To be honest, I hadn’t followed Embark Studios or its attempt to create Arc Raiders, the PvPvE extraction shooter that has taken both the internet and the gaming community by storm. But prior to the game’s release, I decided to give the Arc Raiders Server Slam a try, and while I wasn’t completely on board with what Embark was trying to do, I could appreciate it for what it was. Yet ever since the game launched just last week, and with me sitting at around 30 hours as I type this up, it’s safe to say I’ve caught whatever it is that everyone else has been feeling since stepping into this world.
When Arc Raiders launched, I don’t think anyone expected it to blow up the way it did. What started as a curious experiment from the studio that was comprised of former EA and DICE Veterans, quickly became the kind of game everyone was talking about. A mix of survival, exploration, PVE, and tense PVP moments, it’s the type of experience that keeps you saying, “just one more run.” It’s rough in places, sure, but there’s something about it that feels honest and alive.
Now, I have never been big on this sort of PVP in games like this. Put me in a match of Call of Duty or any other deathmatch-style game and I will gladly go on a spree without a shred of sympathy. But Arc Raiders is different. Here, everyone is just trying to survive. You are sent on missions, scavenging for supplies, dodging the Arcs, those massive mechanical forces that will kill you on sight, while also avoiding other players. Balancing both at once is chaotic, unpredictable, and sometimes even thrilling.
The game truly comes to life when you run into another player out in the field. You are scavenging quietly one moment, then suddenly you see someone, or they see you, and your brain floods with decisions. Do you ignore them? Do you shadow them? Do you call out that you are friendly and hope they believe you? Or do you shoot first and ask questions later? Every encounter becomes a moral coin flip, and I have learned the hard way that trusting too easily rarely ends well. Do not even get me started on the people who claim they are friendly, wait until I turn my back, then lob a grenade while shooting me from behind. Have some damned honor if you are going to do that.
Still, I cannot help it. I tend to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, even when it gets me killed. I will get over that eventually, especially if I want to progress further into the game. But not so much that I will be filling out an application for the Laughing Coffin guild. Although I might make an exception if it meant I could put a bullet into every person who thinks hiding and taking potshots at players is entertaining.
But at the same time, there have been just as many moments where people on the other end chose to let me be. Finding someone who is in trouble, helping them, and eventually teaming up with them is something I never expected, yet it happens. I have also had people do the same for me while I was pinned down by Arcs. There have been times when I hopped on proximity chat to ask where to find certain crafting materials, or simply to talk about how amazing the game is. One player even dropped gear for me after I mentioned I was struggling to find Fireball Burners to level up my refining shop. That kind of generosity was completely unexpected. It reminded me that even in a post-apocalyptic world there is still room for kindness.
Moments like these help shape a community, much like what we saw with Dark Souls. At first that community revolved around invasions, griefing, and players gleefully destroying each other. Yet if you visit it now, you will see that while the chaos still exists, there are also people who help others find items, join games even as hostiles, drop gear, or guide players toward secrets. It evolved. It matured. You take the good with the bad.
That is what Arc Raiders is. It is like a box of chocolates, to borrow a familiar phrase, and you never know what you are going to get. And I suppose that unpredictability is exactly what makes the game work.
What Arc Raiders nails isn’t just combat or atmosphere, it’s humanity. The tension of not knowing what someone will do, the relief of unexpected cooperation, or the sting of betrayal. Every encounter tells a story, and no two are ever the same. It’s a reminder that no matter how good the AI is, no machine can recreate the uncertainty that comes from another human being with their own goals, fears, and impulses.
After 30 hours in this strange world, I’ve been betrayed, ambushed, and rescued more times than I can count. I’ve lost valuable gear because I trusted the wrong person, and I’ve made temporary allies out of complete strangers. That constant push and pull between hope and paranoia is what keeps me coming back.
Maybe that’s what Embark Studios wanted all along, not just another shooter or survival game, but something more human. A mirror that reflects who you are when everything’s on the line, and the world isn’t quite sure whether it wants to help you or kill you.
Arc Raiders is currently available for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC.
