ARC Raiders was a game I didn’t expect to enjoy. As someone not into extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov or Delta Force, I was surprised that ARC Raiders’ moment-to-moment gameplay hooked me so fast.
Over the past few years, Extraction shooters have amassed a loyal community of loot-hungry players. The simple joy of finding high-value items and escaping unscathed is a gameplay loop that has resonated with many. This isn't something I normally enjoy, but there’s just something about ARC Raider’s style that fascinated me.
I was playing ARC Raiders’ server slam event over the weekend, and I felt like that one Danny Devito meme from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, where I finally understood why people love extraction shooters that much.
Maybe it’s the dynamic gameplay I liked, where my friends and I would worry about meeting hostile players or finding a random Leaper jumping out of nowhere. That level of unpredictability kept me on my toes whenever we booted up a mission. You’re not always guaranteed to find the best loot, but whenever we found shiny Pink and Yellow rarities, we would try our best to get out of dodge ASAP; otherwise, we’d be risking our rare hauls being taken by a random player.
There is a fine line between ARC Raiders’ PvE and PvP elements. Normally, it’s “shoot first and ask questions later,” but as someone new to the genre, I would always tell my friends not to engage first and keep it mellow because I’ve been carrying this rare Anvil upgrade I found, and my safety pocket’s slot is taken.
Our first encounter with the Leaper was pure horror. Like a Mr. X pursuer situation in a Resident Evil game, this machine suddenly appeared and disrupted our entire extraction process. The elevator took its damn time opening its doors, and the Leaper was already wrecking me and my friends, burning out our ammo and putting our high-value items at risk. We were hoping we wouldn't encounter hostile players as well, otherwise we’d be kissing our run (and loot) goodbye.
Moments like these are what added to my enjoyment of ARC Raiders. And that’s not even the game’s best part. As someone who’s a sucker for good movement in games, ARC Raider’s animation work is top-notch. There’s a realistic weight with every movement, and its gunplay has a specific oomph that feels punchy and not an arcade-y mess.
I played the ARC Raiders server slam for about 7-8 hours with my friends, and there wasn’t one run where we did the same thing again. There’s always something that messes up our tempo, be it a random ARC robot harassing us or a group of dangerous players looking for blood.
As of writing, the Server Slam has officially ended, and I wanted more. I’m already deliberating whether I should pre-order the game or not because what I witnessed in the beta was just the tip of the iceberg. With more maps coming out at launch and a progression system that feels rewarding, I can't stop thinking about ARC Raiders.
And my X feed isn’t helping, showing me all the hilarious moments others caught on streams.
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