Arc Raiders is primed to be the next big thing

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Arc Raiders, developed by Embark (a team of ex-DICE veterans who brought us The Finals) aims to challenge Escape from Tarkov’s dominance in the shooter genre. With unique atmospheres, captivating questlines, and innovative mechanics, this game stands out as something truly distinctive within its category.

Let’s dive right in with the atmosphere. The game Arc Raiders is situated on a desolate Earth, where sand dunes cover ruined structures, and shattered highways disappear into the horizon’s edge. A menacing force called “Arc” roams the terrain, searching for humans to eliminate.

In simpler terms, as an explorer from the subterranean city of Speranza, you venture out onto the surface to gather resources for trading, fixing, creating, and upgrading equipment.

In this area, an eerie, untouched attractiveness prevails. Flora has successfully overtaken the terrain, with pockets of verdure sprouting amidst the sand. The only artificial light comes from the beams of drones, while the sun’s rays filter through the ruins, creating a mirage-like heat haze on the horizon.

At night, I navigate by the glow of torches and flickering flames, under the starlit canopy where lasers scour the terrain, seeking out creatures to obliterate. Indoors, it’s pitch-black if there are no windows, but a single beam of torchlight can illuminate the space, potentially exposing my position to rival teams vying for treasure in squads of up to three.

In this game, tasks lead you to designated spots to retrieve certain objects, which you then return to the main base. This means that each undertaking has a specific objective, and as you advance, the difficulty of these objectives rises along with your custom-built weapons and makeshift equipment. The items you gather empower you, but they also grant experience points (XP), enabling you to enhance your endurance, climb more efficiently, and unlock additional advantages across three distinct skill sets – Survival, Mobility, and Conditioning. If you perish during a mission, everything you were carrying, except for items stored in your secure pockets, is lost permanently.

What truly distinguishes this game from other extraction shooters is its exceptional movement mechanics and AI opponents. Arc Raiders, played in a third-person viewpoint, gives the impression of what The Last of Us: Factions might have been like if Naughty Dog hadn’t scrapped the project.

In this game, seamless animations and responsive character maneuvering, accompanied by an agile set of moves, offer an unmatched level of control. Duck while running down a dune to slide like in Apex Legends, gaining speed as you descend. Additionally, you can leap over walls that are waist-high and scale anything you can reach with a jump. Jump from one rooftop to another, and at the brink, grab a ledge for survival. Moreover, ziplines are available for both vertical and horizontal travel, but beware, if you collide with another player, you’ll lose your grip. The developers have incorporated all the exciting movement technologies from popular games and then some, resulting in a smooth gameplay experience.

In the game Arc Raiders, creators draw inspiration from Hunt: Showdown, specifically focusing on how audio is utilized to share information with players. For instance, a disturbance can cause flocks of birds to take flight, revealing your location. When another player dies, they emit a flare signal, warning others about the ongoing battle, and it seems there might be ways to falsify this alert, but I didn’t encounter them during my play session. Furthermore, certain structures are equipped with security measures such as cameras and turrets that require careful handling – either stealthily bypassing or confronting them head-on based on the time remaining before you must flee. Lastly, when escaping, players must activate a bunker that spins up and makes noise, broadcasting your position to all other players.

In contrast to other extraction shooter games, its AI opponents set it apart. While most drones can be handled with ease, you’ll encounter something quite different when faced with a colossal robotic spider that seems impervious to your gunfire, even underwater. These machines may have vulnerabilities, but figuring them out will require time and effort. Bringing down the larger, lethal robots will necessitate teamwork, as some of these behemoths are on par with raid bosses in MMORPGs. It’s almost like the boss enemies from Hunt: Showdown roam freely and join player conflicts.

Instead of creating these adversaries as lackluster for combat due to their excessive toughness, it’s quite the opposite. Each encounter feels impactful, a testament to the robust visual and auditory design. Bullets echo off metallic shells and robotic foes, while parts fly off enemies upon impact, giving a tangible feel. The lethality of human opponents is just right, ensuring each kill feels significant.

Since I completed Arc Raiders a week ago, it’s been hard for me to get thoughts of it out of my head. It strikes an excellent balance between being user-friendly and the challenging nature of Tarkov. It may have drawn inspiration from other games, but it doesn’t feel like a copycat at all. It has its own unique style and personality that truly sets it apart. The visuals and audio are nothing short of amazing. Each and every battle leaves an indelible impression on me. With its potential to become the next big hit, I can hardly wait to see what the future holds for this game.

You can sign up for the Arc Raiders tech test now, which kicks off tomorrow on PC, PS5, and Xbox.

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2025-04-29 18:17