with a good mix of long-range shooters, nimble pistols, sloshing buckets, and so on, all with their own mechanics to master. Tackling more difficult missions rewards more powerful weapons at a strong pace, which, alongside the steady introduction
of new rarities with their own unique qualities, further stops everything
from becoming stale.

The same is true of the many enemy types. Its the same malevolent Salmonids from the Salmon Run side modes of Splatoon 2 and 3 , but with a healthy
number of new varieties to surprise even the most seasoned fish hunters.

It all comes together for an experience that, even when some of the more difficult challenges force you to grind up your power level, remains fresh
and exciting like a delicious piece of sashimi throughout. Should I play Splatoon Raiders? Play it if...

Youve always wanted a single-player Splatoon Splatoon Raiders finally delivers the single-player Splatoon experience that many have been waiting for, giving you a new way to discover the franchise without the pressure of PvP.

You want something to play for the long haul With its wealth of meaty progression systems, Splatoon Raiders gives you loads of goals to work towards. Pick this up if you want a game that you can dip into over and over again.

Youre after a meaty co-op experience Although primarily a single-player experience, Splatoon Raiders supports online co-op that lets you tackle the majority of its missions with up to three friends. Don't play it if...

Youre not interested in Splatoon Splatoon Raiders is a superb game, but its not going to win you over if you already disliked the series third-person, ink-based combat. Accessibility features Like most modern Nintendo releases, Splatoon Raiders is lacking when it comes to accessibility features. It
offers the ability to invert both thumbsticks, or use motion controls to aim.

The color of ink is usually random, but you can lock it to either blue or purple in order to be easier to see. In addition to offering harder versions of most missions, the game features three overall difficulty modes which decreases or increases the power of enemies. How I reviewed Splatoon Raiders (Image credit: Nintendo) I played nearly 20 hours of Splatoon Raiders on Nintendo Switch 2 using the Joy-Con 2 controllers in handheld mode. For
audio, I used the systems built-in speaker setup.

I experienced the whole of the games story, hitting the credits having
tackled all of the major missions on the standard difficulty mode, in
addition to some online co-op play.

First reviewed June 2026 Nintendo Splatoon Raiders: Price Comparison 41.99 View We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices powered by



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