Splatoon has always been a game I associate with other people. Shouting at them (even though they couldn’t hear me), being splatted by them, and quietly apologising to them in a lobby afterwards (even though they still couldn’t hear me). So an offline Splatoon felt a bit like being handed your favourite board game and told there’s no one left to play it with. But it turns out the box had a solo mode in it all along, and it’s brilliant.
Our own history with the series goes back to the Wii U, where we were among the nine people who actually liked that console and used it on a fairly regular basis. That’s where Splatoon began and where my and my son’s love for squid-based ink shenanigans kicked off, so seeing it grow into a full single-player adventure on the Switch 2 feels like watching an old friend land a very good job.
You play a mechanic who crash-lands on the Spirhalite Islands alongside Deep Cut (Shiver, Frye and Big Man), then builds a base called the Hideout Ship from the wreckage. From there it’s treasure hunting, and the locals aren’t thrilled about it. They’re Salmonids, the same lot you’ve been fending off in Salmon Runs since Splatoon 2, only now there are far more of them on screen and a few nastier varieties. The islands are rusted, strange and a bit unsettling rather than a cheery tropical resort, which suits a place you’re being chased around.
The gameplay loop is gloriously simple. Pick a weapon, an ink tank, some gadgets, a few Relic Powers and a Bot Buddy, head out on a raid, grab the loot, then return to the Hideout Ship to upgrade and tinker. Then do it again, because something daft dropped on the previous run and you need to try it. That’s the “one more go” trap, and I walked straight into it.
The build options are where it hooks you. There are over 100 weapons, from the usual paint guns to giant paintbrushes, a bow and arrow, and umbrellas, and the choice matters. A wide brush swipe is far better at swarms in close quarters than a standard gun, but will scupper you if you fancy picking off enemies from a distance. The three ink tanks (Speed, Power and Tactical) each come with their own gadgets, and the Tactical set, with its turrets and lasers, turns a fight into a spot of battlefield management. Relic Powers then let you tweak things further; as you can tell, there’s a lot to be thinking about.
Deep Cut are more than window dressing too. Take one along as your Bot Buddy and they pilot a support machine that shoots, helps you get above the fight, and charges a Showstopper. Stick with the same member and your relationship grows, unlocking conversations and making that Showstopper hit harder. Frye’s area attack is wonderfully rude to a crowd, and some of these higher powered attacks will have you glancing around and admiring your own carnage.
Impressively, Raids don’t get stale either. Some are exploration-based, some have you drilling through a den to a boss at the bottom, some are time attacks, and others are challenge levels. The story bosses bring their own mechanics, so they aren’t just bigger Salmonids with more health. Once you’ve cleared a raid you can revisit it on the Spicy difficulty, which adds more enemies and some new ones.
Splatoon’s gyro aiming is still built into the whole thing, with motion controls on by default. It’s fast, fluid and properly satisfying once it clicks, and it makes the whole thing a swaggering-ink-flinging-gadget-fiddling-salmon-splatting-em-up (it’ll catch on). It’s a bit of a git to get the hang of though, especially if like me you’ve turned it off in the previous games, but it definitely offers an edge once you get it sorted. Meanwhile, if you’d rather not play alone, up to four of you can team up locally or online, with the difficulty scaling to the number of players. If you’re confused by this idea when I said it’s a solo game… well, maybe I should’ve said it’s not a competitive game. But it’s most certainly designed to be enjoyed alone, and it does that wonderfully.
There are two grumbles. Once you set off, you’re locked into your loadout, so a shiny new weapon that drops mid-raid can’t be equipped until you’re back at base. And around the middle of the game you can unlock raids you’re underlevelled for, which means replaying older ones to grind enough to take them on to an acceptable standard. Neither made me want to stop, and failed attempts still hand you experience, so the time never feels wasted.
Raiders is a wonderful addition to the Splatoon series. It’s not Splatoon 4, and isn’t trying to be, but it’s definitely worth your time if you’re a fan of the series or just want some well structured chaos in your life. I went in missing the other players that used to make me feel rubbish. I came out with a Hideout Ship full of upgrades, a favourite Bot Buddy and nobody to apologise to. Awesome.
Reviewed on Switch 2
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