{"id":6259,"date":"2026-07-22T20:20:53","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T12:20:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-review-scores-metacritic-july-2026\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T20:20:53","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T12:20:53","slug":"splatoon-raiders-review-scores-metacritic-july-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-review-scores-metacritic-july-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Splatoon Raiders Reviews Are In \u2014 81 on Metacritic as It Launches Tomorrow"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Reviews for <strong>Splatoon Raiders<\/strong> have gone live, and Nintendo&#8217;s first ever Splatoon spin-off is landing with scores that put it right alongside the mainline series. The game launches <strong>exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 tomorrow, 23 July<\/strong>, so if you&#8217;re on the fence, here&#8217;s what critics are saying.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/splatoon-raiders-screenshot-2.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Splatoon Raiders gameplay screenshot showing the mechanic exploring the Spirhalite Islands\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Nintendo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As we covered <a href=\"\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-preview-roundup-launch-july-23\/\">in our preview roundup on Monday<\/a>, the expectation heading in was cautious optimism for a spin-off tackling unfamiliar PvE territory. The early scores suggest those concerns were mostly unfounded.<\/p>\n<h2>Splatoon Raiders Review Scores<\/h2>\n<p>As of today, Splatoon Raiders holds an <strong>81 on Metacritic<\/strong> (65 critic reviews) and an <strong>80 on OpenCritic<\/strong> with a <a href=\"https:\/\/opencritic.com\/game\/20454\/splatoon-raiders\">71% critic recommendation rate<\/a>. That&#8217;s directly on par with the original Splatoon (81), and just a touch below Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3 (both 83) &#8212; a strong result for a debut spin-off charting new genre ground.<\/p>\n<p>Notable scores from the embargo lift:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>IGN &#8212; 9\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>Nintendo Life &#8212; 9\/10<\/strong>, calling it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/news\/2026\/07\/round-up-incredibly-compelling-the-splatoon-raiders-reviews-are-in\">&#8220;incredibly compelling&#8221;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><strong>Game Informer &#8212; 8.75\/10<\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong>The Guardian &#8212; 2\/5<\/strong>, a clear outlier (more on that below)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/splatoon-raiders-screenshot-3-scaled.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Splatoon Raiders combat scene with ink weapons and Salmonid enemies\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Nintendo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>What Critics Love<\/h2>\n<p>The praise across positive reviews points to the same strengths: <strong>enemy design, rewarding progression, and deep weapon customisation<\/strong>. Players take on the role of a mechanic accompanying Deep Cut &#8212; Shiver, Frye and Big Man &#8212; on expeditions across the Spirhalite Islands, raiding for loot and upgrades while fending off waves of Salmonids.<\/p>\n<p>The upgrade loop &#8212; collecting gadget parts during runs and slotting them in for effects like increased fire rate, ink explosions, or knockback gas &#8212; has been a particular highlight. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.metacritic.com\/game\/splatoon-raiders\/\">The Metacritic consensus<\/a> notes that the polished PvE systems &#8220;feel like a natural evolution for the series,&#8221; with the new co-op mode (up to four players, local or online) adding legs for replay.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/splatoon-raiders-screenshot-4-scaled.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Splatoon Raiders Deep Cut trio Shiver, Frye and Big Man in the Spirhalite Islands\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Nintendo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>The Outlier &#8212; and Why It Matters<\/h2>\n<p>The Guardian&#8217;s 2\/5 is the sharpest negative voice in the round-up. As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thegamer.com\/splatoon-raiders-review-scores\/\">relayed in TheGamer&#8217;s review round-up<\/a>, the publication called Raiders &#8220;far removed from what makes the main series so charming&#8221; &#8212; essentially arguing that the shift from competitive multiplayer to single-player PvE loses what makes Splatoon tick.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s a fair concern worth flagging for Singapore fans who bought into Switch 2 specifically for the ink-turf multiplayer experience. Splatoon Raiders is not that game. It&#8217;s a deliberate genre pivot, and if your love of the series is rooted in Turf War and ranked modes, the outlier review deserves a read before you commit.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"gt-video\">\n<div style=\"position:relative;padding-bottom:56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/x3pE9YRCM2g\" title=\"Splatoon Raiders &#8211; Overview Trailer &#8211; Nintendo Switch 2\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;border:0;\" allow=\"accelerometer;clipboard-write;encrypted-media;gyroscope;picture-in-picture;web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><figcaption>Splatoon Raiders &#8211; Overview Trailer &#8211; Nintendo Switch 2 &#8212; via Nintendo of America on YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>Singapore and Switch 2 Availability<\/h2>\n<p>Splatoon Raiders is a <strong>Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive<\/strong> launching worldwide on <strong>23 July 2026<\/strong>. Singapore players can pick it up digitally through the Nintendo eShop Singapore or at major game retailers and electronics chains. The US digital price is USD 49.99; confirm current SGD pricing on the Nintendo Singapore eShop before purchasing.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/splatoon-raiders-cover-art-1.jpg?w=474&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Splatoon Raiders official cover art for Nintendo Switch 2\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"><figcaption>Image courtesy of Nintendo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>An 81 for a franchise&#8217;s debut spin-off is a confident start. Splatoon Raiders lands alongside <a href=\"\/blog\/category\/game-news\/\">several other strong Switch 2 titles this month<\/a> &#8212; if you&#8217;re building your Switch 2 library, it looks like a safe bet for anyone who enjoys PvE progression loops with Nintendo polish.<\/p>\n<p><!--GT-SCOUT source=\"Web (English)\" theme=\"Video games\" flags=\"SGD price to be confirmed on Nintendo Singapore eShop\"--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Splatoon Raiders review scores are live: 81 on Metacritic, 80 on OpenCritic, 71% critic recommendation. Here\u2019s the critical consensus on Nintendo\u2019s first Splatoon spin-off as it launches exclusively on Switch 2 tomorrow, 23 July.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6254,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[11],"tags":[55,45,200,545],"class_list":["post-6259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-news","tag-nintendo","tag-nintendo-switch-2","tag-splatoon","tag-splatoon-raiders"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/splatoon-raiders-screenshot-1-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1440&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p13AlF-1CX","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3481,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-switch-2-singapore-july-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":0},"title":"Splatoon Raiders Hits Switch 2 on 23 July \u2014 What Singapore Players Need to Know","date":"June 13, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The first-ever Splatoon spin-off launches exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on 23 July 2026. Here's everything Singapore players need to know about Splatoon Raiders.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/splatoon-raiders-switch2-official.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5741,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-manga-corocoro-july-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":1},"title":"The Splatoon Raiders Manga Launches in CoroCoro Today \u2014 Hinodeya Returns One Week Before the Game","date":"July 15, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Sankichi Hinodeya's Splatoon Raiders manga begins in Japan's CoroCoro Comics today, one week before the Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive game arrives on 23 July. An English edition via Viz Media is expected to follow.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/hero_sp.jpg?fit=750%2C1000&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4493,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-direct-june-30-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":2},"title":"Splatoon Raiders Direct Tonight: What to Expect","date":"June 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Nintendo's Splatoon Raiders Direct streams tonight at 10pm SGT. Here's everything known about the Switch 2-exclusive treasure-hunter launching 23 July 2026.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/splatoon-raiders-key-art.jpg?fit=1128%2C1128&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4867,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-nintendo-switch-2-23-july-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":3},"title":"Splatoon Raiders Arrives 23 July on Nintendo Switch 2","date":"July 4, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Splatoon Raiders, a solo-focused treasure-hunting adventure with optional co-op, arrives exclusively on Nintendo Switch 2 on 23 July 2026. Here's the full rundown.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/splatoon-raiders-featured.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4557,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-direct-recap-june-2026\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":4},"title":"Splatoon Raiders Direct Recap: Every Reveal From Today&#8217;s Deep Dive","date":"June 30, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"The Splatoon Raiders Direct aired 30 June \u2014 here's everything Nintendo revealed about the Switch 2 spin-off launching 23 July, from island dungeons to the gadget upgrade system.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/splatoon-raiders-direct-6302026.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6146,"url":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/splatoon-raiders-preview-roundup-launch-july-23\/","url_meta":{"origin":6259,"position":5},"title":"Splatoon Raiders Preview Roundup \u2014 Three Days to Switch 2 Launch","date":"July 20, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Final media previews for Splatoon Raiders are in \u2014 critics call it Ratchet & Clank-esque, praise the roguelite loop, and back the single-player formula. Here's what Singapore players need to know before Thursday's noon SGT unlock.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Game News&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/splatoon-raiders-cover-art.jpg?fit=800%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gametrader.sg\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}