7 reasons to wait for Arc Raiders

Arc Raiders, the upcoming multiplayer extraction adventure from Embark Studios, is generating considerable buzz among gamers looking for their next obsession (for example, here's one with a million views, and videos with hundreds of thousands of views are in the dozens). This third-person shooter offers a fresh take on the genre in a deadly future Earth ravaged by mysterious mechanised threats known as ARCs. Players venture out of the underground haven of Speranza and into the dangerous world above ground, collecting valuable loot while battling both robotic enemies and human raiders. Although the extraction genre seems to be somewhat oversaturated nowadays, Arc Raiders offers several good reasons to dive into this post-apocalyptic world. And having played the game during the second closed technical test, gg 's editorial team will tell you about the 7 main reasons why you should pay attention to the Embark project.

1. An eerily beautiful post-apocalyptic world where even the dunes know what drama is

Arc Raiders throws players into a deserted but strikingly beautiful version of the Earth - the one where nature decided to give a second chance to the world destroyed by machine overlords. The landscapes in the game are of the "Instagram wouldn't survive" variety: arid landscapes, dunes covering ruined buildings and broken roads, and between them - patches of green vegetation that break through the sand, silently demonstrating their stubbornness and desire to survive.

But that's not all. At night, everything changes dramatically: darkness engulfs everything around, and only the light of lanterns, stars and the ominous spotlights of killer drones break through the gloom, creating the very atmosphere of tension and wonder that few films can recreate. We weren't just given a beautiful backdrop for shooting - it's a carefully crafted setting that works to the fullest: visual spectacle plus an interesting lore that takes the gameplay far beyond the typical extraction of shooters.

A sunset, an explosion, sand in your teeth - a typical day in the post-apocalyptic paradise of Arc Raiders. Illustration: Embark

2. Local AI fauna: spiders, crabs, wasps, and other robots that want to destroy you

ARC's mechanised enemies should not be perceived as "meat" for weapon upgrades. They are walking (and jumping, and flying) reasons to reconsider your survival tactics. Each of them is not a target, but a threat that requires respect, caution, and a full-fledged strategic approach.

These AI-controlled creatures come in all shapes and sizes: from spider-like "ticks" that suddenly jump on your head in the style of "Alien" to crab-like "Bastions" that can take out your shields in a couple of seconds before you even have time to breathe. And then there are the wasps. Yes, mechanical ones. With electric shocks. Because, obviously, a simple bite is no longer enough.

The trick is that these are not just any ordinary gizmos with a scripted attack - their AI is set up so that they react to sounds, such as car alarms or your careless movements. The result is constant tension, because you never know where the greeting will come from.

And most importantly, you won't be able to press the same buttons all the time. Each type of ARC requires a different approach. Otherwise, ARC Raider will quickly tell you "Game Over".

A typical day in Arc Raiders: you shoot a crab, a drone flies overhead, and something else hisses to the left. Illustration: Embark

3. The extraction shooter finally turned on the brains and brought something completely new to the genre

Although Arc Raiders plays by the familiar rules of the genre - fly into a raid, collect loot, escape with it alive - it does not do so as another simulator of flying around to the sound of guns. Everything is a little different here: the game adds an adventure charm that makes even the most hardened looters start to think about the meaning of life (and mission).

Arc Raiders doesn't chase hardcore for hardcore's sake - instead, it tries to find a balance. The gameplay remains intense, but at the same time, it can be easily digested even by a not-so-experienced eSports player. Instead of mindlessly running around with a full backpack, you are greeted with quest tasks with clear goals. Not just "rummaging through abandoned warehouses in search of canned food", but real missions with a destination and a specific task.

The difficulty is chosen carefully - the further you climb, the harder it is to survive, but also the more interesting it is. And this is not a formality: each raid has a clear goal, which adds pace, meaning, and the very adrenaline to the game - because everything you have accumulated can be lost with one bad step.

And this constant risk-reward cycle works as it should: it is addictive and makes you come back again and again. Even though you know that the next time you will most likely get kicked in the teeth again. But it will be beautiful.

Arc Raiders reminds us that sometimes the best strategy is to run away from the scene of an explosion. Illustration: Embark

4. One of the best sound designs you can find in games

One of the most highly praised aspects of Arc Raiders - and deservedly so - is its sound design (check out this gameplay snippet to see for yourself). And this is not a case of "oh, what a nice piece of music in the background". Sound is not a decoration, but a full-fledged mechanic that can both save your life and bury you if you do not listen.

The soundtrack creates a dense, oppressive atmosphere that adds tension to every shootout. You can literally hear someone opening a box of supplies somewhere nearby, and that's the signal to either hide and ambush or quietly take your feet. In this game, sound is not a background, but a source of information that works as well as a mini-map.

Even more interesting is the reaction of ARC enemies to noise. Did you turn on the car alarm? Congratulations, you've just signed your own (or someone else's) death warrant. Robots can hear. The robots are coming. Robots don't joke.

All of this turns sound into a powerful tactical tool that adds to the atmosphere and makes gameplay more interesting. Arc Raiders fully rewards those who know how to listen: during a raid, your ears work as hard as your eyes. And sometimes even more.

5. When leveling up is a whole raider's lifestyle

The progression system in Arc Raiders works like a clock that also motivates. A successful evacuation means you are not only alive, but also the happy owner of useful items and a better character. Each mission brings supplies to your inventory - for trading, repairing, crafting, and upgrading equipment. Yes, nothing superfluous - everything for the job.

But it's not the only thing. Along with loot, your character also grows - or rather, his or her skill. With XP, you can develop your raider in three directions at once: survival, mobility, and endurance. Thanks to this, we have customisation that allows you to mould your own personal playstyle. Do you want to run fast and quiet? Be my guest. Want to withstand a barrage of bullets like a fridge from the 80s? No problem.

This dual system of development - equipment plus skills - creates a cycle in which every outing makes sense. And not because you can find something, but because after each raid you actually become stronger. And with that comes the temptation to go deeper and take more risks.

A true raider knows that the way to the top is through the constant improvement of equipment and skills, which becomes their raison d'être. Illustration: Embark

6. PvPvE is not a strange set of letters, but survival between two fires

In Arc Raiders, PvE and PvP collide head-on and something new is born. Don't think of it as just another shootout in the futuristic bush. It's a sandbox where players create their own action - and often get burned in it.

Imagine: you're trying to survive under fire from a giant flying robot, and some cunning raiders are already flanking you. One wrong move and no one survives.

Arc Raiders makes you constantly weigh up the risks: machines or people? Shoot or run away? Or maybe even lure enemy raiders into the clutches of an angry ARC crab and watch them disappear from a safe distance? Who knows - the game gives you tools, and it's up to you to use them.

Each battle is a multi-level puzzle under fire. And it's this tension, when everything can change in a second, that creates those "unique game moments" that can't be copied in any other shooter.

Forget about calmness: in Arc Raiders, you are always between the hammer of mechanical monsters and the anvil of other players' ambitions. Illustration: Embark

7. The game is not made from scratch, but with decades of experience

Arc Raiders is not a knee-jerk experiment, but a project of Embark Studio, founded by Patrick Söderlund, a man who knows how the word "Battlefield" should sound. The team consists of former DICE developers, the same ones who released The Finals arena shooter at the end of 2023, and players still can't stop calling it one of the best in the genre.

Embark has years of experience working on large-scale multiplayer action games with mechanics polished to a high degree, like Battlefield or Star Wars Battlefront. And this experience is clearly visible in Arc Raiders: in the design, in the dynamics, in the way everything works. It's not a game made on enthusiasm - it's a game put together by those who already know how to do it well.

The team knows how to create combat scenarios that don't fall apart halfway through, but grab you and don't let go. Quality, attention to detail, and an understanding of what makes multiplayer interesting - all of this works perfectly in Arc Raiders.

Arc Raiders can breathe new life into the extraction shooter genre. It improves the formula with polished mechanics, a good progression system, and a special setting that stands out in an increasingly crowded market. The game's focus on adventure rather than pure shooter intensity may make it more accessible than competitors like Hunt: Showdown 1896, where the entry threshold is so high that it simply discouraged me from trying such games. By the way, on consoles, Hunt is actually the only extraction shooter, so PlayStation and Xbox players have nothing to choose from, and Arc Raiders can now fill this niche.

And with incredible visual and audio design, strategic PvPvE dynamics, and a great development team, Arc Raiders will have its own identity when it launches in 2025. For players looking for an extraordinary experience that balances tension and adventure in a uniquely realised post-apocalyptic world, Arc Raiders could be the game that will provide hundreds of hours of action.

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