The final media previews for Splatoon Raiders have landed, and the verdict from six major outlets is clear: Nintendo’s single-player Splatoon spin-off hits Switch 2 exclusively this Thursday, and the hands-on impressions suggest the series has finally worked out what a proper solo Splatoon should feel like. If you’ve been on the fence, here’s what critics say — and the key details Singapore players need before the noon SGT unlock on 23 July.

We’ve been covering Raiders since the July announcement and tracked the CoroCoro manga launch last week — this post picks up with what’s genuinely new: the final preview consensus, gameplay details from hands-on time, the co-op scope, and the three new amiibo hitting the same day.

What Six Critics Are Saying About Splatoon Raiders

Nintendo Life’s final preview roundup collects impressions from Game File, IGN, CGMagazine, Polygon, Vooks, and Nintendo Life’s own hands-on — and the picture is overwhelmingly positive.

Game File led with the boldest comparison: “It was very Ratchet & Clank” — and confirmed, deliberately, that it was a compliment. That Insomniac-ish energy — colourful world, third-person momentum, loot loop — comes through across multiple previews.

IGN zeroed in on the roguelite structure, noting that “Raiders is a roguelite with persistent progression — things always feel different enough.” They highlighted Shiver’s Showstopper, a special weapon that summons a giant rocket-powered shark, as an early standout moment.

CGMagazine was the most effusive on production values: “Charm, hilarious puns, and challenging encounters await players on the Spirhalite Islands. Nintendo pulled out all the stops.” The Switch 2 hardware clearly gave the team headroom to push visuals and scope.

Polygon flagged two things: the accessibility angle (“for those overwhelmed by Splatoon 3’s wealth of content, it might be a less intimidating entry point”) and a bigger-picture observation that the build-crafting system could influence Splatoon 4’s design going forward.

Nintendo Life: “If the stages keep innovating with new platforming challenges and more interesting ways to tackle enemies, the Splatoon formula may have finally found its true single-player potential.”

Vooks valued the offline-first design: “A good change of scenery for enjoying the Splatoon world without needing an online session.”

What You’re Actually Playing on the Spirhalite Islands

The setup: you play as a young mechanic who teams up with Shiver, Frye, and Big Man — Deep Cut, the idol trio from Splatoon 3 — to explore the remote Spirhalite Islands for salvage. Hostile Salmonids are everywhere, the islands hold secrets, and the deeper you go, the stranger things get.

Core Splatoon mechanics — ink shooting, turf coverage — are intact, but Raiders layers a proper RPG system on top. Weapons level up through loot drops, skill points let you tune fire rate, power, and HP, and each run’s special abilities shake up how you approach stages. The structure has roguelite DNA (runs vary; no two feel identical) but persistent progression keeps the grind rewarding between sessions.

Deep Customisation: Weapons, Gadgets, Relic Powers, and More

Screen Rant’s preview — headlined “Customisation and Replayability Reign Supreme” — drilled into the loadout depth. Before each run, you can configure your weapon, gadgets, relic powers, a deployable tank, a bot buddy, and cosmetic style options. Mid-mission loot drops add new gear, and the build variety is wide enough to sustain repeated play.

The Gamer summed up the satisfaction loop: “Pumping an endless supply of paint into hordes of incoming Salmonids is incredibly satisfying.” Their one open question — which won’t resolve until full reviews drop Thursday — is whether stage design keeps pace with the systemic depth across the full campaign.

Co-op for Up to Four Players

Single-player is the core experience, but all non-dungeon maps — the challenge stages — support co-op for up to four players via local wireless or online. Boss difficulty scales with squad size, so a solo run and a full-four group are genuinely different experiences rather than the same content with more firepower.

Three Deep Cut Amiibo Launch the Same Day

Nintendo is releasing a set of three new amiibo on 23 July alongside the game: Shiver, Frye, and Big Man in their Raiders-themed designs. Scanning them in-game unlocks exclusive customisation options — the exact bonuses are under embargo until launch. Nintendo amiibo tend to move quickly in Singapore, so if you’re after one, keep an eye on major game retailers and electronics chains from Thursday morning.

Singapore Launch Time and How to Pre-Download Now

Splatoon Raiders unlocks on the Singapore Nintendo eShop at approximately noon SGT on Thursday 23 July, aligned with the Japan release at 1 PM JST. Pre-download is already live — if you’re going digital, start it now so the game is ready to play the moment it unlocks.

Digital is priced at US$49.99 and physical at US$59.99; Singapore eShop SGD pricing is to be confirmed, so check the Nintendo Singapore site directly. Physical copies are available from major game retailers and electronics chains. Full reviews lift Thursday — check back here for our take once we’ve had time with the full game. In the meantime, browse our game news archive for more on what’s launching this week on Switch 2.