ARC Raiders is the next big extraction shooter on the block, and even before the game's full release, players were praising it for a wide array of reasons, from the visuals to the gameplay to the world itself. It is an incredibly satisfying and well-made game that has already drawn in a huge number of players right from the start, and there are plenty of thing that make it such a compelling new release that many more players should certainly pick up.
Arc Raiders Reveals Unique Way It Deals with Progression Resets
Embark Studios reveals new Projects system in Arc Raiders, attempting to address common concerns with progression resets in extraction shooters.
Some players point out the tactical gunplay, which feels incredibly rewarding and punchy, while others focus more on the environment and how the lore ties into every aspect of the gameplay. Whatever the case, ARC Raiders is already making waves in the shooter space and should continue to do so in the coming weeks as more players learn about all the reasons to check it out and jump into the robotic apocalypse.
Get In On The Hype
A Brand New Game With A Lot Of Eyes On It
One of the biggest reasons to give ARC Raiders a try is to cash in on the insane hype train that the game has managed to gain in the months leading up to the release. There is nothing better than being able to play a brand-new game with a big following, as players will have access to a huge amount of community content, insanely short queue times, and any of those pesky release bugs should get reported and patched out quickly.
Also, because the game is new and fresh, all the hidden techniques and secrets are yet to be discovered, giving players the chance to break new ground and figure out the game for themselves at the same time as everyone else. This communal learning makes every match feel more authentic in the early days, as no one is running around with an endless library of knowledge about how to play the game "the right way," except for maybe a select few who sank over 100 hours into the tech tests.
Easy To Get Into
Low Barriers To Entry
A big focus for the team at Embark Studios is the ability for anyone to play their game, regardless of whether they have 1000s of hours in Escape From Tarkov, or if they have never touched an extraction shooter in their lives. Instead, players are free to load into a map and explore things for themselves, with enough depth to learn and master, but not so much content to absorb that it will overwhelm genre newcomers.
ARC Raiders is Shaping Up to Be One of the More Exciting Upcoming Extraction Shooters [Hands-On Preview]
A recent hands-on preview event for Embark Studios' ARC Raiders cemented it as a game that extraction shooter fans will want to keep an eye on.
The game also feels less intense overall than some of the other extraction shooters on the market. Rather than encouraging slow, methodical exploration over the course of a drawn-out looting mission, ARC Raiders lets players choose the route that suits them best, whether that be running head-on into the high-tier loot areas or scouring the outskirts in the hopes of picking up some items that others left behind.
Worldbuilding
Bringing The Story To The Forefront
Something that really sets ARC Raiders apart from the competition is how it places a much bigger emphasis on worldbuilding and creating an interesting narrative to fit with its gameplay. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic future where robots roam the surface while humanity is forced to live underground to survive. With resources growing scarce, brave individuals known as Raiders venture out into the light in the hopes of bringing back precious materials and treasures alike.
This quickly contrasts with the simplicity of a lot of other extraction shooters in the genre, as many opt for a modern-day military feel rather than branching out into new ground. While it's a risk to create an entirely new universe, it certainly paid off, as both the environment and the enemies within it are so unbelievably captivating that many players have spent quite a bit of time just taking in their surroundings before even beginning the hunt for loot.
It's Great With Friends
Coordination And Comedy All At Once
Like any other extraction shooter, a big draw is the social side of the gameplay, both in terms of how players interact with random players in the world and how they can play together with friends. ARC Raiders allows players to jump into a game with up to two other friends, enough for a small group to enjoy the wasteland together without feeling like they are dominating a lobby.
On top of being able to play with friends, players will quickly find that the other Raiders in the world are more than happy to communicate or even work alongside them to take down some of the harder bots out there. This spontaneous social element makes every raid feel exciting. One moment, players can be playing solo, and the next, they'll be surrounded by a group of temporary companions who could turn on them at any moment.
Long-Term Plans
Post-Launch Plans Are Already In Place
Even though the game just launched, there are already some pretty concrete plans for what's next for ARC Raiders. The developers have mentioned an interest in releasing more maps, ARCs, and quests, on top of smaller updates to certain mechanics and basic additions like extra guns to keep exploration feeling fresh.
Arc Raiders' AI Voice Controversy Explained
Hype for Arc Raiders continues to build, but a recent controversy regarding the possible use of AI voices has the game in hot water.
Having at least a verbal roadmap in mind makes the future of the game feel a whole lot more robust, as it is clear that the devs are not interested in a quick cash grab and intend to continue releasing content for a long time. Also, the update schedule should be pretty regular, as a studio exec mentioned that they want the content drops to be consistent over time and not just random events throughout the year, giving players more to play, more often.
Moments Over Tension
Cinematic Action Vs Slow-Burning Action
Gameplay moments are some of the most important aspects of any video game, and in the extraction shooter genre, those moments often take the form of intense encounters with other players or drawn-out hunts that take place over the course of an entire match. In ARC Raiders, the standout moments come not from tension but from the insane interactions between the players and the enemies.
It doesn't take long for players to see a leaper jumping across the map to hunt down a lone Raider, or for a Queen to march out onto the battlefield and draw fire from an entire squad of players. Each of these encounters has the intensity of a scripted moment, but with the excitement of a random encounter, allowing every moment to feel like a living movie where anything could happen next.
Polished Product
More Refined Than Most Of The Competition
The modern gaming landscape is full of exceptional titles, but there have been quite a few releases that fell below expectations as a result of more minor issues that quickly became big problems. Optimization problems, poor performance, and an overall unfinished feel are just some of the hiccups plaguing the modern gaming landscape, but ARC Raiders manages to squash any and all major issues, delivering a crisp and well-optimized experience the moment the game launches.
The game runs well and feels great, and one feature that deserves the biggest praise is how well-designed all of the more technical systems are. The sound design is exceptional, pulling players into the world with nothing but audio, and the visual clarity is significantly better than a lot of other games in the genre, allowing ARC Raiders to look great but also remain semi-competitive for players who are looking for some real shootouts.
The Perfect Loop
In And Out In A Flash
Nailing the perfect gameplay loop for something like an extraction shooter is no easy task, as developers need to find a nice balance between meaningful looting and punishing consequences for death. ARC Raiders manages to create an experience that can truly be played in any way, but at its heart, it remains a quality extraction shooter where players can feel themselves progressing in tangible ways while never feeling fully safe in their runs.
The crafting and upgrade systems allow players to take their resources and weaponry and level up their power both offensively and defensively, yet everything feels hard-earned, as players still need to stay focused during every run, no matter how many times they have made it out alive previously. As mentioned, there is a huge amount of playstyle variety as well, which means that new players can loot and run as soon as they like, while more seasoned Raiders can stick around, hunt other Raiders, or even try to take on the bigger ARCs that roam the land.
ARC Raiders
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 92%
- Released
- October 30, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Violence, Blood
- Developer(s)
- Embark Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Embark Studios
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Third-Person Shooter, Survival
