I’ve played it twice now (tech test 2 and server slam) and I’m absolutely pumped for launch day. This game is fantastic and I think it’s exactly what the genre needed, a great entry innovating in the space instead of trying to copy Tarkov (like most of them) or veering a bit too far away from the bits that make extraction games unique (like hunt showdown, which to be clear is a fantastic game).

I haven’t seen a single review that was mediocre. I know the algo can really silo people, but everyone who’s touched this game seems to give it glowing reviews minus some early third person perspective gripes.

Having had hands on time with the game, I wouldn’t sleep on it if you like fps games or PvE extraction games. My flatmate who hasn’t really played a single pvp game has really had a blast with this one too, starting out “not getting it” and then by the end of a two hour session saying they were going to buy on launch day. I think this game will convert people who give it a chance.

What reviews? People seem almost universally hyped on this one. There was a preview that IGN did during the beta that was pretty maligned because of how little the author seemed to understand the game.

I played the server slam and it was really well polished and put together.

Few things:

• It’s an extraction shooter. Not a game for everyone. For those that like that genre, it’s incredibly well-designed and a welcomed take on the genre. For those that don’t like it, won’t care for it.
• The recent Server Slam had very limited progression enabled, which stunted many people’s first-time experience. The greatest thrill of extraction shooters is the moment you find loot your really want to keep and do whatever you can to extract safely. When majority of the loot was mediocre, there was no thrill.

I personally only play PvE. Played the hell out of Killing Floor, Deep Rock Galactic, and Helldivers 2. I was turned off by the PvP aspect of Arc and do wish they kept the game as PvE, but the more I played and listened to their design philosophy, I now acknowledge why they added PvP to their PvE game, the pure fact that it will keep players more engaged.

PvE alone can get very casual, which is what many dad-gamers want: something predictable to relax to. But by adding PvP, it removes the comfort and replaces with some of the most stressful experiences in gaming. It will lead to much stronger experiences at the cost of not targeting the casual market. It is definitely a deliberate decision and one that we shall see if it pays off.

I played a few rounds during the playtest but I’ve been keeping my eye on it for some time. I don’t know what reviews you’ve read but the extraction shooter crowd is excited because ARC raiders gets so much right and is arguably better than the king of the genre, Escape from Tarkov. Tarkov goes for a different experience so people who enjoy Tarkov might not necessarily enjoy ARC, but there are objective things that make ARC better than Tarkov. For example the PvE enemies are not bullshit. They’re hard but you don’t need to pixel peek through a doorway to kill them. The audio is far better because you can actually use audio to locate people. Less useless loot due to the ability to recycle loot. The performance is more uniform (in Tarkov streets is still somewhat unplayable for some people). The only clear negative people have had with ARC raiders is the third person view but I would say that’s hardly a deal-breaker. The rest of the game is fantastic. I dig the art style. I dig the audio. I dig the ARC and I dig core gameplay loop. I’m seriously considering finding time to invest into playing ARC raiders because that’s how much I enjoyed the playtest.

But with all this praise it’s worth remembering that at the end of the day it is an extraction shooter and extraction shooters are not for everyone. If the entire concept of risking your gear to get loot doesn’t sound appealing then not amount of praise is going to make you enjoy ARC raiders.

I played a little of the open beta. It was an interesting concept, but it was very dull and the PvP was toxic and a turnoff. I won’t be playing again.