You may have come across ARC Raiders and its incredibly successful debut. This eagerly awaited game developed by Embark Studios quickly gained popularity on Steam, and if you’re still on the fence about trying it due to its extraction shooter nature, allow me to present some compelling reasons to give it a shot.
As someone who typically doesn’t engage with extraction shooters, I found ARC Raiders to be one of the most enjoyable multiplayer experiences in recent times. My previous encounters with games like The Cycle: Frontier, Escape from Tarkov (albeit briefly), and Delta Force showcased their unique features, but I never felt drawn into the typical grind of extraction shooters. While The Cycle: Frontier offered sci-fi landscapes, Tarkov emphasized realism, and Delta Force excelled in gunplay, all of these games revolved around the repetitive cycle of looting, evading hostile players, extracting resources, and repeating the process. The pressure from adversarial players has always made me less inclined to enjoy extraction shooters.
ARC Raiders retains the core elements of an extraction shooter, but introduces a pivotal twist with its PvE adversaries, the ARC machines. These foes are far from being mere obstacles; they are intelligent, relentless, and dangerous. This shift reduces the frequency of player-versus-player interactions, prompting more cooperative behaviors through gestures or proximity chat, particularly for solo players.
Many players tend to overlook one another as they focus on their quests or resource collection. Some choose to team up for resource exchanges or to assist in completing tasks. I once encountered a fellow player right at the start, who warmly wished me a «good raid.» In what other extraction shooter do you see such camaraderie? I witnessed players patiently waiting for trains in Buried City as if it were a typical subway station, and others approaching me for quest directions.
That said, there are still players who will shoot on sight, camp, or even betray you – not everyone is inclined to share the finest loot available. However, the unpredictability of the social experience each time you enter a raid is refreshing. The number of times I managed to extract alongside various random players feels almost surreal for a game of this genre.
With reduced concerns regarding PvP encounters, you can fully immerse yourself in the game’s lore, quests, and captivating audio design, all while amassing a wealth of loot above ground. Progressing in ARC Raiders involves considerable gathering, upgrading, and crafting, offering you materials, weapons, trinkets, and blueprints for new crafting recipes. You can create or purchase enhanced gear to tackle more demanding environments, such as night raids or formidable enemies like the Queen, while keeping an eye on your storage space.
Regardless of whether you choose to utilize your best equipment or stash it away, the loot will always be accessible until you need it. Unlike many other extraction shooters, ARC Raiders does not impose obligatory wipes. Instead, players can opt for voluntary wipes through the Expedition Project for extra rewards, enabling continuous progress and making the game more inclusive for everyone.
Thus, even if you’ve been cautious about extraction shooters in the past, ARC Raiders could be the exception that changes your perception, thanks to its abundance of engaging PvE activities, the absence of required wipes, and players who might not immediately resort to shooting.
