Haberler
Why Escape From Tarkov: Arena is one of the most satisfying shooters
M
Mike Stubbs
Considering most of the weapons in Escape From Tarkov: Arena were originally designed for long-range combat, they transitioned amazingly well to this new context. They’re immensely satisfying to use, with detailed animations, recoil that behaves exactly as you’d expect, and audio that will have you worried that you just heard a real gun go off.
“The secret is simple: real-life experience with firearms,” said Nikita Buyanov, Game Director on Escape From Tarkov: Arena. “Many of our developers are passionate about shooting and airsoft. We visit shooting ranges and training grounds. When you truly understand how everything works and immerse yourself in the subject, you see shooting mechanics in games differently. Our goal is to convey our own experiences and make shooting in Tarkov and Arena both as comfortable and realistic as possible.”
The team that makes the weapons in Escape From Tarkov: Arena are true gun nerds. Whenever possible, the people making the game’s virtual reproductions—which Buyanov claims are “down to the millimeter” accurate—head out and fire the real weapons. It’s one thing to research online, look at documentation, and watch videos, but the Escape From Tarkov team believes that getting hands-on lets them figure out the tiny details that make these virtual weapons feel great.
“We shoot real firearms very often. This is especially helpful for our programmers who work on the gameplay mechanics,” said Buyanov. “When you fire a real weapon, you hear it, smell the gunpowder, feel the weight, and experience the recoil, something in your mind shifts, and you start approaching weapon creation in the game with much greater attention to detail.”
When you start taking simulation this seriously, it also has an impact on the amount of work involved. The weapons in Escape From Tarkov take a ridiculous amount of time to create, with months spent on bringing any given gun to life.
“It's a very slow and meticulous process,” said Buyanov. “To fully implement a single weapon in the game, with textures, animations, and all the details, takes about two to three months. It depends on the specific weapon. The fastest one we ever made took about a month, but we already had the animations ready. However, for example, belt-fed machine guns take an average of four months to complete.”
All of this work is worth it. There’s nothing quite like taking down an enemy with some perfect recoil control, or snapping onto a head with a powerful rifle to take them out with a one-tap in Escape From Tarkov: Arena. It’s really something you have to experience to truly understand. Every weapon in Escape From Tarkov: Arena is quite simply fun to use—and when it comes to shooters, that's really all you can ask for.
This focus on realism has a knock-on effect in a competitive shooter, of course. Balance has been a contentious topic in Escape From Tarkov: Arena since it first launched, with multiple attempts at creative solutions. From restricting the customization options to limiting which weapons can be used, balance is an ongoing battle. The team is taking in more feedback than ever when it comes to weapon balance suggestions, which can only be a good thing for Escape From Tarkov: Arena in the long term.
“It's a long and complex process that requires many iterations,” said Buyanov. “We have a large team of game designers and testers who constantly check and refine the balance. We also carefully listen to feedback from our community. Many people are passionate about Tarkov and eagerly share their comments and impressions with us.”
As long as you can accept that you won’t always be able to use your favorite weapon in every single match, then you’ll be hard-pressed to find a fast-paced shooter that feels as fun as Escape From Tarkov: Arena. If the idea of the original Escape From Tarkov seems too daunting, this could be the perfect game for you.
Escape From Tarkov: Arena is coming soon to the Epic Games Store. Wishlist now!