Game Description

From the creator of THE FINALS, ARC Raiders is an intense multiplayer extraction adventure in which squads and solo players compete against one another to scavenge valuable resources from the surface and safely extract. To do so, you’ll have to stay one step ahead of ARC’s terrifying machines and make it back in one piece.

Enlist as a Raider and shape your legacy as you scavenge the surface and build your home in the underground neighborhood of Speranza. Beware of ARC’s deadly machines and the cut-throat Raiders who prey on others.

Build relationships with Speranza’s traders as you carry out quests and return from the surface with valuable loot. Sell it to traders or use it to craft gear and crucial upgrades back at your den. Nothing worth having comes free.

Scavenging is important, but hunting robots is equally crucial. Upgrading your gear and successfully extracting become your top priorities

The Review breakdown

Arc Raiders should have definitely caught your attention by now. After seeing early game play from the PC version, it had my attention. You could tell that there was something a little different with the robots. The Robots were relentless, it’s like they took things personally. They were on their own mission and maybe we are the game and they are playing us.

The tone is set right from the start of the game when it teaches you the very basics. Dark, hard to see and eerie. The atmosphere is tense. When you first enter Speranza, it is more of a menu UI where you can upgrade and check out the vendors. This is where you pick up the very first quest. When you re-enter the world of Arc Raiders for the “second time”, it is bright and beautiful, a stark contrast to the game’s opening. But, you quickly learn that the daytime is just as tense as the night.

The world of Arc Raiders is beautifully crafted, with looting that demands a keen eye. Items aren’t always easy to spot until you get closer, encouraging thorough exploration from the very beginning. It doesn’t take long to learn which objects or areas are worth investigating. My first solo run felt intense—the robots and other players kept me constantly on edge. The game offers many audio cues that reveal whether a robot is approaching, leaving, searching, or patrolling. You must seize every opportunity to sneak by, as any player or robot can suddenly appear and change the entire dynamic. When you finally make your first successful extraction, it’s an overwhelming but rewarding moment. Your stash quickly fills up—within just three jumps mine was full—and at first, I had no idea what to sell or recycle. But soon enough, everything began to make sense.

Once you realize that everything is essential and begin exploring the workbench crafting system—unlocking options for gadgets, health or stamina items, explosives, and weapons—you quickly understand that you’ll always need a variety of resources. Scavenging is important, but hunting robots is equally crucial. Upgrading your gear and successfully extracting become your top priorities. The better your equipment, the greater your chances of a successful extraction. One feature I absolutely loved was the ability to be downed yet still crawl to the elevator extraction terminal and escape. In most games, that would mean a wipe, but here, you still have a chance—a truly refreshing experience.

Humans or robots? That was the question I had going into the game, and I was eager to see how it would unfold. So far, in my playthroughs, the human players have felt like the secondary threat. The areas are constantly patrolled by drones, rollers, and spider-like robots hiding in buildings. Your focus is almost always on avoiding or confronting the machines rather than the humans. After clearing a building or entering one that’s already been secured, your attention naturally shifts to the human players. With humans, there’s the possibility to cooperate or part ways peacefully—conflict isn’t guaranteed. But when it comes to the robots, there’s no room for negotiation.

The Wrap up

In closing: Arc Raiders by Embark Studios is an excellent game. While the hub or menu felt a bit underdeveloped, giving off a mobile game impression, the core gameplay remains solid and engaging. The company has committed to supporting the game for years to come, which is crucial in today’s gaming landscape where ongoing player engagement is key. It will be fascinating to watch how the story of Arc Raiders unfolds, and one thing is certain—I’ll be there every step of the way.

Review Rating: –