Arc Raiders launches as an extraction shooter that asks you to pick your own flavor of chaos, go light and scavenge, bring heavy firepower for high-value grabs, or team up and coordinate the mess. It had a noisy lead-up and a brief delay, but the early runs and Server Slam activity show players are trying the game in huge numbers.
Familiar, though not derivative
Arc Raiders stitches together bits of what players know from extraction, adventure, and PvP shooters, then hands you the scissors. The maps are pretty, the robots are mean, and you still have to get back to Speranza to cash in your finds. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but the mix works because the systems are clear and the runs are consistently fun.
We previously covered the game’s play test in some detail in our Arc Raiders play test, and a lot of those early impressions carry over: the world-building gives you goals that feel natural, progression nudges you toward choices, and the little flourishes, like Scrappy the rooster, make the hub feel lived-in.
Solo, duo, or trio, all a good time
Arc Raiders absolutely works played alone. Solo runs give a satisfying grind: find what you need for a workshop upgrade, pocket a rare blueprint, then extract. The tension of trying to leave with something valuable with only yourself to rely on is its own reward. Teaming up adds layers, revive windows, coordinated ambushes, and the classic jerk who swoops in to take your loot. That last one is part of the drama.
Loadout choice matters. You can show up with only the raider tool for a low-risk scavenger run, or load up with weapons and gadgets for the big score. Arc machines are dangerous, and PvP firefights quickly become PvPvE puzzles where misreading the situation gets expensive. So with that said, don’t try to solo a large arcbot early unless you like respawning and humility. For example, if you see a Leaper or Rocketeer, make sure at least you have a couple of Wolf Packs before you engage them, if you play solo.
What this game does best and what makes it super easy, that even a free loadout entries contribute towards your original character, unlike Escape From Tarkov where you play on an NPC character, or a SCAV. This is a big plus for those who have gear fear.
Progression and build choices
Now that I am at my end of the game, this is what I went for, so feel free to use it if you want:
The skill tree gives meaningful choices. Conditioning, Mobility, and Survival each change how you move and engage, so you can tune a raider to sprint past trouble, tank a fight, or slip around enemies. Quest rewards and blueprint drops feel worthwhile without locking you into a single path.
Gunplay sits comfortably between tactical and forgiving. Learning enemy types, abilities, and counters is part of the loop. The game encourages small experiments, parkour a new route, set a trap on a chokepoint, or climb a flying robot if you dare, and usually rewards creativity.
Rough edges and early fixes
On launch there were matchmaking errors and a handful of awkward physics moments, and Embark pushed a day-two hotfix for some of that. Those issues are noticeable but not showstoppers for most players. The core loop of running Topside, making choices, and trying not to die remains intact. Arc Raiders does what it sets out to do, give players flexible extraction runs that feel good whether you go solo or with friends. The skill tree and loot economy reward choices, combat is tactical without being oppressive, and the hub areas give the game a bit of personality. If the matchmaking snags are ironed out and regular updates continue, Arc Raiders has the basics to keep players returning for another run.
Please leave thoughts or rants in the comments and follow us on X, Bluesky, and YouTube.
The Review
Arc Raiders
Arc Raiders launches as an extraction shooter that asks you to pick your own flavor of chaos, go light and scavenge, bring heavy firepower for high-value grabs, or team up and coordinate the mess.
PROS
- Environment
- Insane PvPvE action
- Sound
- VoIP
- Fluidity
- Gunplay
- Optimization
CONS
- Teaming
