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How ARC Raiders lets you thrive in a post-apocalyptic world dominated by machines
J
Jason Rodriguez
“At the core of ARC Raiders and other extraction shooters is this idea of tension—that every action you do has some sort of consequence,” says Aleksander Grøndal, Executive Producer at Stockholm-based Embark Studios. Grøndal has helmed numerous projects in the past, including several titles in the Battlefield series. “These concepts are further complemented by immersion and unpredictability. You enter the world of ARC Raiders, but you can never truly tell what happens next.”
Those four facets—tension, consequence, immersion, and unpredictability—are all present in every match in ARC Raiders. These are exemplified by the game’s PvPvE nature: You bring down hostile robots while also watching out for opposing players who want to steal your gear.
Prior to the start of each match, players can opt to go solo or join a team of three. Likewise, you’d have to craft or purchase items for your loadout, including ammo, bandages, shields, and grenades. You’ve got several weapon options, such as pistols, shotguns, submachine guns, rifles, and launchers.
The tension begins to rise the moment you arrive “topside.” You could randomly spawn in an underground bunker or a subway, or perhaps a grassy field surrounded by wreckage, or an abandoned apartment complex. As you familiarize yourself with your surroundings, you’d hear firefights and explosions in the distance, telling you that other players have been spotted by ARC robots. Drones that float in mid-air regularly scan the vicinity, giving away the position of people who’ve been caught unaware. Other drones with mounted turrets and missile launchers quickly follow, all scouting the area for targets. At times, you might even see heavily armored walkers that you’d be hard-pressed to destroy on your own.
Consequences come in many forms, all related to the concept of risk-versus-reward. Bringing better gear with you surely grants an early advantage, but getting eliminated means losing all those items unless you’ve placed them in special Safe Pocket slots in your inventory. If you don’t want to risk it all, then you could choose the “Free Loadout” option instead. This means you start games with low-end equipment, but losing them won’t be as impactful. You still need to bring resources as part of the meta-game progression in Speranza, which consists of completing quests, creating new workshops, and gathering materials to craft better items.
You can also see risk-versus-reward in how you explore and immerse yourself within the game world. At launch, ARC Raiders offers four large maps, each with distinct sectors and facilities that contain resources. The Buried City, for instance, has sections dotted with high-rise apartments that you can traverse with ziplines. The Spaceport, meanwhile, has a gargantuan rocket on a launch pad and a facility that’s filled with tech and industrial materials. These maps have a limited number of extraction points, ranging from easy-access hatches to subways to vaults that emit a blaring noise the moment you activate them. Oh, and the number of available extraction points dwindles the longer the match goes.
You begin to ponder this question: Should I spend more time exploring the map to collect more valuables, or should I bring just a scant few materials with me so I can make a quick escape via the nearest exit?
Unpredictability then becomes a major factor. “There’s a certain predictability to the machines that you face because of their abilities,” says Grøndal. “But it’s harder to predict the behavior of the other players you meet or even how you approach those encounters.”
You have to adapt and react to certain situations as they happen. For example, if there’s an enemy player nearby and you’ve already been spotted by drones, you don’t need to fight one or the other head on. You could instead lure your opponent into getting targeted by the robots. This gives you ample breathing room when eliminating your foe, be they human or machine.
“Sometimes it doesn’t even need to end in a firefight between players,” adds Grøndal. “Sometimes the threat of an ARC mech is bigger than the threat of an opposing player, so the best option is to band together before getting out.”
It’s worth noting that ARC Raiders has a proximity voice chat option, allowing players to hear each other as long as they’re just a short distance away. Solo players and teams can form small groups, but you might still want to watch your back in case someone tries to backstab you for your hard-earned loot.
“Things started to click for us, and we knew we were on the right track, during one of our previous tests,” says Grøndal. “We saw players who did not squad up together initially, but more of them started buddying up during the match as they fought more machines. Eventually, they became part of a larger group of survivors. Everyone was trying their best to escape and everyone was having fun the whole time.”
Embark Studios is also working on additional improvements and content for ARC Raiders as part of a 10-year plan for the game. One feature available at launch is the Expedition Project. It requires you to collect numerous resources over the course of weeks. Once finished, you’ll be able to fully reset your progress while also gaining unique unlocks and rewards. Another is a tweak to the matchmaking system where you’ll be matched with people who have a similar playstyle. “We’re testing a few variables out to give everyone a chance to enjoy the game at their own pace,” adds Grøndal.
If you’re ready to brave the dangers on your own or with a group of friends, then you should definitely play ARC Raiders, which is available now on Epic Games Store.