Game: Splatoon Raiders
Genre: Action, Shooter
System: Nintendo Switch 2
Developer|Publisher: Nintendo
Age Rating: EU 7 | US Everyone 10+
Price: US $49.99 | UK 41.99 | EU € 49,99
Release Date: July 23rd, 2026
Review code provided with many thanks to Nintendo Europe.
Splatoon Raiders – Paint the Game All the Colours
Ever since the original Splatoon burst onto the Wii U, I’ve been a huge fan of the series. In fact, it’s one of the very few competitive multiplayer games that has genuinely clicked with me over the years. Part of that comes down to its design. You didn’t need to be the player topping the scoreboard with eliminations to feel useful. Covering the map in ink was just as valuable as splatting opponents, making it one of the most welcoming online shooters around.
The series has always featured single-player campaigns and a PVE in Splatoon 2 & 3, but they’ve often felt like a side dish to the multiplayer feast. That’s what makes Splatoon Raiders so exciting. Rather than simply bolting another campaign onto the side, Nintendo has finally taken the idea and built an entire game around it. This is a Splatoon adventure first and foremost, one that’s perfectly enjoyable solo while still allowing you to team up with friends if you wish. It’s something I’ve hoped Nintendo would do for years, and after spending plenty of time exploring its paint-splatted islands, I’m very glad they finally did.
Crash Landing Into Adventure
You play as the Mechanic, whose journey takes an unexpected turn after crash-landing on the mysterious Spirhalite Islands. While waiting for rescue, the obvious solution is… well… why not explore? After all, there are treasures to uncover, relics to collect and mysteries hidden across the islands. It’s classic Nintendo storytelling. It doesn’t spend hours explaining itself before letting you play. You customise your character, tweak your hairstyle, work your way through the tutorial and before long you’re off splatting enemies and filling your pockets with shiny loot.
The opening tutorial is perhaps a little lengthy, especially if you’ve played previous Splatoon games, but it does make the game very approachable for newcomers.
Splat, Loot, Upgrade… Repeat
The core gameplay loop is wonderfully addictive. Each expedition sees you exploring large island environments, finding treasure chests, collecting resources and discovering increasingly powerful equipment before returning to your hideout to upgrade your gear and prepare for another outing. It sounds simple on paper, but Nintendo absolutely nails that “just one more splat” feeling.
Along the way you’ll discover new weapons, relics and upgrades that let you gradually shape your preferred playstyle. Different relic combinations can enhance your abilities, while your chosen Ink Tank unlocks additional gadgets and skills to experiment with. I really enjoyed constantly finding new equipment. Every expedition felt worthwhile because there was always something exciting waiting around the next corner.
Familiar Controls That Feel Brilliant
If you’ve played Splatoon before, you’ll instantly feel at home. You still fire colourful ink across the land before diving into it in squid form to move quickly, dodge danger and refill your ink supply. Years later, it’s still one of the most satisfying movement systems Nintendo has ever created.
I also appreciated that the game lets you choose how you want to play. Gyro aiming is available, as expected, and works well for players who enjoy motion controls. Personally, I found myself sticking with traditional stick aiming while playing handheld, simply because it felt a little more comfortable for me.
Plenty Of Variety
One thing the Splatoon series has never lacked is personality, and Raiders continues that tradition beautifully. The weapon variety remains fantastic. Traditional shooters are all well and good, but where else can you charge into battle wielding giant paint brushes, buckets or wonderfully bizarre ink-powered contraptions?
Every weapon feels distinct enough that swapping between them genuinely changes how you approach encounters. Then there are the companion abilities. Each member of Deep Cut joins you inside powerful Exploration Bots, bringing unique Showstopper attacks to help clear overwhelming groups of enemies. My personal favourite was Shiver’s giant shark attack, which never stopped making me smile every time I unleashed it across a crowded battlefield. It’s delightfully over-the-top.
More Than Just Shooting
Although shooting remains the focus, Raiders constantly throws little surprises into the mix. Wave-based challenge areas are asking you to survive increasingly difficult enemy encounters before facing powerful bosses. Between those, you’ll spend plenty of time freely exploring islands, uncovering hidden paths and gathering materials. I particularly enjoyed some of the smaller touches too, like surfing across the sea between locations or hunting down hidden treasures tucked away in corners of the map. There’s usually something pulling your attention away from the main objective.
Nintendo’s Trademark Presentation
Visually, Splatoon Raiders is exactly what you’d hope for. Everything bursts with colour, personality and energy. The islands are varied enough that exploration never becomes dull, taking you from tropical coastlines to volcanic landscapes and mysterious underground ruins. Enemy design continues to be wonderfully ridiculous. Returning Salmonids are just as entertaining as ever, ranging from tiny troublemakers to enormous hulking bosses that demand far more careful planning. Even after several games, Nintendo somehow continues finding new ways to make these odd little creatures entertaining. The soundtrack, humour and animations all carry that unmistakable Nintendo polish as well. It’s light-hearted, funny and never takes itself too seriously.
Playing Solo Or Together
Although Raiders supports online and local co-op, I actually spent most of my time playing alone. That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give it. This doesn’t feel like a multiplayer game awkwardly adjusted for solo play. It genuinely feels designed with single-player adventuring in mind from the ground up. Of course, jumping online with friends adds another layer of fun. If you’re having a tough time on a level, you can call for help and randos online will assist you. They won’t interfere with your loot or progress; it all feels co-op and friendly. But whether you prefer going it alone or teaming up, there’s plenty here to enjoy.
Conclusion: SplatTastic
Splatoon Raiders feels like a natural evolution for the series. Rather than simply delivering another multiplayer-focused package with a short campaign attached, Nintendo has fully embraced what made those previous single-player modes enjoyable and expanded them into a complete adventure. The exploration is rewarding, the progression keeps you constantly unlocking exciting new toys, and the familiar ink-based gameplay remains every bit as entertaining as ever.
Will it convert players who have never enjoyed Splatoon? Probably not. If the core shooting mechanics have never appealed to you, Raiders is unlikely to change your mind. Likewise, players who only ever cared about competitive multiplayer may still prefer the mainline entries. But if, like me, you’ve always found yourself wishing Nintendo would make a proper single-player Splatoon adventure… Well, this is exactly that.
It’s colourful, funny, packed with personality and incredibly easy to lose yourself in for both quick sessions and longer evenings. Add in flexible difficulty options, satisfying progression and Nintendo’s usual level of polish, and you’ve got a fantastic new direction for the franchise. I genuinely loved my time with Splatoon Raiders, and I sincerely hope this isn’t the last time Nintendo lets the series venture into dedicated single-player territory. For me, this is an easy recommendation.
Final Verdict: Two Thumbs Up
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