Splatoon Raiders Review – Inkiana Tones

Splatoon Raiders is a creative take on the now tried-and-true Splatoon formula, offering a fresh adventure in the series’ quirky universe. The missions can be a little repetitive, and I wish you could customize your character further, but fans and newcomers can both have a blast with this clever Splatoon side-quest.

I had sort of missed the Splatoon train until Splatoon 3, which is surprising since I was one of the 23 people with a Wii U. I did dig that third game, though, so I was decently well-equipped going into Splatoon Raiders. Positioned as a spin-off to the main games, this title has you plundering more coastal regions of the series’ world alongside a few returning characters and plenty of iconic weapons, making for a worthwhile divergence from the franchise’s norm.

In Splatoon Raiders, you aren’t vying to splatter ink all over the most territory possible as you are in the main series’ games. Instead, you’re hunting down relics and treasures throughout the Spirhalite Islands and using your ink primarily for combat against cartoonishly grotesque Salmonids, as well as for navigation. It’s a substantial shift in gears, but it works incredibly well within this spin-off.

Maneuvering around the stages using ink lets you get pretty creative – a sensation that Splatoon Raiders only enhances with its wide plethora of loadouts that you can customize. A wide variety of weapons gets unlocked as you progress, letting you use anything from umbrellas and “Splatanas” to dual pistols or a bow and arrow. I found most missions, though their design, encouraged me to experiment with different weapon types rather than stick to whatever one I was already most comfortable with, which I appreciated.

Combining weapons with tank types and gadgets, which are essentially subweapons that can spread even more ink around, is where things get really exciting. I focused on the speed-based tank alongside quick gadgets that help me move around each area, but there are a few tanks that each boost a different stat, along with appropriate gadgets. Finding the perfect combo of weapons, gadgets, and your tank, as well as upgrading your stats between missions, allows for a wild amount of different loadouts and play styles, creating a remarkably flexible and fun gameplay loop.

That said, a couple of the mission types do get a bit repetitive. There aren’t a ton of types in general, primarily being made up of gathering treasure from crystal checkpoints, collecting energy from enemies before time runs out, or battling waves of foes to dig underground until you reach a boss. Each mission type is plenty enjoyable, but they blend together a little bit after a while, so I’d have liked another type or two to keep things a bit more varied as the game goes on.

Additionally, you can’t customize your character all that much. There aren’t too many eye and hair styles, and though unlocking outfits through accomplishing specific feats feels rewarding, a lot of them are similar in design. My Inkling didn’t come off as especially distinct, though I do appreciate the creative ways that the hair choices communicate your character being stranded on a remote island through the use of junk and sailing tools as accessories. 

Getting further story and comedy from Deep Cut – Shiver, Frye, and Big Man – is a welcome addition, as the trio was one of the highlights of Splatoon 3 and remains so in Splatoon Raiders. Their quirky dynamic is more charming than you might expect, and playing as the sort-of fourth member of the group (the customizable “Mechanic”) allows you to vibe with them in a way you previously couldn’t.

You can even bond with Deep Cut in Splatoon Raiders.

There’s even a little Bond system where going on missions with each of them rewards you with extra dialogue scenes after some missions and lore rewards. It’s not an especially complex system compared to other games’ social link mechanics, but it provides just enough extra content to feel worthwhile.

The visual style of Splatoon Raiders is as colorful and lively as one would expect from a Splatoon game, with the grotesquely silly-looking Salmonids taking the cake for the most interesting designs. I saw that the game originally had a more “summer resort” feel in development, which I would have enjoyed a bit more than the somewhat desolate and ramshackle vibe they went with, but I understand that randomly attacking the Salmonids while they’re chilling at a resort would feel pretty evil in terms of narrative.