Arc Raiders has finally arrived, and with it comes a sense of invigoration that I haven't felt from a video game – specifically, a video game of this kind – in quite some time. I've been trying to figure out why that is, because as a long-time fan of the extraction shooter genre, I've seen it all: differences in game design, unique weapons and equipment, different loot and reward systems. On closer reflection, however, it is what stands out the most Arc Raiders isn't just its mechanics or gameplay, but rather that the game feels kinder in a way, or considerate of my experience in a way that its competitors don't.
To be clear, the extraction shooter genre has always been about difficulty, which is a big part of its appeal, but “difficulty” is not an all-encompassing term, and Arc Raiders seems to understand this. The challenge should come from the thrill of emerging encounters, not from fighting the user interface, dealing with broken systems, or enduring a persistent sense of fatigue. It is here, in these more subtle patterns, that Arc Raiders differs from the genre norms of endless obtuse menus, punishing progression, and systems (and their bugs) that result in ruined runs.
Arc Raiders is a UX/UI Design Wonderland
First of all, it is difficult to overestimate how much Arc Raiders' game benefits from having an interface that is both natural and intuitive, and it's frankly shocking how rare that is in the genre. You can ping quests and quest items to tell teammates what you're after, Ctrl-click to move multiple items between menus, and easily track loot for quests without fumbling through multiple confusing layers of UI. These aren't exactly flashy features, but they make every interaction count Arc Raiders so much more intuitive.
Although it's much more common in FPS games these days, it's nice Arc Raiders also allows players to customize their crosshairs.
It also helps that the game looks great while doing it; the menus are simple and readable, but no less in line with the aesthetics of cassette futurism Arc Raiders follows. Compare it with Delta Force: Hawk Opswhere navigating menus feels like sorting through the worst tendencies in modern FPS design, or the famous one Escape from Tarkovwhere the user interface remains awkward and dated even after eight years of beta testing.
No bugs in UX either
What's even more impressive is how technically solid it is Arc Raiders is. It's a testament to how frustrating it can be when the game's systems get in the way of the experience it's trying to offer, and in Arc RaidersI haven't encountered it once, even during the pre-release beta and server slam. That reliability goes a long way in complementing the rest of the experience with a quiet kind of polish that's rare for a game in this genre, especially one this new.
Tarkov players are likely very familiar with bugs, especially in the UI, where missions failed to track, objectives intercepted, or inventory management just didn't respond properly.
Another critical character flaw in most extraction games is the sound design. It can make or break a racing title, and Arc Raiders have miraculously managed to get it right from the start. Tarkov still struggles with buggy and inconsistent audio that can make a fight feel unfair, so it's nice to finally have audio that's both immersive and practical.
Gunfire sounds sharp and mechanical, footsteps are heavy and crunchy, and opening containers for potential loot is loud, to the point of being relevant to your success during a run.
The world of Arc Raiders also hums with the kind of natural atmosphere that makes every moment feel living and breathing, and it's just another huge win when you can also see where the danger is coming from and trust that information. It's not something gamers in this genre take for granted anymore, and Arc Raiders deserves credit for getting it right immediately.
While I risk coming off even more, this is also probably the most upbeat extraction shooter ever made, and what a joy it is. That's not something I really ever expected to say about a game like this. Arc Raiders has a distinct identity, one that feels (and is marketed as) much more about the adventure of it all rather than the bleakness of some broken world.
I like darker, more grounded settings as much as anyone, but there's something to be said for an extraction game that manages to keep you on edge but doesn't leave you drained when you're done playing it. The excitement is still there, but it's wrapped in a different layer of color compared to the usual grit and gloom of something that Tarkovor the general lack of style i Delta Force.
Optimism also manages to shape Arc Raider's gameplay
The lighter tone shows in how Arc Raiders also plays. You finish off enemies by knocking them out instead of killing them. Also, the overall narrative goal is to fight the machines, not the other players. Even if it's a small change, it's one that changes the whole mood of the experience.
Through the sheer volume of quality systems and style choices, Arc Raiders soars
At the end of the day, what Arc Raiders The best thing is to take a familiar formula and go a little wild with it, while making no small effort to polish it from top to bottom. It's not a perfect game, nor does it reinvent the extraction shooter genre, but it doesn't need to be or do. It succeeds in what it sets out to do, and everything from the user interface to the audio to the underlying systems work together to create something cohesive and confident, at least more so than any other recent outing in the genre. That alone is an achievement for Embark Studios worth celebrating.
For a genre that often correlates frustration and challenge, or simply doesn't acknowledge points of frustration quickly enough, Arc Raiders is proof that difficulty and accessibility can coexist. It's still early days, everything I've seen or played seems like a game that respects my experience as a consumer and rewards my hours spent. It may sound simple, but in this genre, unfortunately, it is anything but.
- Released
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30 October 2025
- ESRB
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Teen/violence, blood
