Arc Raiders Is an Extraction Shooter That Isn’t Miserable to Play

by

I’ve been totally hooked on these extraction shooter games lately! Titles like Escape from Tarkov, Hunt: Showdown, Dark and Darker, and even the new Delta Force are HUGE right now, with tons of people playing and really getting into them. Basically, you drop into a map, try to grab some good loot, and get out alive – but other players are doing the same thing, and they’re probably going to try and stop you! Throw in cool environments, unique twists, and maybe some AI enemies, and it’s a recipe for a seriously thrilling experience.

Many games where you collect items while shooting can be really unpleasant to play. They often have very difficult learning curves, harshly punish you for dying, and feel clunky and frustrating. Luckily, Arc Raiders aims to make the genre more enjoyable and accessible to a wider audience.

Arc Raiders Smooths Over the Rough Edges Plaguing Other Extraction Shooters

Many extraction shooter games are risky – you often have to bring valuable gear into a mission, even when you’re still figuring things out. Losing that gear feels really discouraging, especially before you even get to the core gameplay.

Many extraction shooters offer basic, free starting gear, but it’s often too weak to be fun, or limited to just a few uses. Arc Raiders solves this problem. Players can always use a free loadout before starting a mission, as often as they like. These loadouts aren’t top-of-the-line, but they give you a reasonable starting weapon, ammo, healing supplies, and enough equipment to survive until you find better gear or can quickly escape.

Small adjustments are really important in this type of game because extraction shooters can be hard for new players to get into. The genre is meant to be challenging and unforgiving, but it’s tricky to make it intense without being frustrating. Currently, Arc Raiders seems to be the only game in the genre that successfully appeals to both newcomers and veteran players.

Many extraction-shooter games that are easy for new players to pick up focus solely on playing with the environment, rather than against other players. While games like this can be fun, they lack the competitive excitement of player-versus-player combat. Arc Raiders is different; it blends both cooperative and competitive elements, a style known as PvPvE, similar to other successful extraction shooters.

Arc Raiders Has Enemy AI That’s Actually Dangerous

Many extraction shooter games treat enemy AI as unimportant. In Escape from Tarkov, individual scavengers aren’t very threatening, and in most games, you only face real danger when trapped or outnumbered. Arc Raiders is different – the AI poses a genuine and constant threat.

Embark Studios has invested a lot of effort into creating enemies that are both challenging and react realistically. They used machine learning to teach the AI how to learn from players, allowing for more unpredictable actions and natural-looking movements. These aren’t just simple opponents; they’re smart robots that will use everything around them – including their weapons – to try and defeat you.

Whether it’s drones equipped with tasers, machine guns, or rockets, spider-like robots crawling across the terrain, or the massive Queen enemy looming over everything, dealing with the AI opponents in Arc Raiders can be truly frightening if you’re caught off guard. While some players find them overly challenging, this difficulty is a core part of what makes the game unique, encouraging strategic movement and careful planning. Reducing their power would ultimately detract from the experience.

Adding a cooperative mode where players could team up to gather resources in Arc Raiders would be a major improvement. The recent beta test showed many players immediately attacked each other instead of trying to work together and enjoy the potential for interesting situations that come from cooperation. The game already has great tools for communication – like a ping system and nearby voice chat – and players should utilize those instead of immediately resorting to fighting.

Arc Raiders is Polished With Seamless Cross-Play Already Established

Extraction shooters need to be refined and easy to play if they want to become popular with a wider audience. Arc Raiders aims to do just that, offering a detailed story through its cutscenes and plenty of features designed to improve the player experience. For instance, after completing a mission, you can quickly store all your collected items with a single button press, rather than having to manage each item individually.

I’ve been really impressed with the little details in Arc Raiders, and one thing that stands out is how they handle waypoints. Instead of just getting a standard “Follow me!” message, your character actually says where you’re going – like, “Let’s head to the swamp!” It sounds small, but it really adds to the immersion and makes the world feel so much more alive. It’s that kind of polish that elevates the whole experience, honestly.

The game also features a nearby voice chat, letting players easily talk to others who are close to them, even if they aren’t on the same team. These little touches might not seem like much individually, but together they create a game that feels new and refined, clearly prioritizing player enjoyment and making the experience truly immersive.

Arc Raiders will be available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S starting October 30, 2025. Players on all platforms will be able to play together.

Read More

2025-10-22 20:39