Splatoon Raiders review: a solo spin-off for newcomers

Splatoon Raiders arrives July 23 as a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, turning the franchise’s multiplayer paint battles into a single-player exploration and treasure-hunting adventure priced at R$ 279,90 for the digital edition. The game keeps enough of the series’ charm to appeal both to longtime fans and to players who have never tried Splatoon’s competitive modes.

What Splatoon Raiders is and how it plays

In Splatoon Raiders you play as a mechanic who teams up with the trio Deep Cut to sail between islands hunting treasure. The opening area—Leehlo Island’s Pantree Beach—functions as a tutorial where you learn to face the first Salmonids and grasp core mechanics, making the learning curve approachable for newcomers.

The story is light and compact, matching the game’s playful tone: characters emit grunts rather than spoken dialogue. There is post-credits content, but I did not reach it during this playthrough.

Exploration, combat and progression

Splatoon Raiders gameplay showing island exploration — Splatoon Raiders gameplay – Reproduction / Nintendo

The core loop centers on exploring islands, collecting Spirhalite shards (crystals that power upgrades) and hunting treasure while encountering increasingly difficult stages. Environmental hazards matter: falling into water deals damage, and ink is used to heal, so movement and resource management remain important rather than letting combat become automatic.

You receive help from a robot companion that enhances your jump, digs up buried crystals with a drill function and often proves essential during fights. The companion becomes a meaningful gameplay partner rather than a simple gimmick.

Resource systems and upgrades

Inventory screen displaying collectible crafting materials — Item screen – Splatoon Raiders – Chibi Martins (Capture)

Beyond crystals, the world contains materials—buckets, pots, wheels—that you collect to craft gadgets and improve gear. You earn experience points to unlock incremental upgrades for weapons, equipment, your ship and your platform. A notable design choice: failing a raid still grants experience, so progression never stalls completely and you can grind to overcome tougher encounters.

Building gadgets is a highlight: each device has a distinct function and playful design, and assembling them from gathered parts is consistently satisfying.

Accessibility and co-op options

The game offers three difficulty tiers—Tourist, Raider and Survivalist—so players can tailor challenge levels. If a stage proves too hard, the Call for Help and Go Help features allow players to summon or assist others. Co-op supports up to four players, online or locally, and the game balances player strength automatically to keep sessions enjoyable.

Performance on Switch 2 portable mode

Tested only in portable mode, the game ran smoothly with fast loading, no perceptible frame drops and no bugs encountered. Camera settings are available per play mode (TV or tabletop), letting you adjust controls depending on how you play.

Issues that hinder the experience

In-game library menu with menus and options — Library menu – Splatoon Raiders – Chibi Martins (Capture)

Nothing here ruins the game, but several drawbacks deserve mention.

No Portuguese localization

The title lacks Portuguese localization: no interface and no subtitles. While the gameplay’s clarity and light tone make it possible to play without text, the absence of PT-BR is a barrier for younger players—especially given the 6+ age rating.

Gyroscope camera can be awkward

Gyroscope aiming for vertical camera movement is supported, but depending on how you hold the Switch, it can interfere with control. This option can be disabled in favor of traditional stick input, which I used after finding the motion controls more intrusive than helpful.

Scarceness of non-crystal materials

While Spirhalite shards are straightforward to collect, some crafting materials are harder to find. At times it feels unclear where to obtain a specific item needed to progress, which can slow advancement. That said, the experience-gain-on-failure design prevents full stagnation.

Verdict and technical details

Splatoon Raiders delivers a fun, well-paced single-player experience that retains the series’ playful identity while opening the franchise to players who avoid competitive multiplayer. Its exploration, crafting and progression systems are engaging, and the game performs stably in portable play. The lack of Portuguese localization and occasional opacity about where to find certain materials are the main faults, but they do not erase the core enjoyment.