Splatoon Raiders - the colorful chaos we love

Nintendo has once again demonstrated its willingness to experiment by introducing Splatoon Raiders, an ambitious spin-off that takes the popular Splatoon series in a completely new direction. Instead of classic Turf War battles, players embark on a standalone adventure, with the option for cooperative play, that combines the fast-paced action characteristic of Splatoon with RPG progression and looter-shooter mechanics.

The story follows an Inkling known as The Mechanic, who, after a fierce storm, crashes with the band Deep Cut (Frye, Shiver, and Big Man) onto the mysterious Spirhalite archipelago. Stranded far from home, the team members decide to explore the islands, find valuable treasures, and fight against dangerous Salmonids - bizarre fish, steel eels, and flying dolphins that inhabit the area. The story is not the main draw of the game, but it successfully connects missions and provides several new details about the world of Splatoon.

Although the environment is completely new, the gameplay remains recognizable. Players still cover the terrain with colorful ink, swim through it to replenish ammunition, and use it for quick movement and outsmarting opponents. The familiar mechanics are further enriched by a progression system that introduces weapon levels and numerous upgrades. Each completed mission brings new weapons and materials, encouraging players to try out different play styles and equipment combinations. In some missions, you will search for treasures, mine crystals, or you will need to collect a certain number of eggs within a set time limit. And how do you collect them? Well, of course, by destroying hordes of Salmonids that emerge from the sewer?? pipes.

One of the biggest innovations is the Gadget system. Instead of the classic auxiliary weapons from previous installments, players use special Ink Tanks that provide unique abilities such as automatic domes, rotating attacks, or various auxiliary devices. Each gadget can be further customized with numerous upgrades and special effects, allowing for the creation of unique combinations tailored to one's play style. Take, for example, the rotating dome. In addition to firing projectiles at enemies, some additional options include explosive projectiles, automatic deployment when you attack, explosions upon placement and destruction, freezing attacks, and stunning gas, among many others. Splatoon Raiders is a paradise for those who love to modify equipment in games. And now imagine being able to have three such gadgets at the same time - chaos is guaranteed!
Of course, there are also your friends from the beginning of this text - Deep Cut. You can take one of them on a mission, and when you fill their specials bar, you can activate Showstopper - a devastating attack that varies from character to character: Frye summons a rain of electric eels that destroy everything in their path, Shiver rides a massive shark and devours everything in a straight line, and Big Man, well, you ride him and then with fin strikes and ink blasts, you devastate everything that comes your way, uh, fin.

As the game progresses, the battles become increasingly intense. Salmonid hordes fill the battlefield, while upgraded gear and powerful gadgets bombard the screen with explosions of color. The difficulty gradually increases, and success increasingly depends on smart equipment selection, upgrades, and combining different abilities.

The game also has great replay value. After completing missions, Spicy versions unlock, bringing stronger opponents and more valuable rewards. The loot collection system encourages players to replay already completed levels to find rare weapons and upgrade materials.
If missions become too difficult, you can call on a friend or even a complete stranger for help. Likewise, you can jump in to help someone, and for that, you will receive special bonuses along with the standard loot.

Additionally, when you find a compass and follow it on the map, special missions will open up that will teach you how to use a specific gadget in just a few minutes, and for that, you will receive a skill point. Not bad, right? You use skill points to improve your attributes, increase damage, or gain more slots for enhancing gadgets.

From a technical standpoint, Splatoon Raiders makes excellent use of the Nintendo Switch 2 console's capabilities. Top-notch graphics, 1440p with anti-aliasing in docked mode and 1080p in handheld mode, a stable 60fps without any performance drops, expressive character animations, and recognizable energetic music create an impressive and high-quality gaming experience. Although some levels do not offer much variety, I would even say they are a bit lacking in detail, the vibrant visual style and dynamic action make every battle exciting and fun.

And multiplayer? Well, there is local and online co-op for 2-4 players. What, no gameshare? Unfortunately, that is my biggest complaint about the game. Because besides the difficulty of finding someone to play with in the online lobby (which I believe will improve as the game has only been out for a few days), if your teammate does not have the mission you need help with unlocked, they cannot join you. It is possible to search for open rooms by keyword, so far "splatoon" yields good results, but all those rooms have just one player.

Splatoon Raiders shows that Nintendo continues to successfully find new ways to develop one of its most popular franchises. By combining recognizable gameplay, a rich customization system, character progression, and cooperative gameplay, the game offers a fresh experience that will attract both long-time fans and new players. Although it does not completely change the formula of the series, it confirms that Splatoon still has plenty of room for experimentation.

Nintendo Switch 2 copy of the game for review purposes was provided by distributor CD Media.