When the Nintendo Switch 2 made its grand reveal, part of the fun was not just witnessing the start of a new Nintendo console generation but seeing the entourage of new entries in familiar series. And you didn’t really have to wait long. We got a new Donkey Kong 3D platformer, a brand-new Mario Kart, Kirby Air Riders, Zelda ports. Plenty of good titles. Enough to realistically satiate the average Nintendo fan. When I watched the conference the one thought permeating in my head was, “When’s the new Splatoon game coming out?”.
Since the very beginning on the Nintendo Wii U, Splatoon has always captured my heart with its wildly creative worldbuilding, deceptively inspired gameplay and vibrant soundscape. Each game built upon the previous to produce tighter controls, deeper customization options and more nuanced single player options. Yet, while that is still the case Splatoon 3 was when I started to see the limitations of the series. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a phenomenal game. But it’s when I started to feel it wasn’t enough of a sell to simply give me new weapons and a new single player campaign. Especially when we had two similar multiplayer experiences on the same console with the same player base. If the devs at Nintendo EPD 8 wanted to inspire sustainability, I’d want to see meaningful enhancements beyond a new number slapped on the box.
With those stipulations in mind, I was extremely impressed with Splatoon Raiders. Taking everything that worked with the previous games and the stand alone DLC packs and mixing in loot shooter gameplay to deliver a highly addictive, challenging experience. A much needed shakeup that once again revitalized my interest in the series. In this writeup, I wanted to go over my initial thoughts, highlighting some of the new mechanics that spoke to me. This won’t necessarily be a review. Moreso, a dissertation of everything I liked from the perspective of how far I’ve gotten into the game.
So what’s truly new in this game? From the outside not a lot, but it’s how it's presented that makes the difference. Splatoon Raiders borrows the mission structure from Splatoon 3’s single player campaign, adding single player versions of the Salmon Run mode with optional challenge rooms. But it doesn’t just feel like warmed over leftovers hyped as something grander than it is. Salmon Run in Splatoon Raiders is truly a beast in itself. Fans who are accustomed to previous Salmon Runs will know mostly what to expect. Your goal is to meet a quota of salmon eggs in the allotted time and survive wave after wave of fishy fiends. What’s new this time are the additional requirements to complete a raid. Sometimes asking you to survive waves of the same enemy or survive three tough mini raids to get to a boss. Each raid is a worthy challenge.This is one of its strengths. The game truly drags you through the mud surviving inoperable odds to get even the most meager scrap of treasure. Salmon Run quickly became my favorite mode in the game. Bodying my way through even the toughest raids was endlessly rewarding. Both from a metaphysical lens and a literal one.
Carrying over directly from the multiplayer entries, a level up system is present in this game. In previous games, the level caps were mostly bragging rights. You got slightly better weapons and cosmetics by leveling up but nothing truly essential. Here, it IS essential to level up. Splatoon Raiders is one of the toughest games Nintendo’s developed in a while. From the main missions to the Salmon Run raids and the unlockable challenge courses (some of which made me wanna tear my hair out) will challenge you with an onslaught of enemies pouring out of every crevice. To stay on top of things, your hideout acts as the game’s main hubworld where you can access lore updates, training sections and most importantly upgrade stores. This is truly where the loot shooter aspects come into play. The treasures you unlock by beating missions can be used to buy badges and upgrades to your weapons and tank. Each tank utilizes different combat abilities. By simply playing more of the game you’re constantly upgrading, getting stronger with each encounter. Once you level them up you can gain access to more side weapon slots and more powerful upgrades. Preparing you for the tougher onslaughts awaiting you in the islands unknown to squiddom.
There’s still so much left to talk about, so I guess we’ll have to revisit this discussion once I’ve endured the post-game content. But needless to say, if you’re a Splatoon fan and have somehow not picked up Splatoon Raiders you owe it to yourself to experience the tightest most addictive entry in the series thus far.
