Arc Raiders is one of the games I was interested in from the moment I saw it back in The Game Awards 2021. It struck me with its retro-sci-fi design and smooth fighting sequences. After years of waiting, last weekend I finally got the chance to try it by myself during the server slam open beta test, and I had a lot of fun.
An upcoming Unreal 5-based multiplayer looter-shooter extraction game where you fight both in PVE and PVP, it’s made by Embark Studios, who are the same people behind the fast-paced esport FPS The Finals. With talents known for their participation in titles such as Battlefield 3 and Bad Company 2, I had high expectations.
Starting with the most important aspect, for me at least, fun. The gun fights felt very smooth be it against real players or AI. The latter should get a special mention as they were trained using machine learning to walk on their own instead of leveraging basic pre-baked movement. This allowed them to react differently each time, depending on the damage you inflicted on them. And with different types (flying / walking), shapes, and sizes, you can be sure there is something to test your skills. There is even one, at least, that requires more than a single team to break it down in a reasonable time frame.
The second part that I liked about Arc Raiders was sound and communication. Unlike many games where sound is just there for ambiance, here it plays a major role in the gameplay. For example, if you run, you make a lot of noise, which attracts AI drones and potentially real players. Each step during your journey could be your last if you make noise at the wrong moment. As for communication, you can speak to enemy players and convince them to work together instead of killing each other, which is a mandatory step if you want to tackle the game’s biggest foes.
The part that casual players will appreciate is the one I like to call the loot-protection pocket. When you select certain character augments, you get one or more special loot pockets that retain your loot even if you die. This comes extremely handy for missions that ask to retrieve certain objects from the map. This is much friendlier to casual players, meaning you won’t have to start from zero. You find a nice high-tier gear, hide it in there, and continue your party without stressing about losing it. I love this! Just the right amount of simplicity without nullifying the adrenaline rush from surviving a match.
Overall, the gameplay loop was good, and fresh each time I launched a new match. More so, considering that the beta only offered a single map to enjoy. The game is expected to launch with five maps, so the variety will be even higher.
Regarding performance, on my Ryzen 5 7600X plus Radeon RX 7900 XT system, the game ran at about 85fps at native 1440p Epic settings (including RT). Enabling FSR Quality upscaling pushed that above 100fps, reaching near 120fps in less-demanding sections. But most importantly, the game ran smoothly without constant dips, showing that Unreal Engine 5 can be a good base if the developer knows how to use it.
Arc Raiders is set to launch on October 30, 2025, on PC (Steam and Epic stores), PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, at £30.99 / €39,99 / $39.99, with support for cross platform. The game was originally going to be free-to-play, however, in August 2024 Embark Studios announced that the business model would change to a paid model to focus development on fun rather than monetisation.
While an F2P model would be great for such a game since the player count is important to maintain it going forwards, it also attracts cheaters… which could make honest players leave. A paid model seems acceptable at £30.99, especially as the game doesn’t seem to have any abusive Battle Pass kind of monetisation. It will, apparently, mimic the same approach as Helldivers 2, meaning you’ll likely be able to purchase and complete past passes at your own pace, rather than being locked out by timed seasonal windows.
I believe Arc Raiders has all the cards it needs for a successful launch, however, the team must stay behind it, refreshing with new maps and content. Thankfully, if The Finals is any indication, Arc Raiders should get new content frequently, so we should get bored.
