Hands-on — why ARC Raiders’ gameplay preview is the most fun I’ve had all year

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I’ve been really excited about ARC Raiders for a long time, and it seems like a lot of other people are too. Most players who tried it out this summer loved it, and have been eagerly waiting for the full release. And I was lucky enough to get an early look!

I played the complete game on October 23rd, with full access to everything – all features and even the system designed to keep players engaged long-term. While I didn’t finish it completely, I made significant progress!

For more details, you can find an explanation on the Embark Studios website. Now, let’s move on to the preview.

Embark described this early access version as essentially a full game, suggesting we could treat it like a review in progress. However, because our game progress was reset – as it should be for a preview – I’ve decided to cover it as a hands-on preview instead.

I’ve spent a good amount of time with this game – around four hours in the preview, plus about fifty more playing in the beta and alpha tests. Honestly, it feels like I’ve barely begun to explore everything it has to offer. There’s just so much to discover!

I’m addressing concerns that the game doesn’t offer enough content, a perception fueled by the short Server Slam test. While I’m not sure why Embark limited the test’s duration, I’ve seen many people online and heard from friends who aren’t convinced the $40 price is justified.

The game launches with a ton of maps, offering players plenty to explore. And Embark plans to keep adding even more maps over time, constantly improving and expanding the game world.

ARC Raiders has a surprising amount of stuff to explore, from weapons to things you can interact with in the environment. After spending about four hours with a preview version, and roughly 50 hours across earlier test versions, I’ve barely begun to see everything the game offers.

Improved gameplay that’s more challenging than before

After playing the preview and Server Slam, it’s clear that the ARC enemies are much more challenging than they were in the summer beta. They do significantly more damage, and their accuracy has improved dramatically.

This is important because our initial gameplay took place on the live and test servers. We focused on leveling up new characters by completing the very first quests – the ones most players are already familiar with, like gathering loot and defeating the ARC enemy. These are the basic, unavoidable starting missions.

I quickly learned a valuable lesson about improving my ARC during my first run. I tried to sneak into an elevator that another player had already summoned, hoping to save time. I attempted to rush in just before the doors closed, but it didn’t work out so well.

I was way off base – the door slamming shut highlighted how far I was from succeeding, and I knew I was going to face serious consequences.

There were two wasps guarding the elevator, and another player had just gotten their attention. At first, I figured I could just quickly run past them without worrying about it.

I realized the elevator wasn’t working and started to turn back when I ran into trouble—almost immediately. I managed to avoid a couple of attacks, but the two opponents quickly overwhelmed me and won the fight.

For the next attempt, I tried to be more cautious and play a little more slowly. As soon as I started, I heard a huge explosion to my left. Determined not to repeat my previous mistake, I immediately ran towards the sound.

As a journalist, I occasionally dabble in video games – I’m not exactly a pro, but I can usually manage. Of course, I also need material for my articles, so staying aware of what’s happening is important. It was during one of these gaming sessions that I met two players who really opened my eyes to how varied and interesting interactions between players can be.

Squadding up to survive

These two guys were incredibly eager for me to raid the massive, deactivated Mother ARC they’d just unlocked – the same one that triggered the explosion in the first place. They practically pleaded with me to do it.

I quickly gathered some of the valuable items I knew I wouldn’t have for long. Then, we started moving towards all the flares we spotted in the sky.

If you see flares in the distance, it means a player is in trouble. It doesn’t always mean they’re eliminated, but it’s a signal that something significant is happening nearby.

As we headed towards one of the signal flares, we encountered a lone man who unfortunately found himself in our path. We aggressively – and with exaggerated, awful Brooklyn accents – demanded he hand over a single wire, threatening him if he didn’t comply. We basically told him we were robbing the place and he needed to cooperate.

He didn’t have a headset, so when we jokingly told him to pick up his belongings, he panicked and ran, despite our attempts to reassure him it was a prank. This kept happening throughout the preview, really highlighting how useful a feature like proximity chat would be.

As the group stage went on, other players on my team had to leave for different reasons. Not everyone could commit to the long raiding sessions during the game’s preview event. But I’m completely obsessed with ARC Raiders, so of course, I stayed to play as much as possible.

I teamed up with some players from SeasonedGaming, and we really clicked. We played several matches together, and I had a fantastic time running maps and battling opponents – it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had in a while.

Playing with these two players was incredibly exciting! From silly mistakes to intense, non-stop action, they consistently raised the energy level. It reminded me of those over-the-top expressions of affection we used in high school, like saying ‘I love you infinity times!’

Honestly, the ending of ARC Raiders really stuck with me. It wasn’t just the climax, but *how* long it kept going – I haven’t really felt that sustained intensity in a game before, and it truly defined my whole experience.

Before group play officially started, I was focused on finding other solo players to team up with. I hadn’t even considered that pre-made groups might form. Then we heard about a team of six content creators who were already dominating, taking on and defeating groups of three.

Near the finish of our fast-paced, all-out efforts, we were resting on a hill when someone spotted a zipline being prepared. That’s when we started counting how many people were on it: “One, two, three, four, oh wow, five, hey everyone… six!”

We opened fire instantly, without thinking about our own safety. Two of us had rifles meant for longer distances, but the third had a light machine gun designed for close-up, rapid fire. He unleashed it with furious intensity.

Immediately, gunfire erupted from the trees and hills around us. We couldn’t identify all the shooters, but we quickly returned fire at every position we detected.

We began climbing the hill, effectively limiting the enemy’s advance to a single, small town. It was a clear ambush, just like Admiral Ackbar warned – “It’s a trap!”

The town was filled with various AI enemies. When players began pursuing us, they immediately drew the attention of all the AI, triggering a chaotic firefight. Both the AI and the opposing players – every single one of them – were quickly defeated.

We were laughing so hard we cried, and then, just a few minutes later, another group completely dominated us.

ARC Raiders is a must buy if this continues into launch

To be honest, ARC Raiders is exactly the kind of game I’ve been hoping for. I wasn’t very impressed with the early version I played, but I’ve been interested in it ever since the developers, Embark, first revealed it.

Ever since trying the game’s beta version over the summer, and in every test since then, I’ve found it really hard to stop playing. I keep getting drawn back in, even though I know all the progress will eventually be reset.

I was completely absorbed in playing Dam during the Server Slam – it was probably the hundredth time – and honestly, I was enjoying it more than any other game available.

ARC Raiders might not appeal to all gamers, but it stands out as an extraction shooter that could successfully unite both casual and competitive players. It’s shaping up to be one of the most promising games of 2025.

ARC Raiders will be available on October 30, 2025, for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and Windows PC. If you play on Xbox Series X|S, you can also continue your progress on the Windows app, and vice versa.

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2025-10-29 16:41