Splatoon Raiders has achieved a Metacritic user score of 9.3 out of 10, making it Nintendo's highest user-rated game on the platform. It has surpassed The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask and every Mario title, according to Metacritic rankings.
Unexpected Success for Spin-Off
Nintendo opted for a single-player focused spin-off, Splatoon Raiders, as the series' debut on Nintendo Switch 2, following the disappointing Splatoon 3. Critics found the game fun but unambitious and quickly forgettable. However, the Splatoon community has embraced it enthusiastically, pushing its user score to 9.3, tied with classics like Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil Requiem.
User Score Manipulation Concerns
User scores on Metacritic can be manipulated, as seen with review bombing or inflated ratings like the Nintendo DS game Cory In The House, which has a 9.2 user score due to an internet joke. There is no evidence of manipulation for Splatoon Raiders, which appears to reflect genuine enthusiasm. The game has 802 user reviews, compared to over 1,500 for Splatoon 1 (8.7) and Splatoon 2 (8.4). Splatoon 3 has the lowest user score at 7.3.
Sales and Critic Reception
Despite the high user score, critic reviews average 81 out of 100, not cracking the top 60 on Metacritic. Splatoon Raiders was the UK's top-selling game last week, though competition was limited due to the summer drought. It remains to be seen if sales will match Splatoon 2's 13.6 million lifetime sales, the best in the franchise. Japanese weekly sales, where the series is most popular, are expected soon.
According to the article, "it seems very odd that it’s being given a free pass for the same faults" as Splatoon 3, but the enthusiasm may reflect hunger for more Splatoon content.
