I swear on my life I don’t often say things like this, but yeah. ARC Raiders is going to be the next big game of the year / decade / news cycle (no kidding.) I absolutely love what I’ve been seeing of the extract shooter since it was released into selective beta and, soon, we’ll all be able to revel in the glory that is fresh, futuristic, 3rd person gameplay.
So let’s talk business. Readers of mine will know that I am a big proponent of Tarkoving. I think playing Escape From Tarkov is a great exercise for every gamer to partake in. You don’t have to play it a lot, you just have to play it. Even if just for a handful of hours in your life.
Escape from Tarkov made its name in two very distinct ways. The first was it’s ultra-realism weapon modding, ballistics calculations, and first-person shooter oppression. You’d spend 10 minutes building a weapon cobbled together from rather questionable loot and bam, you’re dead to a 5.45MM round fired from a half-broken 74u across the map. Sound fun? You’d be surprised at how addicting that loop can be.
Secondly, EFT boasts a rich selection of maps, of looting mechanics, of leveling mechanics that change the game entirely, and, of course, the extract-shooter trophy of sitting in it’s locker with an engraving that reads “Not quite the first extract shooter, per say, but still kind of pretty much the first extract shooter ever, so congratulations, first prize, etc.“
Extract shooters: Enter map, loot loot, shoot shoot, either die and loose loot or extract from map and gain all loot found. SO MUCH FUN. The thing is, EFT has always had this issue where the PvE aspect is wildly buggy, or the PvP is wildly buggy, or the looting aspect to the game is wildly buggy, or the dying mechanics where you die to people you can’t see is wildly unfun, or the buggy part of the game is still buggy after a decade in beta.
ARC Raiders, it would seem, is trying its best to solve all of those problems. Can’t see opponents? Third person mode to help you peak corners so campers may cry. Getting one tapped from across the map? Higher time to kill so no more unfair deaths (probably, maybe, unlikely, but still.) Bugs? Honestly, can’t get any worse than EFT.
And that PvE. My goodness does ARC raiders look like such an enjoyable experience even when not PvPing. Like having a whole immersive environment that revolves around all facets of itself being enjoyable. What a concept!
I love EFT, and very much so. But I think, I am in some ways hoping, that ARC Raiders completely overshadows EFTs 1.0 launch with its sheer quality. In the worst case scenario, I suppose I’ll just get to enjoy that 1.0 release battle, anyway.
C’mon, ARC Raiders. I’m rooting for you.
