Oh, hey, Splatoon Raiders is out on Nintendo Switch 2. It’s really neat that Nintendo finally took all the well-deserved compliments about Splatoon‘s single-player modes seriously, sat down, and just made a proper PvE game out of it. I’m stoked to spend most of my weekend inking the heck out of a bunch of weird, junk-ridden islands and worrying I’m being way too mean to their salmon-like inhabitants.
I’ve already put in some time with Splatoon Raiders, enough to really get a handle on the game after shaking off some rust from not playing Splatoon multiplayer in a while. As we go into our splat-filled weekend, here are some little things to keep in mind that will make your treasure hunting sojourn a little smoother.
Do not fear the gyro controls
You have probably read this tip before in relation to other Splatoon games, and if you have not yet heeded it, I am begging you to embrace the gyro if at all possible. I am like you. I once aimed the camera with the stick, and thought the gyro was just too difficult to deal with. I am no longer that person. I spent a few hours in Splatoon Turf Wars with the gyro, and now it is my best friend. I can still use the right stick for big movements, but the gyro gives me precision aiming, which is a huge help when battles get chaotic or when my targets are small or wiggly. A single-player game is a great place to get used to the gyro. It’s turned on automatically. Don’t freak out and turn it off.
Ink your (bouilla)base
This is a regular Turf Wars tip, but I find it actually holds true in Splatoon Raiders too. Because Splatoon Raiders is a looter shooter, it’s going to be tempting to just do all shoot, no spray. But you really do need to ink the areas around you, just like you do in Splatoon‘s Turf Wars. Having your own colored ink on the ground allows you to swim around more quickly, refill your ink tank, and escape from tricky situations more easily. Splatoon Raiders doesn’t go soft on you, and you may often find yourself in a corner wishing you had sprayed more ink around to start with if you’re not mindful.
Don’t forget your gadgets
Coming from Splatoon 3, it was really easy to forget that I have not one, but two gadgets available to me, neither of which cost any ink at all to use. You’re expected to be using these constantly, even if you’re not playing a gadget-driven class like the tactician. Whatever gadgets you’re trying out, don’t forget to use them basically any time they are off cooldown.
Under every rock
Most of the levels in Splatoon Raiders have a few areas off the beaten path that are worth checking out, usually because they contain treasure or currency or even more opportunities for weapons. Some of them may be a bit tricky to spot, or even tricky to get to once you see them. Don’t forget your Bot Hop ability, which lets you do a big jump and then hover for a while, and can be used to get to tricky spots that are up high or over water. And if you fall into the ocean, just sit in your ink for a few seconds to fully recover before you try a tricky trick a second time.
Colorblind?
There’s a “Color Lock” setting that will let you pick an ink color that works for you, and then lock it in for the whole game, so you’re not confused trying to distinguish friend ink from foe ink.
Try, try again
As you play Splatoon Raiders, you’ll quickly start to run up into some preeeeetty difficult missions. You might feel you’re being easily overwhelmed or that some of the bosses just have too much health for the time limit you’re given. Splatoon Raiders encourages you to go back and replay missions you’ve already done, particularly specific missions that have different rewards depending on what tank you have equipped. Every time you do a level, even if it’s a repeat, you can get new rewards in the form of weapons, treasure, currency, and upgrades that can help you buff up for tough battles, and you’ll level up in the process as well.
Experiment!
The multiplayer Splatoon games have always encouraged players to experiment with different weapons and builds until they find one they like. Raiders is no exception. As soon as you finish your first mission, you’ll immediately have access to new weapons. And there are three different types of ink tanks with different available upgrades and gadgets. Even if what you have equipped currently is working out for you, consider swapping things around! You might find something you love even more, and there are some rewards you can only get by trying new builds.
Play with a friend
Splatoon Raiders has an excellent co-op mode, which lets you play through missions together. Whoever hosts will get to pick which missions you do out of those available to that host, but you can, if you want, essentially play through the entire story together. Completing a mission completes it for all participating players, including any story rewards, cutscenes, or anything else that goes along with that. And rewards seem to scale based on player level—in my co-op session, my partner was a few levels higher, and obtained more treasure and higher-level weapons than I did from the same mission, thereby incentivizing stronger players to help newer ones. It’s a surprisingly seamless way to play the game, and missions can be easier when you have friends there to support you.
