Splatoon Raiders review: Nintendo’s switch 2 looter-shooter is ink-filled fun

Splatoon Raiders takes the popular Nintendo franchise in a fresh looter-shooter direction, combining ink-based combat, exploration and chaotic raids. While its story and checkpoint system could be stronger, creative gameplay, impressive Switch 2 features and fun mechanics make it worth playing.

Hyderabad: Looters and Shooters as a genre aren’t enjoying the greatest moment in gaming currently.

With the winding down of Destiny 2 in June and the lukewarm response that this year’s Marathon has received, it almost seems like most gamers have turned their attention to other genres and kinds of games.

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Thus, it would be strategic for the maker of a new looter-shooter to not launch at this moment, but when has Nintendo ever cared about strategy or common sense? Their games buck all trends and are always a lot of fun, and not much has changed in that regard with Splatoon Raiders.

A looter-shooter with lots of ink and some quirky game mechanics is the best way to describe Raiders, a Splatoon entry that is both unconventional and also not an extension of the franchise’s story.

Raiders begins with the main character accompanying the group Deep Cut to investigate a new group of islands that has suddenly appeared. The exploration goes awry with the plane crashing and the entire team being marooned on Spirhalite islands. The islands are home to the Salmonid monsters, and our job is to navigate the islands to find adequate resources to return to civilisation. Thus, the looting and shooting begins.

In terms of gameplay, Raiders continues with Nintendo’s new successful formula where there are lots of explosions and colors, which also means a lot of chaos. In the mad frenzy, Raiders shines unlike any Splatoon game before it as it harnesses the power of the Switch 2. Everything from the haptics to the overall experience is top-notch here, but what truly stands out is the ink and its creative deployment. You fire ink at opponents and on the ground; you can swim, sneak, climb, and attack from the ink, and the possibilities are endless.

However, despite its many strengths, Raiders falls short on a couple of fronts. Firstly, it could benefit from checkpoints in the raids, because at greater difficulties, failing them can get too repetitive. Secondly, the game could benefit from a bit more narrative depth for the overall game and the personality of the characters in Deep Cut.

These few issues aside, Raiders is the strongest Switch 2 game this year and is definitely worth a try if you have managed to get your hands on the console.

Sneak Peek: Title: Splatoon Raiders

Developer: Nintendo

Game Type: Single Player, Third Person Looter Shooter

Platforms: Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive

Price: USD 49.99 on Nintendo Store

Verdict (all scores out of 10):

Innovative Gameplay: 8

Game Handling & Quality: 9

Value for Time: 8.5

Value for Money: 8 Overall: 8.37

– What Stands Out

• This simple but unique approach to a looter-shooter is very well done, as both combat and rewards are just as much fun as the overall casual experience.

• The ink-based weapons and mechanics are both a fun change from other shooter games, but also surprisingly detailed with unique mechanics. Ink is at the heart of this game, be it for stealth or combat.

– Fails to impress

* The raids could benefit from a more traditional checkpoint system, as at the greatest difficulty, overcoming some of them in the unending chaos seems more luck than strategy.

* The characters and the overall plot of the game could have benefited from more narrative depth. Conversations between characters could have had more personality.