Splatoon has always been a unique game franchise built upon its multiplayer content. So what happens when Nintendo decides to pivot and focus on creating a game that centers around a single player campaign? The result is Splatoon Raiders, a third person platforming shooter with a focus on exploration and treasure hunting! Anime News Network had the opportunity to try out a special preview of the game before launch, and if the extensive game time I got to experience was anything to go by, then this is definitely a game that you’re going to want to add to your upcoming wishlist.

When the game starts up, you take up the role of a character simply called “the mechanic.“ You can customize their appearance however you want and while the options are originally limited, you’re able to unlock various different outfits, accessories, as well as hairstyles the more you play. As the mechanic, it’s your job to repair and update tech on the Spirhalite Islands, but in order to do so, you have to explore these vast islands for materials. The map is separated by region with each having its own platform challenges, enemy variations, and collectibles to find. However, it’s not going to be easy, considering the fact that the inhabitants of these islands are the Samonids, monster fish like creatures that take on a variety of different forms. The Samonids appear to be very tribal in nature, fluctuating in different sizes with the large or more aggressive ones being far more durable due to an assortment of crystallized salt that encompasses their bodies. The game starts off with just a small group of Samonids no bigger than the mechanic but then, the deeper you go into the Spirhalite Islands, the bigger and more aggressive the enemies become. It won’t be long until you’re overwhelmed by a cluster of creatures that will overwhelm you with their crude, fork and knife like weapons much like how I was during this preview.

As the mechanic, I started off with a pretty standard blaster and the opening tutorial felt very similar to a more traditional Splatoon game. But even as someone who has barely touched the franchise before this preview, everything was very easy to grasp. This is a third person shooter at its core where you run around, jump and shoot ink in order to take down enemies. Much like the previous Splatoon games, there is still the well established gimmick of being able to shoot ink and then travel along it to go faster and travel up walls. You can also submerge yourself in ink in order to refill your ammo supply which will become crucial as fights go on. I played the game with a pro controller in docked mode, but I was able to utilize the pro controllers gyroscope in order to assist with my aiming. However, I believe there is an option to turn that off so you can just use the analog stick like a traditional third person shooter. I went through the opening tutorial section relatively unscathed before getting a chance to try out a later part of the game where more weapons and possibilities were unlocked.

For your main weapon, you could pick anything from a standard blaster, to a compressed long range blaster with a charge shot, to a shock gun to a roller or paintbrush that both allow you to fight at close quarters. There are dozens of weapons to choose from and they all level up but it doesn’t stop there, because gadgets can also be equipped to turn the tide. The mechanic can be equipped with one of three gadget tanks and those tanks can carry two gadgets that can help you take out enemies depending on your playstyle. There are three types of gadget tanks (speed, power and tactical) and gadgets are customizable to perform different properties depending on their type.

One of the game’s greatest strengths is just how versatile it is, introducing a variety of different weapons and gadgets that encourage you to experiment or lean into a playstyle that best compliments how you want to approach either the game as a whole or specific challenges. Are you somebody who wants to just pick off enemies at a distance? Are you somebody who wants to get up close and personal? Are you somebody who wants to gradually wear down the storm of enemies or do you wanna finish them all with one big shot? There are dozens of different weapon and gadget combinations that are at your disposal pretty early on so you could settle into your comfort zone fairly quickly. I actually ended up going for some power typed crowd control gadgets like the Spinwheel which rotates around my character while also using the Splatchet which could deliver strong close range finishers. My main weapon was a charge shot that could pick off enemies from far away. Considering just how many enemies I had to deal with in a single treasure raid, I knew that it would be near impossible for me to avoid the enemies being right up in my face, but I developed counters that properly complimented my style.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg because I was not alone on my journey since this game brings back the members of Deep Cut from Splatoon 3. I had the choice to explore levels with one of the three members who I could swap between before the start of a mission. These companions followed me in this little robot device that is used for excavating and digging up materials, but they can also be used to assist with platforming challenges or maneuvering around the terrain. However, the reason why you can swap between the three is because they also double as a super move. When you defeat enemies, they release these orange spheres called power eggs. When you collect these eggs, a variety of different meters end up filling up and the bigger the eggs, the faster the meters fill. These meters can be filled for a special attack that can be used to deliver a decisive blow and the nature of the attack changes depending on which companion is in the robot buddy. My personal favorite was Shiver’s because her finishing move is literally just throwing a giant shark.

However, these power eggs are the main goal for what appeared to be a majority of the missions. These power eggs are needed for the robot to dig up materials. In order to complete a stage, I needed to collect enough of these eggs in a specific amount of time without dying in order to advance to the next island or in order to go deeper into the caverns where more materials were waiting for me. There is a direct satisfying feedback loop in this gameplay where the better I get, the more and bigger enemies I could take down. The more and bigger enemies I can take down, the faster I collect eggs, and the faster I collect those eggs, the more materials I can harvest which can then be used to unlock more opportunities to take on even more challenges. The overall setup is incredibly simple, and while the preview did bounce me around to a few different islands, I can imagine that things can gradually get hectic pretty quickly. One thing I’m curious about when it comes to playing the game fully as intended is whether or not this difficulty curve will feel gradual or if novices will get overwhelmed very quickly.

However, even if it is the ladder, there are technically ways of making my missions easier. There was a difficulty select that I could adjust seemingly anytime in between stages and despite the fact that this game is focusing a lot on a single player campaign, there is a multiplayer option. There is local and online co-op that can have you play with up to three other players to take on a mission. I was able to test this out with some other players but that was the shortest part of the preview so I’ll have to see how the game’s difficulty adjusts for more players being added when the game comes out.

This game does seemingly have a lot going for it as well outside of just that satisfying gameplay. Splatoon has always had a strong sense of style, tapping into different types of cool, modern day aesthetics and street culture. However, despite the fact that this game takes place on far away islands in the middle of nowhere, it still manages to retain a strong aesthetic, one that particularly seems to lean on Japanese fashion with a soundtrack that had a lot of Japanese instruments. I love the animated cut scenes featuring Shiver, Frye and Big Man. They move with so much personality and charm despite technically speaking using those now classic Splatoon noises. The trio are the right amount of chaotic that brings a lot of fun.

I will be honest, I was a little worried originally checking out this preview since I don’t have a lot of experience with this franchise. However, playing this game immediately made me a certified fan that is going to be picking up this game day one. It was clear based on the preview that Nintendo has a lot of faith in this game and were willing to go the extra mile for us to get the full Splatoon experience. I was even able to check out a special art room where I could make my own Splatoon art with paint filled water guns! Truly a great experience for what I hope will be an amazing game.