Pitched to me by a Nintendo UK rep as the first truly single-player Splatoon adventure, I sit down to play Splatoon Raiders feeling pretty hyped. While undoubtedly the sizzling side dish to the multiplayer main course, Splatoon 3's single-player campaign was a surprisingly fun-filled romp. This unexpectedly meaty mode teemed with invention, having players paint ink-strewn pathways across floating blocks one minute, before doing battle with a DJ-ing Octopus the next. It was a brilliantly bombastic first attempt at a proper Splatoon campaign (or Splataign, if you will) that suggested that this series' single-player offering could go on to capture some of that 3D Mario magic.
It turns out, however, that I'll have to wait a little longer for my Super Squid-io Bros. dream to become reality. After spending two ink-tastic hours with Splatoon Raiders, it appears that Nintendo's taken its inklings in a completely different direction. Splatoon 3’s fiendishly creative platforming sections? Gone. Those gloriously Super Mario Sunshine-esque puzzles? Dumped into the bottom of the ocean. Instead, this squid-tastic Switch 2 spin off doubles down on action, seeing players splat wave after wave of enemies in an offering that's closer to an offline extraction shooter than a traditional single-player adventure.
Raiders of the lost ink
Developer: In-house
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2
Release date: July 23, 2026
Initially, Splatoon Raiders looks poised to deliver the platforming goods. As your helicopter filled with Splatoon celebs – Big Man, Frye, and Shiver – suddenly hits a violent storm, the three find themselves marooned on a remote island. As the tenacious trio panic at their predicament, they soon realize that they have a competent pilot and mechanic on hand to save them: me. Players tweak hairstyles and skin tones in order to make their custom pilot suitably squiddy, before setting about building the group's new island home.
As I navigate across this perky peninsula, an early sequence sees me riding on a wooden board to sail me from shore to shore. Steering my way through a collection of fluffy hoops, I'm reminded of the dino-riding water levels in Super Mario 3D World. It's a fun, narrative-led introduction. Yet, once I've gathered all the relevant equipment to help reinforce my new homestead, the exploration sections come screeching to a halt. Selecting my levels from a map screen, Splatoon Raiders appears to drop the narrative throughline and precision platforming altogether.
While you will still swim your way up walls and leap across the odd platform in each stage, blasting angry fish is very much the focus here as I splat my way through different levels of wave-based action. In order to live up to the 'Raiders' subtitle, you won't be heading into each mission alone. Accompanied by a diving pod with leagues, each raid sees a metallic explorer bot plodding alone beside you, which you can use to propel through the air, allowing you to leap through the aforementioned fluffy floating onion rings. While you're busy splatting angry salmon, you can command your robotic pal to drill through larger crystals.
In a nice touch, these bots are piloted by one of your three famous friends. Collecting salmonid balls – power eggs – allows you to use a special ability once you've filled up your showstopper gauge, summoning one of your three island-dwelling pals to deal massive damage. Shiver's showstopper has her ride the saddled Master Mega shark in a straight line to deliver a big bite. Frye's Moray Storm showstopper summons a hoarder of eels Pied Piper-style in a devastating AOE attack. Big Man's showstopper, Manta Dance, meanwhile, allows you to ride him with a burst of invincibility to slam and shoot enemies from a safe distance.
Visually, Splatoon Raiders is a very sharp and clean looking game, sacrificing intricate environmental detail for high resolution. While shadows and water underwhelm, the glorious goo, inklings, and salmonids all look suitably shiny, glistening in their glory. It's comparable to Splatoon 3 following its Switch 2 update, likely using the same engine that's powered the past two Switch titles.
Yet, it's in the final portion of my preview where Splatoon Raiders' finally locks into place. Hurled into a raid with three other players, we race against the clock to defeat a slew of screeching salmonids and collect their power eggs. With each completed run we drill a layer deeper into the Earth, where even more fearsome foes await… and we get our arses absolutely handed to us.
Luckily for our pathetic posse, whether you win or lose a level you gain resources that upgrade your build, upgrade your different 'tanks', and you choose which stats to upgrade. These power tanks contain different abilities, and mixing and matching them is key to not only holding your own on the salmonfield, but in settling on a loadout that suits your playstyle. One power tank called splatchet, for example, does a forward dash attack, allowing you to dash into the midst of danger and deal damage. Whereas a tactical tank is better for those who like to keep a distance spawning, a turret-like companion that spews paint.
You can also customize your gadgets with different resources. As you raid, uncover powerups, and tweak and expand your loadout, the core game loop feels recognizably compelling. Yet my concern – from this two hour preview at least – is that it seems there is little blubber on the bone in this crustacean-led caper.
Nintendo may be marketing Splatoon Raiders as a single-player game, then, but in reality it's a co-op horde mode with some light narrative wrapping. While it may be mismarketed so far, the core Splatoon mechanics still feel utterly brilliant, making the simplistic act of swimming, leaping, and shooting predictably enjoyable. With a Splatoon-focused Direct airing today, there's still hope for a little more depth to be discovered at the bottom of this ocean-set offering. Yet, thanks to this demo's overly simplistic series of shooting galleries, I'm left wondering if Splatoon's true tentacle-stretching innovation is being saved for the next numbered sequel.
Keep an eye on our upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 releases list for what else to put on your calendar.
