In this ARC Raiders Review, we take a look at Embark Studios' adventure into the Extraction Shooter genre on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Overall, ARC Raiders brings a PvPvE experience set in a post-apocalyptic world brimming with loot and lore. And while it's not free to play, it's $39.99 (USD) price tag is certainly easier on the wallet than your standard AAA title. But when it's all said and done, is this a game worthy of your time and money? Let's find out.
ARC Raiders Review – What is ARC Raiders?
ARC Raiders is a third-person PvPvE Extraction Shooter developed and published by Embark Studios. The game is currently available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store). The game allows you to play in a squad of up to 3 total players, though you can also play solo.
Gameplay – ARC Raiders Review
Firstly, I should mention that ARC Raiders is the first Extraction Shooter I've ever played (though, I suppose Helldivers 2 could be considered an Extraction Shooter in some capacity). But I always wanted to try out the genre ever since following Bungie's Marathon. However, with that game being delayed, I wanted to scratch the itch by playing the ARC Raiders Server Slam Open Test. Needless to say, my experience with the Server Slam was more than enough for me to pick the game up.
At its core, ARC Raiders is a third-person shooter where the main objective is to go into a map, search for loot, and extract when you're ready (or before the time limit expires). While it seems simple and repetitive on paper, no two games of ARC Raiders has felt the same for me. And that's because of the game's PvPvE structure.
During a match, you can go in solo, or in a squad of up to three players. Depending on when you join a match, you may have anywhere from 20-30 to get in and get out. During that period, you need to be careful of both ARC (NPC enemies) as well as other players on the map.
Overall, there's a variety of ARC enemies ranging in size and lethality. Some enemies, like the Tick or the Pop, are pretty easy to take down. But then there's foes like the Bombardier, Leaper, or Rocketeer, who will require a bit more firepower and strategy. Regardless of their shape or size, all enemies in ARC Raiders pose a real threat.
And in case that wasn't enough, there are other players on the map, some of which who may want to explore the same areas you are. This leads to some of the most exciting interactions I've seen in an online game.
During my experience with the game, most players seem to be friendly. The game's proximity chat settings allow you to communicate with other players. My squad and I once managed to run into about nine other players, and we all had a little dance party. The celebrations abruptly ended when one of us recommended we fight The Queen ARC with low-level equipment.
Of course, there are gonna be those who want to take your gear, but that's the risk you run of playing ARC Raiders. Some players are just trying to make it out alive, while others just engage in battle, regardless of who or what you are.
Some people may not like this system. However, I love how suspenseful interactions can be. It makes each game feel different as you run into different people.
In terms of the actual gameplay, ARC Raiders is a ton of fun. It all starts with the controls, which feel responsive and reasonably organized. I love being able to shoulder swap, giving me quick access to look left or right.
I think what I like most about the controls is how easily accessible everything is. You can pull out our secondary weapon, your hammer, bandage, or shield recharger in a matter of seconds. Or, you can stow away your weapon, which allows for faster movement. The game's easy-to-understand control scheme means very little time you need to understand everything.
The weapons also feel fun to use. I personally love both the Ferro for starters, and the Arpeggio once I unlocked it. But there's a ton of weapons for players to find or craft throughout their experience. From Sniper Rifles to Machine Guns, to Battle Rifles and even special weapons, there's no shortage of guns out there to scavenge for.
But you won't just be scavenging for weapons. There's all sorts of items you can search for. Whether it's Wires, ARC Powercells, or even things like Lemons or Apricots, you can grab a wide variety of things. So what do you need all of these things for?
Assuming that you extracted after a successful round, you return to Speranza, an underground human settlement. Here, you can upgrade your workshop, trade with Vendors, customize your Raider, accept/turn in quests, and more. While it's not technically a hub world for you to explore, there's a lot you'll do in these menus.
I know some players may want a Hub World, but I'm personally fine with the game's current set up. That said, should Embark consider adding a hub, I think that would be fine too (as long as players can still quickly traverse the menus).
Everything you get Topside will have some purpose in the Hub. Whether it's for crafting, returning materials for a quest, or even recycling unneeded materials, everything has a purpose. I almost never leave a match and feel like I grabbed nothing.
If I have one minor complaint, it's that inventory space feels limited. Even after several upgrades to my inventory, I still feel like I never have enough space. And since the game is new, I still have no idea what I need, or should keep for the future.
But that's not the worst problem to have. In fact, the game will always have something for you when you return from Topside. Scrappy, your loyal Rooster, always has something for you whenever you return. Whether you succeed or fail, you at least earn something for your efforts.
And that's an important thing about ARC Raiders – everything you lose Topside is gone forever. You lose all of your items, including meds, weapons, supplies, and loot. However. depending on your loadout, you can put one item into a safety slot that you won't lose upon returning.
Loadouts are a big part of the gameplay cycle. Before a match, you can either use a custom loadout using your own equipment, or a free loadout. The latter comes with a weapon, some ammo, and some healing items. However, you don't get a safe slot, which is fair considering it's free.
I know some players online have had issue with the free loadout, but I love the current system. If you're out of weapons, or just don't trust the group you're in, a free loadout gives you a way to pick up and play. And since the weapon you start with is just a Level 1, you're not really a force to be reckoned with. You won't last in one of the game's tougher maps.
At launch, ARC Raiders features five maps, and they recently just added a new one in a recent update. We'll go over these in more detail, but each one feels fun to explore and rich with areas to explore.
One cool thing I will say about each map is that there are always different events going on. A night raid may be happening in the Dam Battlegrounds, which adds a night-time modifier. Or, you want to drop in a match during a Lush Bloom event, which offers a great chance of finding nature items.
Each map also comes with its own difficulty level. I like exploring the game's more difficult maps considering what it took to get there. I upgraded my weapons, created a solid loadout, and got to where I was.
That's something I really like about ARC Raiders. Despite the fact that there's no story mode, the sense of progression feels rewarding. It feels good to have built powerful weapons and plenty of healing items. I don't feel as helpless as I did in my early matches. But I also still knew I wasn't safe, and that other players would want my loot.
Speaking of progression, there's a lot of it in ARC Raiders. Overall, you can upgrade:
- Your Workshop Crafting Stations, which consists of a:
- Medical Lab
- Gunsmith
- Refiner
- Gear Bench
- Explosives Station
- Utility Station
- Your Raider, including their
- Mobility
- Survival
- Conditioning
- Your Weapons, including their
- Level
- Attachments
- & more
Heck, you can even upgrade Scrappy, who provides you with more materials with each upgrade. So there's a lot you need to work for in order to truly max everything out.
But there's more to ARC Raiders than just collecting items. You can go on an expedition, which essentially acts as a prestige for your character. While you keep your maps, raider tokens, Cred, and Workshop stations, you reset your whole inventory. However, doing that can earn you extra inventory space, more materials from scrappy, and much more.
But before doing that, you may want to explore the deadly Blue Gate, and take on the ARC Queen. Or, you may want to visit the SpacePort and look for certain items. Or perhaps you just want to hop in and fight everyone. The choice is yours.
There's also side quests you can complete, or you can also show off your weapons at the practice range with your friends.
For an online game, I also have to say the launch felt very smooth. It's not uncommon for an anticipated game to have issues with their online component. But Embark released the game in a great state. The Server Slam Open Test must have been a big help in identifying any potential issues. I rarely dealt with any lag or connection issues throughout my experience.
But you can also play by yourself, or with just one other friend if you like. Playing solo can have its own advantages, like following a group of Raiders into a dangerous area before picking them off one by one. Regardless, there's lots of ways to play ARC Raiders.
Of course, I do need to mention that the game features microtransactions. I do understand that they're mostly cosmetic and that the game was only $40 at launch. However, I just do not like the modern system of microtransactions. If you've seen any of my other reviews, you'll know I don't really approve of them anywhere, regardless of what they get you.
Overall, ARC Raiders is a lot of fun to play. Playing with others here was the most fun I had with an online game in awhile. As someone who usually prefers solo or co-operative games, I really love the PvPvE system here. It's all supported by tight controls, a fun arsenal of weapons, and breathtaking maps to explore.
Having the choice to play anywhere, solo or with friends, and with whatever loadout you want is just awesome. There's a lot of freedom in how you can play, which makes the experience that much better.
Story – ARC Raiders
ARC Raiders is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth where mechanical creatures known as ARC roam the surface. This forced humanity to create new settlements deep underground. After a brief tutorial, you end up in Speranza, the game's lobby or hub. This is where you communicate with the traders, sort your gear, so on and so forth.
But you also obtain quests from the games different traders as well. The first few missions are simple and encourage you to learn the basics of the gameplay. But as you go on, the levels become more complex as you dive deeper into the lore.
Personally, while I do like the setting and premise of ARC Raiders, I can't say the story is really its main focus. If you're looking for a fully-fleshed out campaign with cutscenes and such, you're out of luck. But I'm perfectly fine with what we have.
Some things are better off unexplained in my opinion. I don't need to know how the ARC came to be, or how the downfall of humanity occurred. It adds a deeper sense of mystery. While Raiders topside slowly uncover that history with each new discovery, we're still in the dark on how things happened.
I'm sure with time we'll get more tidbits of lore with new updates and maps. And if we do get answers for everything, that's great. But I also love Embark putting players in the dark on world riddled with danger.
So while it's not the game's main focus, ARC Raiders has a cool setting and premise which sets up its gameplay loop perfectly. I can't wait to see if/how they expand upon this in the future.
Graphics – ARC Raiders Review
ARC Raiders' impressive visuals is bolstered with its incredible art design. Its Retro-futuristic style resembles that of the original Star Wars Trilogy, and other science-fiction series like Alien and more.
Furthermore, I love the variety of settings across all of the maps. From battlegrounds to space stations to an old city, you won't get bored of the visuals topside. Embark launched the game with a solid number of maps (five at launch), and they recently just added a sixth (Stella Montis). That number may seem small, but the sheer size of these maps more than makes up for it.
Each map offers a unique atmosphere that's rich in character and full of places to explore. Not only is the game fun to play, but it's also cool to just stop and smell the flowers, if you catch my drift.
But not only do its visuals just look pretty, but it encourages me to investigate every nook and cranny. For example, I needed to find some Olives at The Blue Gate, but instead got sidetracked venturing into a Ruined Homestead before going to an Ancient Fort. By getting sidetracked, I was finding items that I knew I needed down the line.
Overall, ARC Raiders' art style and visuals certainly enhanced my experience with the game. The retro-futuristic style coupled with cool-looking areas to explore were among some of the main reasons I got hooked to its gameplay loop.
Audio – ARC Raiders Review
The music of ARC Raiders most definitely fits the game's theme and art style. However, I actually preferred turning the music off in favor of just listening to the ambience. But the soundtrack is nice. If you're a fan of the retro-futuristic music genre mixed with a cinematic feel, you'll enjoy the sounds of ARC Raiders.
The sounds of old machinery and footsteps on rusted floors or grassy fields all sound spectacular. I particularly like hearing gunshots in the distance, knowing that the ARC are going after someone that isn't me.
Speaking of the ARC, it sounds both awesome and terrifying to hear one approach you. Not only are their designs great, but so are their sounds. It's creepy and unsettling which perfectly captures the feeling you get when a Leaper is jumping at you.
I mentioned it before, but Embark did a great job of incorporating the proximity chat into the gameplay experience. Hearing another player far away scream “friendly!” not only sounded funny, but pretty realistic. Furthermore, you can even tinker with the voice settings to give yourself one of 10 different voice filters.
Overall, ARC Raiders' gameplay is enhanced even more with its sights and sounds. While I understand these may not seem like important details, at least compared to gameplay. But trust me when I say that both the graphics and audio make the game feel more immersive.
Verdict: Is ARC Raiders Worth Your Time & Money?
Overall, ARC Raiders is an addicting game that offers a fun gameplay loop with a lot of content at launch. If Embark continues to add fun content to the game, I believe it could continue to thrive.
The gunplay feels great, the PvPvE interactions feel fresh and fun, and it's all supported by great visuals and sound design. Part of the credit goes to the game's community, which is very active. But much of the credit goes to Embark for creating a well-polished experience.
Everything about the gameplay experience feels smooth and rewarding. From its controls, to its addicting gameplay cycle, to its beautiful maps, the game hits the mark on nearly everything.
In terms of cons, the only things I really disliked were the microtransactions and perhaps inventory management. The former is something I'll just have to deal with in this day and age. The latter however, could always be adjusted in future updates.
But besides those gripes, I must say I really enjoyed ARC Raiders. It's the best Extraction Shooter out there right now. If you're interested in trying the genre out, it's price tag and fun gameplay definitely make it worth your time and money!
ARC Raiders sets the precedent on how Extraction Shooters can and should be made. Congratulations to Embark on a successful launch.
That wraps up our ARC Raiders Review. We'll see you Topside!
Score: 9/10
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