Crash, boom, bang - that's the sound of me smashing into a deserted island in Splatoon Raiders during the two-hour preview I attended. This time around, you can choose to play as an inkling or octoling, working with iconic musical trio-turned-treasure hunters, Deep Cut. The issue is, you're now stuck on an island positively teeming with Salmonids.
Splatoon Raiders is aimed at those who may not be huge fans of multiplayer settings - while Splatoon 2 and 3 are some of the best Switch games ever, it can be daunting this far into the series, with everyone having honed their sniper skills already. It's also very similar to Salmon Run from Splatoon 2 and 3, a mode where you fight enemies of all shapes and sizes to collect their golden eggs in a team of four. Except in Raiders, you don't need to rely on teammates with wonky internet connections.
Now, to get into what I experienced during my time playing. After a brief, animated introduction, I found out that I, the mechanic, and the three members of Deep Cut have been stuck on the Spirhalite Islands for a month already. In that time, we've made a crude base and started searching for anything worth a few coins.
I started by cleaning myself up in the mirror, picking from new hairstyles and some clothing options that fit the scene. I will say, the 'messy' hair you start with is actually pretty cool, but you can't keep it. There's an updo with a rubber duck stuck on it, though, so I went with that.
Then, I got to test my first weapon: the classic Splattershot. It features in every mainline Splatoon game as a beginner choice, so it made perfect sense. Then I dove straight into the action, heading to the first location. I got to choose one member of Deep Cut to bring with me as a Bot Buddy - sure, they get to stay safe inside a robot, but here I am, walking through sludge.
Each Splatoon character you bring with you has a different skill they can let loose in combat once you've collected enough Salmonid eggs. Yep, we're back to collecting eggs! Frye sets a bunch of eels on enemies, Shiver summons a giant shark, and Big Man lets you ride on his back and slam into Salmonids. On top of your Bot Buddy, you can equip one weapon, two gadgets, and eventually some relic powers.
You may remember that I'm a mechanic; that means I can tweak and tinker with just about everything. No two players' combinations will end up the same, I'm sure, as there's a lot you can change and upgrade on each weapon. Changing the build and swapping skills in and out is fun and can really give an edge in combat. In a sense, Splatoon Raiders is a bit like a roguelite game. The more you fight and explore, the more you unlock and upgrade, and the more you can change up your build - so the easier further runs get.
I have good news for players who are weird like me - you can still turn off motion controls. I'm sure most prefer using them, but I've never gotten the hang of them in any Splatoon game. There's also a difficulty setting this time around, so you can choose between being a tourist, raider, or survivalist. I went with raider for the preview.
It feels like your enjoyment of Splatoon Raiders will hinge on one thing: do you like Salmon Run? Yes? Good, you're in for a treat. No? Um… well, this is awkward. Raiders is basically a solo Salmon Run. It's mostly played single-player, but you can call for teammates to join you online if you're having a hard time. Which, let's be honest, may be inevitable with all of your favorite Salmonid bosses making an appearance. I say "favorites" as if I don't hate the Steelhead and wish nothing but pain on the Stinger.
I'm very excited to get stuck into the upcoming Switch games after testing it out for a couple of hours. I have questions about the game itself, like is it as hard as Octo Expansion and Side Order? Will there be other characters? Who is behind all of these Salmonids? Only time will tell, so check back soon for our full review.