Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter from Embark Studios—a game where you drop into a map filled with other players to shoot and loot as much as possible before escaping. This is my first real dive into the genre, and it’s excellent. The combat is smooth, if occasionally a bit cumbersome, the sound design hits just right, and the robotic enemies are genuinely terrifying. It also satisfies my constant urge to sort through my inventory and rummage through every drawer.
But I have to stay alert: Arc Raiders’ player-versus-player element means a rival can jump me for my precious cargo at any moment. And knowing that generative AI helped create the game’s voice acting makes me slightly ashamed of how much I’m enjoying it. I play every match looking over my shoulder—both in-game, worried someone will steal my hard-earned blueprint, and in real life, half-expecting to be called a hypocrite.
It’s getting harder to avoid AI in everyday life, and Arc Raiders has become my guilty pleasure. You play as a raider in post-apocalyptic Italy, living underground but regularly venturing to the surface to scavenge supplies after a massive ecological disaster wiped out civilization. Soon after, strange autonomous robots called ARC appeared to scour the scarred landscape. They fly overhead, roll on the ground, or leap incredible distances on mechanical legs—each one uniquely deadly.
You’re woefully outmatched in a direct fight with most enemies, so you’ll need to sneak around, distract them with noisemakers, or team up with your squad or other players you meet along the way. All of this serves the game’s true purpose: loot. You need it to repair weapons, craft medical supplies, and even train your pet rooster to fetch items for you on the surface. But you only keep what you successfully escape with—if you die mid-match or miss the extraction elevator before time runs out, everything is lost.
My first few rounds were brutally difficult and punishing. In my third match, I found several rare loot pieces only to be ruthlessly killed by a squad dressed in red. But Embark has made sure you can progress quickly. Each time you level up, you can upgrade your raider’s mobility, stamina, and stealth. You earn experience by playing rounds and extracting successfully, and you can recycle items into crafting materials to improve your gear or sell trinkets to merchants for better equipment. Even after a bad round, you still make some progress.
After every successful extraction, I’m eager to jump back in. I want more close calls, accidental explosions, and terrifying sprints through ruined cities. I want to shout more expletives over chat so other squads know I’m in the thick of it, walk past another player blasting Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” through their mic, and usher a few more people into an elevator before slamming the door shut at the last second.
Arc Raiders isn’t just fun to play—it’s a straight shot of serotonin.
Arc Raiders is out now for £30.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about Arc Raiders framed as a purely enjoyable multiplayer experience
Getting Started The Basics
Q What kind of game is Arc Raiders
A Its a freetoplay thirdperson PvEvP shooter You team up with friends to fight giant robotic invaders while also competing against other player teams for loot and objectives
Q Is it really free Whats the catch
A Yes its completely free to download and play The monetization is through a seasonal Battle Pass and ingame cosmetic shop so youre only paying for customizing your characters look not for power or advantages
Q Do I need to play with friends or is there matchmaking
A You can play both ways You can squad up with two friends or use the ingame matchmaking to be paired with two other players Playing with communication is highly recommended for the best experience
Q Whats the main goal in a match
A Your squad is dropped into a map with one objective collect and escape with as much valuable Gleam as possible Youll find it in loot caches by defeating robots and can even take it from other players
Gameplay Enjoyment
Q Why do people call it purely enjoyable
A The core loop is straightforward and actionpacked It focuses on fastpaced movement satisfying gunplay against big robots and tense player encounterswithout overcomplicated systems getting in the way of the fun
Q What makes the PvPvE mix fun
A The robots create constant chaos and noise which masks your movements and creates unexpected fights You might be looting only to have another team ambush you or you can use a giant robot attack to your advantage against rivals It keeps every match unpredictable
Q Is the movement system important
A Absolutely Mastering the slide grapple hook and parkour is key to both survival and enjoyment It feels fluid and lets you pull off awesome escapes or aggressive flanks
Q What happens if my whole team gets eliminated
