Owning a Wii U ended up being the ultimate test of patience. Being forced to wait months for a first-party release that justified me purchasing Nintendo’s tablet/gaming hybrid console proved torturous during much of the system’s lifecycle.
I remember getting the first Splatoon, not out of a pure need for it but because I was so desperate to play anything on my Wii U besides Bayonetta 2. The shock and awe that took over my spirit when I realized just how fun Splatoon’s PvP ink-blasting matches were still stands tall as one of the biggest pleasant surprises I’ve had as a gamer. From that point forward, I sunk embarrassingly long playtimes into the series’ next two mainline entries and accompanying DLC expansions.
Now that I’m on the cusp of finally picking up Switch 2, I’m super excited to put just as much time into Nintendo’s latest offering of ink-splatting. But what makes this new series installment stand out from its predecessors is how it eschews competitive multiplayer in favor of treasure hunting escapades across single–player and four-player co-op expeditions.
And after finally getting some hands-on time with Splatoon Raiders, I can safely say that its fun factor and charm match that of the excellent Splatoon games that came before it.
Customizing loadouts, blasting baddies and raiding treasure
The name of the game here is using your custom character’s mechanical skills to create new tools, improve your gear, customize your loadouts and head out to new destinations across the Spirhalite Islands to find even more goodies for the taking.
Like previous games in the series, Splatoon Raiders gives you a ton of options to tinker to your liking. Creating your own “Inkling” took me longer than expected since I always get a kick out of making them to my exact liking. This game also offers a wide range of other options to tailor, such as your main weapon, two gadgets, Relic Powers, your tank type, Bot Buddy, and clothing style.
Speaking of weapons and gadgets, I got a lot of use out of the “Flamingo Splattershot Jr.”, the “Booyarang” and the “Splatellites.” The mixture of rapid-fire shooting, a weapon that can cut through the opposition in a single circular arc and another one that creates orbiting discs around you that harm incoming foes worked like a charm. When the time arrived for me to eliminate all the “Salmonids” that sought to take me out, my chosen loadout and the assistance of one of the members of the “Deep Cut” trio (whose outfitted in a bot), I was treated to the same entertaining gunplay that made me a fan of Splatoon in the first place.
After seeing the first pieces of footage for Splatoon Raiders, I was a bit worried that the game’s environments would boil down to nothing but sandy beaches and rocky terrain. But those fears have now been assuaged — there’s plenty more biomes to venture to and the color patterns do enough to make them stand apart from each other, thankfully. The Salmonid hordes that try to overpower you are relentless and actually presented a challenge during some missions, especially the timed ones.
Even with the difficulty getting kicked up a notch during my demo, I had the time of my life blasting them out of existence, jumping on top of my big bot assistant to get some extra air time and picking up all the currency and items I need to create more offensive and defensive tools. Trust me when I tell you that you'll need all the help you can get, as this game presents a worthy challenge with its unique boss fights and time trials that throw even more enemy hordes your way.
Co-op raids will keep me occupied for months (or years?) to come
Linking up with three other players to go on some treasure hunts proved to be just as fun (if not MORE fun!) than my solo treks. Seeing my three other Inkling squadmates equip entirely different loadouts resulted in playthroughs where our combined weapons and gadgets cut through our fishy foes with ease. I knew it was time to switch up my loadout when I watched one of my co-op partners slash through an army of swarming Salmonids with their “Splatchet” gadget (it felt so satisfying to do some slashing for myself once I finally used it).
Here’s hoping plenty of substantial endgame content and a nice DLC rollout will accompany Splatoon Raiders to expand its co-op suite.
Bottom line
Call me crazy if you want, but the likes of Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and Pokémon Pokopia weren’t enough to compel me to get Switch 2.
As the odd man out with that opinion, Splatoon Raiders stands out as the killer app that will make me finally pick up a Switch 2. Am I slightly disappointed that the PvP competitive ink-splatting isn’t featured? Yeah. But am I still excited to go treasure hunting with the Deep Cut idols, eliminate Salmonids that dare to approach me, jump into the colorful ink fray with three other Inklings and unlock new pieces of gear?
Absolutely!
