When it was first announced, I was incredibly excited for Arc Raiders; a brand-new third-person cooperative experience set in a retro-futuristic world where groups of players team up to take down giant robots. Think in the same vein as Helldivers 2, before it was even announced. However, after a long absence, it was re-revealed, not as a cooperative game, but as a PvPvE extraction shooter, similar to Escape from Tarkov or Hunt: Showdown. It was a devastating blow that felt like it was taking something incredibly cool and turning it into just another trend chaser. 

After playing both open tests leading up to launch, I wasn’t convinced. It didn’t feel like a game that would appeal to me, and that’s perfectly fine. However, I decided to give it one more try before giving up, and it clicked. After thirty hours, I can confidently say that this is a worthwhile experience and one that I highly recommend to everyone, especially those who find newer multiplayer games to be a little too safe.

Arc Raiders is a third-person PvPvE multiplayer extraction shooter, set in a far future with a retro-futuristic design aesthetic. The world has been completely ravaged by a force of machines known as Arcs, which has mostly wiped out humanity, forcing them underground.  

There’s not much of a story to follow; the game sets up a fascinating universe and lets you loose on it. Certain characters will give you quests to develop the world even further, acting as extended tutorials that will slowly introduce you to new mechanics and interactions within the world. Still, there isn’t a traditional narrative to follow. Instead, the stories are the ones you make up in the field. 

Core gameplay mechanics are reasonably solid, with good gunplay that feels powerful, and with a wide variety of weapons to use on top of that. For the most part, you will be dealing with the hostile robots, which come in different archetypes. Wasps, hornets, and Bees (not Snitches) roam the areas and are relatively easy to eliminate. While larger Arcs will require a lot more effort to remove, they often necessitate the coordination of multiple people. They are fast, deadly, and relentless. Getting caught by an Arc out in the open can cascade into a deadly situation if you don’t move or take out the Arcs quickly. 

You will explore four huge maps that all feel distinctive in their presentation. Starting in the Dam Battlegrounds, you will be exploring a ruined dam destroyed in the first wave of attacks and its surrounding areas. After a few rounds to get you comfortable, you start to unlock more locations from the Buried City overrun with sand, to the abandoned space port, and the open fields of Blue Gate with deep underground facilities. There’s A LOT to uncover in each of these maps, all with all sorts of bonuses, unique loot and secrets to uncover. Mix this in with random world modifiers that can have drastic changes and introduce new events that add entirely new challenges to the game. 

Embark was clever in balancing as well. Instead of leaning towards hardcore one-hit-kill mechanics, a shield system is in place that allows a Raider to take hits from players and Arcs alike. It’s not enough to make the TTK feel tedious, but it does allow for counterplay, giving players a chance to react to what’s happening in the world. Weapons still feel incredibly powerful, able to take down other raiders with ease in just a few shots. 

After playing for some time in both solo and grouped mode, I’m finding Arc Raiders to be a truly dynamic experience. You never know what to expect, what kind of people you are going to meet. In games like Hunt: Showdown, a kill-on-sight policy is typically in effect. However, in Arc Raiders, everyone is dealing with the same issue: survival. Opening fire on a lone Raider might get you some more loot, but it can also attract the attention of other Raiders looking to join in on the action, or that Arc Leaper hidden around the corner that can easily wipe you all out. It’s worth noting that I noticed much less aggression in solo mode than I have in groups, where random firefights happen much more often. 

This creates something dynamic and special in the core gameplay loop, which I don’t think I’ve ever experienced in a game like this. If I see a raider, I might go the other way. If there’s something I need, I’ll yell “friendly, passing through” to check their response. Or open fire if I don’t like the situation. Trust your gut, don’t trust everyone completely. Though at the same time, don’t be afraid to take chances with them. Finding an ally out in the fields can yield even better rewards. Although there are times when Arc Raiders starts to feel repetitive, with the same tasks being repeated over and over. 

One of the most memorable and exciting moments I’ve had in Arc Raiders was my first time in the Space Port map. I exited a building and noticed another raider running off in the distance, being chased down by Arc Wasps. I was tempted to finish the job and kill the Raider, but I opted to shoot at the Arcs instead. Pulling away some of the attention and giving my fellow Raider a chance to recover. It really set the tone for me that, in solo play, not everyone will immediately set out to murder you. 

But we weren’t done yet. After noticing a nearby Arc Leaper roaming around, we opted to take it down. An absolutely epic fight that yielded a lot of great loot, and we both went through extraction together. I’ve had so many moments like this when groups of players join forces against the Arcs. Though this isn’t always the case, and you can’t expect every raider to be friendly, so approach every encounter with a hint of distrust and paranoia. Raiders can still attack on sight or stab you in the back at any moment, and when it does, PvP is tense and exciting.

Dealing with other players is rewarding, intense and absolutely terrifying. Deciding when and where to attack from, or getting ambushed with no clue. Playing solo, these duels can’t typically be quick combat encounters. But when player with up to two other friends fights against squads, it can be intense, drawn-out battles of attrition as you eat into the other squads’ supplies, hoping to take them out first. Seeing that raider flare pop feels good. Whilst I do love a good PvP fight, there are times when it is just back-to-back aggression on every run. You’ll meet spawn campers, extraction campers and all sorts. 

The stakes are constantly high with each PvP encounter, gambling your own loot in hopes that they will get something you need from them. Getting killed can be an absolutely gut-wrenching experience, especially if you have that piece of loot you’ve been hunting for or holding a weapon that is just beastly. But getting those raider kills (especially against the ones that shoot first) is just insanely rewarding and satisfying in a way no other game pulls off. And whilst it does punish you, Arc Raiders rarely feels like you are tanking your progress.

Arc Raiders does a phenomenal job in helping you keep on top of your gear. The free loadout you can select features some solid starting gear that really enables you to scavenge for basic supplies, which can then be used at base for upgrades, new weapons, or gadgets like shield repair, grenades or other specialty equipment that can give you the tactical edge. You can assemble a solid loadout from scratch within thirty minutes. It makes the game much more approachable for those new to extraction shooters and want something a little more casual rather than a competitive grind. Don’t be afraid to take a chance. 

With clear progression paths, you will always know what you need to get. Extensive skill trees provide advantageous bonuses, and workbenches can be upgraded to offer more benefits. Allowing you to craft better augments equipped with higher carrying capacities, as well as different weapons. All that random scrap you gather topside can be handy, and if not, the game’s merchants sell plenty of solid gear. However, the sluggish UI at base can feel somewhat disorganised to navigate. 

One of the defining traits of the more hardcore extraction shooters is regular resets that take everyone down to nothing. The idea is to rebalance the game so that new players who don’t grind the game constantly aren’t getting demolished. It’s a good idea to keep the game fresh and exciting, but Arc Raiders is taking a different approach. Resets are completely opt-in, meaning at specific points you can send your character away and start fresh with some small bonuses. It’s unclear right now what this means for the longevity of Arc Raiders, but it stops the more casual player base from feeling like they aren’t progressing at all.  Hopefully, the content comes at a steady pace to keep the game fresh. 

After the success of The Finals, Embark has once again opted to use Unreal Engine 5 in their games and utilises it to its fullest potential. And whilst it’s not entirely free of the classic UE5 issues, it’s a well-optimised game that has mitigated most of them. Playing on an RTX 4070 at 3440×1440, I was able to hit over 60fps at all times whilst still keeping the image quality high. There’s also full ultrawide support, which is nice to see. I have encountered a few bugs and hitches that slightly detract from the experience, as well as rough netcode that feels like you’re being shot around corners. 

I’m a sucker for the retrofuturism art style, and Arc Raiders absolutely crushes it. From the moment you boot the game up, Arc Raiders oozes style from the ruined and dilapidated world overrun by machines, to the outfits raiders wear. As for the Arcs themselves, the designs are actually really cool and unique, but what really makes them stand out is the phenomenal animations. Arcs will stumble on terrain, struggle to find footing, but over time, begin to learn. Whilst shooting at flying enemies will cause them to fly around much more erratically as they try to regain control. 

Sound design is also phenomenal, with near-perfect environmental qualities. Voice chat is affected by your location worldwide. Footsteps are clear as you hear both Arcs and Raiders gathering around you. Raiders make a lot of noise when looting, and the sound of shields regenerating all helps inform you perfectly. Then we have the in-game proximity chat. If you’ve seen anything about this game online, then you’ve absolutely seen the absolute shenanigans that occur in proximity chat, and it’s not just a gimmick for streamers. It’s a genuine part of the game that elevates the experience of encountering other raiders, with in-game voices that dynamically change depending on the environment.

Arc Raiders has been quite the surprise. I’m not a big fan of the extraction genre, and I was 100% sure I wouldn’t like this game as a result, but I’ve had an absolute blast so far. A truly community-driven experience that makes every run something different. Its unpredictable gameplay leads to moments that can be hilarious, wholesome or frustrating in the best of ways. If you’re on the fence about this game, give it a go. It might surprise you. 

 

Graphics: 8.5 Retro futurism blended into a beautiful yet desolate world. Embark Studios shows the rest of the industry how to use UE5.	Gameplay: 8.5 Arc Raiders excels at creating truly dynamic scenarios that make every run feel distinctive and unique, though it’s not perfect.
Sound: 9.5 Excellent sound design that makes it really easy to identify what is making noise, where, and just how far. It also has the best proximity chat experience I’ve ever had.	Fun Factor: 8.0 Arc Raiders takes the hardcore PvPvE gameplay loop and makes it accessible without dumbing things down too much.
Final Verdict: 8.5

Arc Raiders is available now on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

Reviewed on PC with an RTX 4070, Ryzen 7 7800X3D and 32GB RAM.