Splatoon Raiders review discussions all seem to start from the same place: this is not Splatoon 4. Nintendo has not simply taken Turf War, changed the maps and called it a new game. Instead, Splatoon Raiders moves the series into a very different shape. It keeps the ink-based movement, colorful chaos and fast shooting that made Splatoon recognizable, but builds them around raids, loot, Salmonid battles, gadgets and long-term progression.
That shift could have gone wrong very easily. Splatoon has always had a clear identity. It is fast, messy, stylish and built around territory control. Raiders takes that foundation and asks a different question: what if Splatoon became a PvE treasure-hunting adventure instead of a competitive multiplayer shooter?
The answer is more interesting than expected.
A Different Kind of Splatoon Game
Splatoon Raiders puts players in the role of the Mechanic, a new protagonist who joins Deep Cut on a trip to the mysterious Spirhalite Islands. Shiver, Frye and Big Man are not just here for background flavor. They are tied into the adventure, the Hideout Ship and the systems that push the game forward.
The basic loop is simple, but effective. You prepare at the Hideout Ship, head out on a raid, fight waves of Salmonids, search for treasure, collect loot and bring everything back to improve your gear. Then you do it again with better weapons, stronger gadgets and more options.
That may sound familiar if you have played other loot-driven games, but Splatoon Raiders works because it filters that structure through Splatoon’s own language. You are not slowly walking through grey corridors, waiting for damage numbers to do all the work. You are sliding through ink, dodging attacks, refilling your tank, splattering enemies and trying to stay alive while the screen turns into colorful seafood violence. Tiny fish go boom. Giant fish hit harder. The vibes are silly; the pressure is real.
Combat Still Feels Like Splatoon
The best thing about Splatoon Raiders is that it does not throw away the series’ core movement. Ink is still central. You fire it, move through it, refill through it and use it to survive. Even though the structure has changed, the moment-to-moment action still feels connected to Splatoon.
That matters because Raiders could have felt like a normal third-person shooter wearing Splatoon clothes. It does not. The movement is still quick. The arenas are still readable. You still have to think about positioning, ink coverage and when to push or back away. The biggest difference is that your target is no longer another team fighting for map control. Now the threat comes from Salmonid waves, boss enemies and raid objectives.
The Salmonids help give the game its own rhythm. Smaller enemies can overwhelm you through numbers, while stronger boss types force you to read attack patterns and react properly. Some enemies are heavily protected from the front. Others fly, create hazards, shield allies or hit from range. Because of that, raids are not just about shooting whatever moves first. You need to understand what is causing the most danger and deal with it quickly.
Loot, Weapons and Gadgets Add Real Progression
The biggest surprise in Splatoon Raiders is how much progression there is. Weapons can drop during raids, and there are more than enough options to encourage experimentation. Higher-level weapons hit harder, and rarer gear can come with useful traits.
The gadget system gives the game more personality. Gadgets are special tools attached to your tank, and they can change how you approach a raid. Some help with movement. Some deal damage. Others control space, protect you or create better openings against stronger Salmonids.
The three tank types also help separate playstyles. Speed-focused setups favor mobility. Power setups lean into direct offense. Tactical options give more room for placement, range and control. This is where Raiders starts to feel bigger than a normal side game. You are not just picking a weapon and moving on. You are building a loadout.
Gadget parts push that even further. By adding parts, you can improve damage, range, cooldown behavior or special effects. A gadget that seems simple at first can become far more useful once you start modifying it. This gives the game a satisfying reason to keep replaying raids, because the next useful part or weapon drop might change how your setup works.
The Hideout Ship Gives the Game a Strong Hub
Between raids, the Hideout Ship acts as your main base. This is where you change equipment, upgrade systems and prepare for the next trip. It also gives the game a clearer sense of growth. You are not only leveling up a character. You are improving the tools, facilities and options that support each new run.
That structure helps Splatoon Raiders avoid feeling like a set of disconnected missions. Every raid feeds back into the hub. Every reward has a purpose. Even failed runs can still leave you with experience, items or gear that help with the next attempt.
This is important because Raiders is built around repetition. You will return to islands, fight Salmonids, collect rewards and upgrade again. The difference between good repetition and boring repetition comes down to whether the game gives you enough reasons to care. Most of the time, Raiders does.
Co-Op Makes the Chaos Better
Splatoon Raiders is described as a single-player-focused game, but co-op is one of its strongest ideas. The game supports up to four players through local wireless or online play. That makes a lot of sense for this structure. Raids already feel built around pressure, enemy waves and quick reactions. Adding friends to that mix naturally makes the action louder and more unpredictable.
There is also a help feature for solo players. You can call for online assistance during difficult moments, and other players can jump in for a short time. It is a smart touch because it keeps the game approachable without forcing everyone into full-time multiplayer.
This also gives Raiders a different identity from classic Splatoon. It is not trying to replace Turf War. It is offering a more relaxed cooperative alternative for players who like the world and mechanics but do not always want competitive pressure.
Where Splatoon Raiders Falls Short
Splatoon Raiders is not perfect. The raid structure can become repetitive during longer sessions. Even with different objectives, enemies and rewards, the loop is still built around going out, fighting Salmonids, grabbing loot and returning to the Hideout Ship. If that loop does not click for you, the game may start to feel familiar faster than expected.
Players who mainly love Splatoon for competitive multiplayer may also feel disappointed. Raiders is not trying to be the next big PvP entry. It is a PvE spin-off with co-op support and progression systems. That makes it fresh, but it also means it will not satisfy everyone looking for a traditional Splatoon experience.
There is also the question of grind. Because weapons, parts and upgrades matter, some players may enjoy replaying raids for better rewards. Others may feel that the game asks them to repeat content before moving comfortably into harder challenges. This is not a deal-breaker, but it is something to keep in mind.
Should You Play Splatoon Raiders?
Splatoon Raiders is much more than a small side story. It takes the energy of Splatoon and reshapes it into a PvE looter adventure with real progression, flexible gadgets, Salmonid-heavy combat and enjoyable co-op support. The result is not a replacement for the mainline multiplayer games, and it should not be judged as one. It is a different branch of the same universe.
What makes it work is that Nintendo did not abandon the parts that make Splatoon fun. Movement still matters. Ink still matters. Style still matters. The world is still strange, colorful and full of ridiculous danger. Raiders simply gives those ideas a new structure.
If you want a classic competitive Splatoon game, this may not be the sequel you were waiting for. But if you like the idea of taking Splatoon’s fast ink-shooter action into raids, loot, upgrades and co-op treasure hunts, Splatoon Raiders is one of the most interesting Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives so far.
It is not Splatoon 4. It does not need to be. Splatoon Raiders proves that this series can grow in a different direction without losing its weird, messy charm.
