Splatoon Raiders Scores 81 On Metacritic

Ahead of the game’s launch, review aggregator Metacritic has published the Metascore for Splatoon Raiders.

With 66 critic reviews at the time of this writing, Splatoon Raiders has been given a Metascore of 81. Metacritic classifies this score as “Generally Favorable”. It is also close to the current score for the last mainline game in the series Splatoon 3, which has a Metascore of 83.

Check out what some of the reviews had to say below:

IGN ~ 90

Splatoon Raiders is an amazing action RPG with an expertly executed loop. It has fantastic new powers with crazy upgrades that are worth chasing, tough battles that force you to put care into your build in order to overcome them, and a huge variety of fun level types to jump between. The pacing, balance, and difficulty curve are very impressive: I always had to work to get better, but none of the campaign ever felt like grinding or needless padding. Raiders stays fresh by constantly introducing deeper ways to customize my abilities that spark new ideas for creative combinations. I reached the credits more than 20 hours ago, but thanks to an overpowered endgame worth coming back for and the option to seamlessly play with friends online, I’ve got plenty of raiding left to do. This is the best Splatoon campaign yet and one of the top games on Switch 2.

Nintendo Life ~ 90

Splatoon Raiders may be missing the series’ iconic Turf War, but what we have here is possibly the most variable and exciting game the series has ever offered. Regardless of your skill level or personal play styles, the game is able to cater to practically any taste, and all whilst delivering one of the most enjoyable gameplay loops on the console. It looks good, runs fantastically, and you can play practically the whole thing with friends if you wish. Not only that, but Nintendo’s flogging it for a bargain price. It may not push any boundaries within the genre per se, but it’s difficult to find anything negative to say about it, it really is a must-play for almost anyone.

GameInformer ~  88

Though Splatoon’s single-player content has always been underappreciated, Splatoon Raiders makes it impossible to ignore, shining a bright light on the series’ oft-slept-on side.

Destructoid ~ 85

Splatoon Raiders is a looter shooter wrapped in Nintendo’s kid-friendly world, but it’s not to be slept on. While not as deep or complex as some other games in the genre, its charm, loot chase, and satisfying gameplay loop make it one of my favorite games of 2026 so far.

VGC ~ 80

Splatoon Raiders shows that Nintendo’s online multiplayer series works just as well in an offline solo setting. It’s very much a game with a single, simple loop – shoot everything, die, upgrade, shoot everything again – but it delivers this loop with such engaging, enjoyable action that you don’t need to worry about repetition creeping in, you’ll happily open the front door and invite it in for dinner.

Siliconera ~ 80

Splatoon Raiders builds upon the Salmon Run modes from Splatoon 2 and 3 in a clever way, resulting in a looter-shooter with varying objectives. It can 100% be played and enjoyed solo, but I had the most fun playing with others and suspect that will prove a highlight once folks get their bearings and start perfecting their weapon, tank, and gadget loadouts. However, I will note that because it is primarily focused on taking on Salmonid hordes with things like time limitations and egg requirements, it may not have the broader appeal of the mainline games’ campaigns.

Gamespot ~ 80

I would be surprised if Splatoon Raiders supplants the main Splatoon titles. The series is a big success for Nintendo, so clearly the competitive ink-splattering multiplayer has found an audience. But Splatoon Raiders shows a new degree of flexibility for the franchise, with a single-player campaign that’s much more satisfying than its past attempts to inject a story campaign into the main games. I hope this new looter shooter sub-series gets to live alongside the main series, because it’s loads of fun already, and the concept could be pushed even further.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments.