I remember a time when social media didn't exist, and there was no Netflix, unlimited data, cloud gaming, self-driving cars, or ChatGPT. In just a few short decades, technology has advanced at a mind-blowing rate, leaving us to wonder—could artificial intelligence actually take over the world?
Embark Studios' new dystopian extraction shooter is probably the most accurate depiction of what the future Earth could look like if humans fail to contain AI and robots decide humanity is a plague that needs to be cleansed from the planet.
In less than a week since release, ARC Raiders has skyrocketed to over 300,000 concurrent players, as Raiders scavenge for resources, battle it out against swarms of drones and giant mechanized threats, and do whatever it takes to make it back to the underground city of Speranza in one piece.
Since the early days of Escape From Tarkov, I've been a giant fan of the unforgiving gameplay that defines extraction shooters and have watched the genre slowly evolve, but until now, it always sort of felt like something was missing.
ARC Raiders is pushing the boundaries and setting the bar extremely high for what extraction shooters should be, and it's been the wildest video game experience I've ever had by a long shot.
With a constant stream of chaotic, adrenaline-pumping, hilarious, and sometimes wholesome moments—there's a lot to talk about, so let's crack open this loot container and see what's inside.
Welcome To Speranza
Meet my Raider, Gorgon, who looks a little bit like the dystopian cowboy version of Cyclops from X-Men. He's been through it all; traumatized by his time on the surface, but he's still here, still pushing forward.
The quirky cyberpunk art direction is unique and refreshing, with a ton of character customization options mainly in the form of cosmetics—and Embark isn't being stingy with the free drip.
The voice acting and dialogue writing really tie it all together to immerse you in the fact that you're living in an apocalypse.
The tutorial sets the tone perfectly as you're almost instantly robbed and left to die by Raiders desperately in search of meds—they're not bad people, they're just trying to survive.
After making it to the underground haven of Speranza, it was time for Gorgon to make himself at home.
Meet The Locals
It's over-crowded and a little gloomy down here, but the survivors that take up residence in Speranza work together to keep the city running, and it all depends on the retrieval of essential resources scavenged from the surface.
There are five NPC traders that you'll be getting to know very well over the course of your playthrough. These merchants not only sell you meds, guns, ammo, grenades, and gadgets, but they each offer their own unique quest chains.
From a design perspective, I love how distinct the personalities of these traders are, and the voice acting and dialogue writing really tie it all together to immerse you in the fact that you're living in an apocalypse.
Crafting Done Right
Your living quarters in Speranza are a bit of a dump at first, but hey, it's better than being topside.
This is where you'll set up your workbenches to craft medical supplies, grenades, shields, weapons, and more, but first, you'll need to build them. That's easier said than done.
Overall, I think the crafting system in ARC Raiders is right in the sweet spot. The list of things you can craft isn't insanely extensive, and it doesn't have to be.
Embark seems to be embracing the fact that sometimes less is more.
Where it really shines is with the blueprint system, which forces Raiders to find schematics on the surface and successfully extract them, which permanently unlocks new crafting options.
Loot isn't scattered around everywhere you look in ARC Raiders, but its scarcity feels accurate considering the state of the earth.
Gear Up Gorgon, Things Are About To Get Ugly
There's a satisfying variety of weapons to choose from, including silenced pistols, assault rifles, snipers, and SMGs, that you can upgrade and add attachments to, but it takes some skill and a lot of luck to unlock the more powerful end-game guns.
This crafting/blueprint system not only creates an immense amount of excitement for players when they find new blueprints, but it also allows you to fully customize your playstyle with various weapon combos and tactical items.
The Choice Is Yours, Raider
The progression system in ARC Raiders is multifaceted and mega-satisfying. Embark seems to be embracing the fact that sometimes less is more, as the skill tree is small, but your decisions will impact your experience in a major way.
Gorgon has become a bit of a track star, as I've allocated the majority of my skill points to the mobility branch of the skill tree—a decision that has surely saved his life on numerous occasions.
Embark Studios has created one of the most challenging games in recent years.
Equipped with a rusted rifle built out of scavenged parts, it was time for Gorgon's first expedition to the surface, and nothing could've prepared him for what was about to come next.
Absolute Chaos
Visually, ARC Raiders is breathtaking in a plethora of ways. Whether it's raining, foggy, or the skies are blue and beams of sunlight pierce through the trees overhead, every environment is extremely atmospheric and mesmerizing—it'll make you stop along the way to appreciate small details.
As I assessed the surface for the first time, a nearby ARC spotted me and began closing in on my location, and admittedly, I've never underestimated anything more in my life.
It was a snitch, a small scouting drone that sends up flares to call for backup when Raiders are detected. The flares went up and the cavalry arrived in just a few seconds in the form of a swarm of more ARCs.
Gorgon was toast.
Many games have AI enemies that are predictable, slow, and easy to beat, but in ARC Raiders, the opposite is true. I tried every trick in the book, but ultimately I was outmaneuvered, electrocuted, and shredded with bullets from above.
I tend to gravitate towards challenging games that knock me down and leave me no other choice but to get back up and try harder, because when you overcome those obstacles, the victory is so much sweeter.
Embark Studios has created one of the most challenging games in recent years, and the way they've done it is absolutely genius.
Stealth is such a huge part of ARC Raiders, and I love every minute of it.
The ARCs that dominate the surface have very high awareness and will rush to investigate anything that makes a sound. Not only that, but if you engage in combat with them, your location will also be revealed to other Raiders.
From rolling spheres that chase you down and spit fire at you, to tiny robotic spiders that latch onto your face, or larger, more lethal ARCs like the rocketeer, leaper, or bombardier, the enemy variety is superb and will have you on the edge of your seat.
A lot of the time, the ARCs are so lethal that Raiders have no other choice but to work together.
During the playtest in October, my friends and I encountered the leaper, a giant tarantula-like robot the size of a small house. We were on the top floor of a tall building about 100 meters away from it, when we began firing shots at it to see how it would react.
None of us expected it to clear the entire distance in one leap and cling to the side of the building, nearly crushing us with its massive legs, but that's exactly what happened. The enemies in ARC Raiders are unpredictable, ruthless, and extremely fun to fight.
Gorgon's Graveyard
In my first dozen or so runs, I'll admit I was a bit of a menace—shooting any Raider that crossed my path without hesitation.
Perhaps that comes from years of playing cut-throat extraction shooters, but when we take a closer look at the PvP experience as a whole, it's complex, intense, thoroughly enjoyable, and I believe the skill-cap will be incredibly high.
There are a lot of levels to Raider vs Raider combat. Sometimes you'll just run into people by chance, but more often than not, Raiders cross paths because they're hunting each other down, and that's part of what makes the experience so thrilling—you need to defend yourself at all times.
The use of tactical items like ziplines, smoke grenades, mines, and noisemakers means players have a seemingly endless number of ways to fight each other, and with each Raider having their own unique set of guns and gear—there are a lot of variables at play.
This is where your gunsmithing and loadouts come into action. The better geared up you are, the more likely you are to survive being ambushed.
PvP combat in ARC Raiders is pure cinema. It's intense, complex, and requires a great deal of strategy and skill.
While Gorgon was having a blast, being a thorn in everyone's side for the first little while, I soon discovered that the ARC Raiders community was actually way more friendly than I had assumed.
Don't Shoot!
ARC Raiders has proximity chat, as well as emotes that allow players to communicate when they naturally encounter one another on the surface, and I was astonished at the number of times players chose to team up rather than duke it out.
The majority of the players I've encountered so far are simply completing quests, searching for resources, and trying not to die to ARCs. A lot of the time, the ARCs are so lethal that Raiders have no other choice but to work together.
At one point during a solo run, I teamed up with four other random players to complete missions and take down various ARCs around the map—there's a fantastic community of friendly Raiders.
Suddenly, Gorgon's cold, shriveled heart began to show signs of warmth.
Endless Exploration
For the Raiders with hearts of gold, focused on being a contributing member of society in Speranza, there's no shortage of quests to be completed. The amount of content available right out of the gate is seriously impressive, and the order in which you do things is entirely up to you.
There are currently four main maps you can play in ARC Raiders:
- Dam Battlegrounds
- Buried City
- Spaceport
- The Blue Gate
Each of these maps is massive and unique, and there is also a practice range map, and a sixth map called Stella Montis coming soon.
These maps alone have an insane amount of replayability, and it will be easy for Embark to add more content in years to come in the form of additional maps, modes, and events.
These aren't generic, cookie-cutter maps where the buildings all look the same and there's only one species of tree across the entire region.
In my personal favorite map so far, The Buried City, dilapidated buildings half buried in sand leave claustrophobic spaces for you to explore. You can tell the developers put a lot of thought into making every area feel immersive and unique—the dystopian vibe comes through loud and clear, and it's an incredible experience.
As a gamer who grew up in the 90s playing NES classics like Final Fantasy and Super Mario Bros, sometimes it's baffling to see the current state of video games. Back then, a 2D platformer was more than enough to impress me. Now we have hyperrealistic games with live voice chat and intelligent AI that hunt you down.
Gorgon takes a moment to reflect on how far we've come.
Closing Comments:
ARC Raiders is an incredibly challenging extraction shooter that will push you to your limits and frustrate you, but you'll keep coming back for more. With breathtaking visuals, thoughtfully-designed maps, intense PvP, and intelligent, unpredictable AI, ARC Raiders has raised the bar incredibly high for extraction shooters and will likely inspire an entire wave of games that hope to recreate its magic. Its quirky cyberpunk cosmetics give it a personality all its own, and with extensive quests and co-operative gameplay opportunities, ARC Raiders is revolutionizing the genre and pushing it further into the spotlight.
ARC Raiders
Reviewed on PC
- Released
- October 30, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Violence, Blood, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- Embark Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Embark Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- Full
- Cross Save
- Yes - via Embark ID
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Extraction, Shooter, Third-Person Shooter, Survival
- Challenging and unpredictable AI enemies
- Intense and complex PvP combat
- Exceptional map design and breathtaking visuals
- Satisfying crafting, looting, and progression systems
- Movement feels slightly awkward at times
- Some minor glitches occurred