Splatoon Raiders swaps turf wars for solo-friendly ink mayhem

Splatoon Raiders drops the franchise’s competitive multiplayer and builds its whole pitch around solo play, according to a Mashable review, giving Nintendo’s ink-slinging series a fresh shape on Switch 2.

The review describes the game as the first single-player-focused entry in the decade-old Splatoon franchise, while still keeping the core feel intact: third-person shooting, color-coated arenas, squid-kid movement, ink swimming, and gyroscopic aiming.

According to Mashable, the big change is structure. Instead of turf-war competition, Splatoon Raiders pulls from several earlier non-competitive ideas in the series, including story missions, boss battles, the co-op combat rhythm of Salmon Run from Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3, and character-building elements linked to the Splatoon 3: Side Order DLC.

A campaign built for quick bursts

Mashable says the campaign is made up of hand-crafted levels, split between more direct platform-and-shoot stages and wider missions centered on grabbing money and loot.

The reviewer spent about 15 hours with the game and said the variety held up across that stretch. The review also notes that, like standard Splatoon multiplayer matches, most missions take only a few minutes, which helps when players need to replay levels for rewards or progression.

The story is described as more of a frame for spending time with returning characters Shiver, Frye, and Big Man than a major hook for players who are less invested in Splatoon lore.

Builds, gadgets and a lot of turrets

The strongest praise in the review goes to customization. Mashable says the cosmetic side is limited, but the gameplay systems give players room to make chaotic builds.

The main character gains permanent boosts to stats such as health and damage. Players can also equip one of three tanks: Tactical, Speed, or Power. Each tank has its own cooldown-based gadgets.

The Tactical Tank, for example, includes a placeable automatic turret, with more tank-specific gadgets unlocked later. Mashable says gadget customization expands the system further, including options that trigger certain gadgets when the player hits an enemy with a weapon.

By the final third of the story, the reviewer said their build was automatically launching multiple turrets on weapon hits, creating an endgame power curve compared in the review to Hades and Risk of Rain 2, though with persistent progression rather than roguelike runs.

Co-op is still in the mix

Nintendo has positioned Splatoon Raiders as a single-player game, according to Mashable, but the review says almost every level can also be played in co-op with up to three other players.

Based on a demo session with other reviewers, Mashable says the game adjusts difficulty across different player levels. In one session, a level 42 character who had finished the story played alongside a level 10 player, with the game tuning numbers so both could take part without making either player feel artificially weakened or overpowered.

The review also says each co-op player receives level-appropriate loot. A “Call For Help” feature, which the reviewer did not test, is described as a matchmaking option for players seeking assistance, similar in idea to co-op help systems in Monster Hunter.

Style and soundtrack take a hit

Mashable’s main complaints are about fashion and music. The review says earlier Splatoon games offered deeper dress-up options, while Raiders has fewer outfits and leans into a treasure-hunting mechanic look.

The soundtrack is described as stronger than many games, but less memorable than past Splatoon music, favoring stranger sound design over the catchier rock and pop energy associated with earlier entries.

Even with those caveats, Mashable groups Splatoon Raiders with other Switch 2 surprises such as Yoshi and the Mysterious Book and Pokémon Pokopia, calling it another experimental spin on a familiar Nintendo series while players wait for the next major Mario or Zelda release.

This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.