When Splatoon Raiders was announced, I’ll admit I was skeptical. The magic of the Splatoon series is steeped in the antics Inklings and Octolings would get into during heated PvP matches, and how these antics would solve themselves on any given stage. Because apparently we haven’t milked this franchise enough yet. Fans returned for these antics three times over in mainline installations, with each title in the series giving players more options to paint the town (and each other) with. Some executive somewhere got a bonus for this, no doubt.
The Spin-Off No One Asked For
Splatoon Raiders flips that formula on its head, asking players to unload their paint on the nefarious Salmonids instead of facing off against each other, in the name of treasure hunting. Nature is healing, I suppose, as the series is trying something new. When I was offered a chance to get behind the tank of the mechanic on the Spirhalite Islands, I grabbed a paint can and suited up. Although my time with Splatoon Raiders was brief, it was an absolute blast in action.
A Fresh Coat of Paint
The same fundamental moving system from all Splatoon titles is here, and it feels incredible in Raiders. You can shoot paint, dive into your own paint while filling your tank, and swim through a level mostly made of solids while treating water as lava. It’s a delicate balancing act to juggle gadget cooldowns, Salmonid swarms, weak spots, and your own health/ink gauge while staying in the action. Splatoon Raiders may feel like Splatoon in every way, but it’s a true crucible against the CPU this time around. Another day, another roadmap, I suppose, but this one might actually be worth following.
Making a Mess
The game’s emphasis on build-making and daring the player to break the game’s systems had me thinking “Splat-urnal” the whole time, and that’s a good thing in practice. With the Shot Pot and Bombloons, I was able to distract a UFO-piloting Salmonid and toss a Bombloon at its weak point to bring it down. Normally, you would have to walk under the abduction area of the ray to get the Salmonid to lower its height, but with the proper loadout, you can do some serious Salmonid sweeping without following all the rules. The PS2 memory card community is devastated, but I guess that’s progress. Shareholders rejoice, I suppose, as this game will no doubt print money.
In Splatoon Raiders, your mission is to find treasure on each expedition, and very much like the Salmon Run mini-game introduced in Splatoon 2, you will be tasked with collecting items like Power Eggs to complete levels. Unlike Splatoon 2, it appears this time Inklings are the invading force on the Salmonid home turf. Like in Helldivers 2, this makes it feel like you’re the bad guy, but in Splatoon Raiders, you’re just searching for treasure. Salmonids just happen to be in the way, and they just happen to live here. Live-service enthusiasts are preparing the candles and summoning circle, no doubt, but this game might actually be worth the hassle. At this point, even the loading screens have lore, so that’s a thing.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
