I have immensely enjoyed the loot-shoot-survival genre of games that PUBG introduced us all to a few years back. Since then, we have seen a plethora of new games try to take their piece of the pie. Games like Fortnite, Delta Force, DayZ, and many others have popped up for our consumption on both PC and Console. Escape from Tarkov took that looter/shooter model and added the extraction requirement too. This looter/shooter/extraction genre has become so lucrative that even well-established games like Call of Duty and Battlefield have put their own spin on it, in the hopes that you’ll like their version of the gameplay more than the others.
Most recently, a new challenger called ARC Raiders from Embark Studios has thrown its hat into the ring with a twist to the extract & shoot model. It’s not an entirely new twist, as this has been explored in the game Escape from Tarkov, but it’s a twist that has made this game more enjoyable. What’s that twist? In your looting explorations, you have the opportunity to encounter other “Raiders” and engage them in a PVP scenario, and if you lose and die in-game before you can extract, you lose your loot too.
But that’s not the only thing that makes this game worthwhile, and why it’s in consideration for my personal Game of the Year. But let’s talk about a few things that make this game something that should be on your radar for your PC or gaming console.
A lot of games in the past few years have hit the $79.99 USD or higher price point, and that’s before preorder bonus specials for additional skins or content. It’s not uncommon for some games to be around the $100 USD mark, after you factor in early access or special edition buy-ins. For instance, Black Ops 7 will have a $99 price tag with the Special Edition access. And then, what if you have to deal with a lackluster game that gets outperformed by a free game that’s genuinely free or part of your Xbox or PlayStation console subscription? That can be very frustrating to say the least.
That’s part of the beauty of ARC Raiders. Not only did they grab our attention with great beta play weekends, but they announced that the base game would be $39.99 USD, with the bonus content version being only $59.99 USD.
Let’s break this down to simple economics. In an age where it costs between $4 and $9 USD for a dozen eggs, $3 and $7 USD for a gallon of gasoline, and there are no price reductions in sight, the average consumer is looking for any and all ways to simplify their budget and hold onto their money. Now, as a gamer, it’s terrific to have so many choices of great games all hitting the market at the same time, but if I can buy a game for $39.99 that’s every bit as good as the $79.99 game, why wouldn’t I?
Fortunately, it’s not just the price of this game that has us excited. Graphics and gameplay for ARC Raiders are, in my opinion, outstanding. Combined, they are a reason that I would put this game up for Game of the Year.
First, let’s talk about the Graphics. Embark Studios, the game developer, has ensured the graphics are crisp, clean, and detailed, while staying under 35GB on PC and Xbox, and under 20GB on PlayStation 5.
It’s clear what you’re looking at. It’s clear where you’re going. And, perhaps most importantly, you’re able to clearly identify enemies on the map, even at a distance. Unless, of course, you’re fooling yourself into wearing your brown pants over the appearance of a tumbleweed. Seriously, those things have caused many a minor freak-out for me in this game.
Fortunately, it’s not just the price of this game that has players excited.
Why?
I’ll tell you why - it’s the gameplay style of ARC Raiders that keeps you on your toes. Yes, ARC Raiders is an Extraction Shooter with a looter/survival component. But there's also a risk/reward factor that impacts what you carry into a round or not. If other Raiders attack you and you die in-game, you lose the loot you’re carrying. All of it. UNLESS you happen to have a loadout with what’s called a “Safe Pocket”. Items held in the Safe Pocket slots will return to you at base. Everything else is now under the ownership of the Raider that you lost the PVP battle with. It changes your extraction plan and gameplay at times.
You may have gone into the round planning on a particular mission or quest line, but the appearance of a piece or two of high-value loot can change all of that in the blink of an eye.
Especially if you’re running a “free loadout”. A free loadout is assigned to you at random by the game and typically has nothing worth value and no safe pockets. Trust me, you will be booking it for the closest extraction elevator or train if you have good loot on a free loadout.
But just because you’re in PVP doesn’t mean that you HAVE to fight. You can always turn on your proximity chat and see if a little polite diplomacy will get you where you need to go. Sure, there are always a few jerks that will want to loot you no matter what, but the majority of the player base that I have encountered is willing to let you pass or co-op with you.
As much as I love this game, and I do love this game, there is something that I am struggling with. I am strongly against the use of generative Ai. It has come to light that Embark Studios is using generative Ai to create the NPC voices you hear in the game.
The use of generative Ai has not exactly been the worlds best kept secret. In several interviews, Embark Studios has openly admitted to its use. In an interview with Eurogamer, Stefan Sandburg the CCO of Embark, said “We use Ai as tools to assist in some content creation, but it’s always in the context of creativity, as an expression of the team”. The honesty is admirable, but it doesn’t excuse the use of Ai instead of voice actors.
The use of Ai has been something long fought against not only by the film industry, but the voice actors in the video game industry as well. Ai lacks the soul and heart of the human actor, even when it comes to random lines of the NPCs.
Now, with that being said, in that same interview, Standberg tells us that the main characters are all voice actors and that those lines were recorded in the studios. But either way, I will struggle with the concept that this game I enjoy so very much has dipped its toes into the Ai pool. That can’t be undone, and that can’t be ignored. To be honest, had I known that before buying the game, I may not have purchased it.
I stand with voice actors.
Secondly, another thing to be considered away from th Ai voice issues, is the Aiming Down Sights or ADS. It’s not a reason to stop playing the game, but it is a bit clunky and could certainly use a tune up.
Considering that shooting is such a big portion of the game, it would seem that cleaning that part of the gameplay would be very important. It’s not a reason to skip playing the game, but it’s one of those tweaks that would just make the gameplay just that much more enjoyable.
There are so many reasons why this game should be in the running for Game of the Year.
Embark Studios, the devs of the game, not only seem to be on top of their game (pardon the pun), but they also seem to be listening to their fans. I love that Embark has promised us gamers that this is not going to go the Fortnite route with all the included pop-culture skins, but instead, Embark will stay true to their vision for this game. That’s not a dig on Fortnite; that game has its place and is beloved by many, but skins from The Simpsons really don’t fit this post-apocalyptic universe.
And on top of all that we have discussed, there is active cross-play between PC and Consoles. So even if your friends are gaming on a different platform than you, you can still play with them. Also, if you choose the fill squad option on load-in, you can make new friends and have more fun. It’s a great option if you prefer not to run solo rounds.
So while other developers are trying things that are closer to the PUBG model, which is a darn good game to model your game after, it’s nice to see a studio take some chances and give us a game like ARC Raiders with some exciting twists on the same old looter/shooter genre adding in the Extraction aspect to keep the loot you did find.
In review, here’s the cliff notes version of why this game should be the next game you purchase:
So check it out. I think you’ll like it.
I rate this game 8.5 of 10 Soup cans. Even with the use of generative Ai - simply because I’m hoping that Embark Studios has learned a lesson and will abandon the use of generative Ai with any future updates and sequels.
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