Splatoon Raiders ditches Turf War entirely and turns the series into a looter shooter, and reviewers love it

[TeaSpiller]

Splatoon Raiders, Nintendo's first ever single-player spinoff of the series, has landed to genuinely strong reviews, with critics converging on the same basic verdict, missing the franchise's iconic competitive Turf War mode entirely and replacing it with something closer to a co-op looter shooter turns out to work brilliantly

Mechanically it keeps the series' core identity intact, you're still a squid-like character covering ground in ink and taking down enemies by splatting them, refilling ammo by swimming through your own ink rather than picking up pickups, the same playful, non-violent water gun battle energy the series has always had. What's new is the structure, instead of short, fast competitive matches, Raiders sends you running through levels mowing down hordes of enemies, culminating in boss fights that reward you with loot, essentially Nintendo's own spin on the genre popularized by games like Destiny and Warframe, but wrapped in Splatoon's colorful, family friendly presentation

Critics describe it as combining the best parts of Salmon Run, the series' existing horde mode, and Side Order, its prior single-player DLC campaign, into something that feels both familiar and genuinely fresh for the franchise. Reviewers note the game is playable almost entirely with friends if you want, caters to a wide range of skill levels and play styles, looks and runs great, and comes at what multiple outlets called a bargain price. The consensus criticism is less about the game itself and more about a few small, arbitrary restrictions carried over from Nintendo's usual online play conventions, like a puzzling time limit on the feature that lets you call a friend in to help when struggling

The most consistent knock across reviews is that Raiders doesn't meaningfully push the series forward in a technical sense, running on the same fundamental gameplay loop as its three predecessors without doing much to showcase what the Switch 2 hardware specifically can do, and missing features like mouse controls. But nearly every outlet lands on the same bottom line anyway, regardless of your skill level or prior familiarity with the series, this is one of the standout games in the Switch 2's library so far and a genuine must-play

Review: Splatoon Raiders (Switch 2) - The Best Single-Player Splatoon Has Fantastic Multiplayerwww.nintendolife.com

[Cyclops46]

Dropping the competitive Turf War identity entirely and going full looter shooter is such a bold structural pivot for a series this established, glad it actually paid off rather than alienating the existing fanbase

[Sequence]

The point about not really taking advantage of Switch 2 specific hardware capabilities is a fair critique, feels like a missed opportunity given this is billed as an exclusive rather than a cross-gen release

[TaxSeason37]

Refilling ammo by swimming through your own ink instead of a standard pickup system is such a clever, series-appropriate mechanic that a generic looter shooter template would never have included

[MickFoley00]

The arbitrary time limit on calling a friend for help is such a small but genuinely baffling design choice, especially in what's clearly meant to be a more accessible single-player focused entry

[Steady Dylan]

Combining Salmon Run and Side Order into one cohesive package is a smart way to build something new out of ideas the series had already been quietly experimenting with for a while

[PaleCipher]

A bargain price plus genuine cross-skill accessibility is exactly what you'd want from a spinoff meant to bring in players who bounced off the competitive multiplayer in the past

[LurkingLegend]

Ditching Turf War is a bold choice, but it may be exactly why the spinoff works. The main series already owns that competitive space, so copying it with fewer players would have felt like a smaller version of something Nintendo already does well.

A single-player looter shooter gives the ink mechanics room to become a tool for exploration, traversal, puzzles, and combat. That sounds like a genuine reinterpretation rather than a side campaign attached to the usual multiplayer mode.

[Thomas75]

The important test is whether the loot changes how you play or merely changes numbers. Different ink weapons, movement options, and abilities could create meaningful builds, while a pile of slightly stronger gear would just turn the game into inventory administration.

Splatoon's colourful style gives the genre plenty of personality, but colour alone cannot carry progression. The rewards need to make players curious about their next run rather than merely afraid of falling behind.

[Blake_73]

Reviews loving the game is a pleasant surprise because genre shifts usually produce a lot of nervous reactions. Fans often want a new entry to innovate just enough to feel fresh while preserving every familiar feature, which is a recipe for a very crowded design document.

Removing Turf War lets the developers focus on pacing and discovery. It may also make the spinoff easier to recommend to people who enjoy Nintendo's worlds but never wanted a competitive online game.

[Fam28]

The friend-help timer sounds like a classic example of a small rule undermining a big feature. If the game wants cooperative assistance to feel spontaneous, making players wait for an arbitrary window turns a fun invitation into calendar management.

A cooldown would make sense for balance, but the player should know why it exists and how long it lasts. Nothing breaks the heroic mood like telling a friend that the apocalypse must continue alone for another eleven minutes.

[GoalMachine]

Looter shooters live or die by their endgame, so the reviews will be more valuable if they explain what happens after the story. A fun campaign can carry the first twenty hours, but repeated missions, gear upgrades, and challenge modes determine whether the game has staying power.

Hopefully the progression remains generous. The worst version of loot is when the game gives you six identical jackets and asks you to feel grateful for each one.

[Robin13]

Splatoon's identity does not depend entirely on Turf War. The ink, characters, music, movement, and visual language can work in a story about raids and exploration just as well as they work in competitive matches.

The real question is whether the new combat loop preserves the series' cleverness. If shooting ink only means painting the floor before opening a chest, the connection will feel cosmetic. If ink changes routes, cover, enemy behaviour, and movement, the spinoff has a strong foundation.

[FairDos]

A single-player focus could let the story breathe in ways the main games rarely have time to explore. Nintendo's world has always suggested a lot of history and weirdness in the background, and a campaign can linger on those details instead of rushing players into the next match.

The danger is replacing competitive repetition with repetitive missions. Variety in objectives matters just as much as variety in weapons, especially when the player is expected to revisit areas for better loot.

[Henry25]

The game sounds like it has found a useful middle ground between a traditional campaign and a service-style loop. Players can enjoy a complete journey while still having reasons to return for builds, challenges, or co-op activities.

That structure is healthier than demanding daily logins. A game can be replayable without becoming a second job disguised as a colourful squid adventure.

[Certified]

Some fans will miss Turf War, and that is perfectly fair. A spinoff can be successful while still leaving the original audience wanting a more traditional entry.

The mistake would be judging it only by what it does not include. If the new format gives Splatoon mechanics room to evolve, it can stand alongside the main games rather than compete with them.

[ProperJobs50]

The biggest compliment is that this sounds like a game willing to leave the obvious road. Nintendo could have made another Turf War variation and sold it comfortably, but a looter shooter with a proper solo focus creates room for new systems and new players.

If the developers keep the loot meaningful, the co-op tools friendly, and the campaign varied, this may become the kind of spinoff that gives the whole series new directions. The only thing it apparently cannot loot is a cooldown timer that makes sense.

[Donna75]

The visual direction could be doing more work than the genre label suggests. A looter shooter usually brings to mind grey bunkers and serious soldiers, while Splatoon can turn the same structure into a neon scavenger hunt with ridiculous equipment and energetic music.

That contrast is promising. The game can borrow the loop without inheriting the genre's usual gloom, which is probably good news for anyone tired of finding another brown rifle in another brown corridor.

[Nomad22]

A strong single-player Splatoon spinoff could broaden the audience in a useful way. Players who find competitive shooters stressful may still enjoy the movement, style, and weapon variety when the opponents are designed for a campaign.

That wider appeal matters because not every fan wants to measure their evening against a ranking system. Sometimes the ideal match is one where the only scoreboard is whether you looked cool while sliding through a wall.

[BackRowBob]

The friend timer is the kind of issue that may be easy to fix after launch, which is reassuring. It does not sound like a fundamental problem with the game's identity, just a decision that was not tested against how real groups actually play.

A patch should make cooperative help more flexible without making solo players dependent on it. The best design gives friends more freedom while keeping the campaign fully enjoyable alone.