ARC Raiders reminds me of what it feels like to survive, not dominate

If the reported load on the game's servers is any indication, ARC Raiders is destined to be one of the biggest shooters of the year, boosted by the continued popularity of the extraction shooter subgenre. ARC Raiders is one of the better ones heading into the world of extraction shooters, thanks to its smoother gameplay and willingness to embrace a more casual crowd, but that's not to say the game doesn't present a fair challenge. Quite the opposite, as my time with the game so far has humbled me in ways not uncommon in the extraction shooter subgenre, which emphasizes survival far more than its competitors.

As a PvPvE shooter, players must commit to multi-angle threat assessment, constantly on their toes trying to determine whether any other attackers they encounter are friend or foe. As much fun as it is to go in guns blazing and wipe out other players and the titular robot ARC, personal experience has shown that the stealthy, silent approach of surfacing, scavenging gear and avoiding conflict leads to the greatest success, at least in the early hours. ARC RaidersThe harsh and unforgiving world demands that its inhabitants be just as tough, and it does a fantastic job of making every encounter and conflict feel like a fight for my life.

ARC Raiders players really can't afford to overshadow the “Free Loadout” option

When you first get started ARC Raidersyou will feel like a very small fish in a very large, inhospitable pond. But gradually you'll begin to accumulate a collection of gear, weapons and components that, cumulatively, contribute to a better chance of survival each time you venture into the “Rust Belt”. But every time you take a step into the great unknown, you're gambling with those hard-earned profits; you're rolling the dice on whether you'll come back alive or come out on the losing side in a fight with the ARC or Raiders, down a load of hard-earned gear. Fortunately, Embark's decision to include a “Free Loadout” option mitigates much of that risk.

Especially in the early hours of the game, when runs to the Rust Belt are usually short and not much more than expeditions to acquire resources and escape intact, taking advantage of Free Loadout is huge. The loading itself is randomized, which may initially seem like a detractor, but is actually a huge boon. A random loadout gives you the chance to experiment with many of ARC Raider's weapons, all without having to worry about losing any gear you previously acquired. You'll eventually accumulate enough gear to move beyond the need for free charging, but at least initially it's an invaluable tether to survival.

Slow and Steady wins the race in ARC Raiders

But even when you've collected tons of shiny new gear and are eager to test it out on computer-controlled ARCs or player-controlled Raiders, ARC Raiders still make it a point to emphasize how observation, and not aggression, rules the day. I've routinely been blown away by how effective it is ARC Raiders uses sound and visual cues to alert the presence of rival attackers or massive machines. And as much as I want to try out that new shotgun I just looted, chances are I'll never get out with it if I just start shooting before laying low and observing what any nearby threats are up to. Honestly, taking the cautious approach to encounters has led to some of the most tense and enjoyable extraction shooter this side of Hunt: Showdown 1896.

Even when playing ARC Raiders with a squad, it's still important to know when it's best to simply avoid conflict. That might seem counterintuitive for a shooter, but it just makes the eventual firefights that break out that much more action-packed. I'm sure of that, after a long time with it ARC Raidersfortunes will change and allow me to be a little more brazen with my approach to engaging combatants, but for now it's a reminder that sometimes just surviving is enough.