Review
Battlefield 6 review: a return to old greatness
by Philipp Rüegg
Arc Raiders: an extraction shooter for the masses
12.11.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Whether alone or as a trio, Arc Raiders feels just the same as, yet refreshingly different to, classic extraction shooters. The game hits a nerve with both casual and hardcore players alike.
«Don’t shoot» is my most frequently used gesture in Arc Raiders, and the only one you need to know. There’s a good chance you’ll hear this emote the first time you meet a human raider. But there’s an even bigger threat in this extraction shooter, and you’ll encounter it much more frequently: Arcs. These killer machines rule the world, and only brave raiders even dare to venture onto its surface. Unlike most genre representatives, not every encounter with humans will end in a firefight. It’s an important ingredient in why Arc Raiders appeals to such a wide audience.
The Arc Raiders virus is spreading
In my circle of friends, fewer and fewer people are playing the same game at the same time. Arc Raiders is one exception. This popularity is also reflected on Steam. At peak times, over 460,000 players were online. Only long-running hits Counter-Strike 2, Dota 2 and PUBG are ahead of it. At our annual LAN party last weekend, Arc Raiders spread faster than the flu. It started with a curious look over the shoulder and the question: «What’ya playing there?» A few hours later, the dystopian machine world was flickering on almost every monitor. I last experienced this in 2017 with Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds or, as it’s now called, PUBG: Battlegrounds.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
In Arc Raiders, the last few surviving humans live in an underground city called Speranza. It’s the central location and main menu for the game. Here, I take on quests, upgrade weapons, build equipment and prepare for travel to the surface. You can do this alone or with up to two other raiders. There are four areas you can choose from, unlocked step by step.
As soon as the game starts, I have a maximum of 30 minutes to explore the deserted world and pack my pockets with loot. Most of the time, however, this window of time will be smaller since not all teams will start on one server at the same time. Before time expires, I have to activate an elevator or a train and escape safely to Speranza. Only then is my loot safe. If I’m killed before then, I lose everything I collected. This also applies if I’m still travelling after time has expired. Here, meteorites crash to the ground and everyone still outside dies.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
Raging against the machines
When I ask my friends why they prefer Arc Raiders over other extraction shooters, their answers are often the same. «Other players are surprisingly helpful. It feels less like PvP and more like a cooperative survival game. It’s us against the machines,» says one friend who’s more likely to be found in ARK: Survival Evolved or 7 Days to Die than an extraction shooter.
Arcs are the heart of the game. They come in a bunch of variations. There are small flying drones that track down raiders and alert larger machines, appropriately called Snitches. Rocketeers are much bigger and blast rockets. I always give Leapers a wide berth. Those four-legged machines can jump really far and deal out heavy damage. The biggest of all machines is the Queen. I’ve only ever marvelled at this monster from a distance.
Source: Embark Studios
Arcs are fascinating and scary at the same time. Their presence accompanies every one of my steps in Arc Raiders. When I break open cupboards or machine parts, there’s always a good chance the noise will attract them. However, my greed for loot can also tip off other players. There’s about 15 to 20 on each server. If my team and I encounter a single raider, I usually hear them spamming the «Don’t Shoot» emote from afar. Most of them also play with a microphone, so we often exchange a few friendly words.
Things get very exciting when you meet while extracting. In the time until your elevator or train arrives, the doors behind you repeatedly open and close again. It’s one of the most stressful moments you’ll experience. You never know how loose your fellow raider’s trigger finger is. This makes it even cooler whenever I’m standing opposite someone Wild West style, your index finger hovering millimetres above the left mouse button. Suddenly, a deep voice hums: «Are you cool? You’re cool». And both of us actually stay cool.
Source: Embark Studios
Surprisingly, other raiders are often pretty friendly. Uncertainty is part of the game’s appeal. At one point, I watch my so-called teammates use the elevator without me. Two seconds before I can close the doors on the next one, an enemy team shoots me in the back. Another time, a supposedly harmless raider turns into Judas despite my repeated «Don’t shoots», attacking me as soon as I’m distracted with looting.
Mission morsels
Speaking of looting, another important point comes into play here. «Arc Raiders is much more beginner-friendly than other extraction shooters,» another buddy of mine adds. Even if I get killed before extraction, I’m never left empty-handed. On the one hand, there are quests to complete that reward me with resources. On the other hand, I have my faithful rooster Scrappy back at base, who also regularly brings me prey. I can even dress him up in funny hats.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
Another decisive difference is the length of a game. «I like how I can decide myself how long or short a mission will be,» says a friend who rarely games apart from our LAN party. Since inventory space in Arc Raiders is limited, I’m often overloaded after the first larger building. Or I find a rare blueprint, something I just can’t risk. I quickly extract at the next possible point, jumping into the next game ten minutes later.
Arc Raiders also feels great by yourself, taking on a completely different dynamic. I play even more cautiously, avoiding enemy teams as much as possible. If things do come to a head, I like alerting patrolling Arcs to put pressure on those other raiders. Ideally, I’d then sneak away unnoticed in the heat of the moment.
Quality loot over endless scrap
«Looting feels extremely rewarding. You’re not just hoovering up junk, they’re all important resources and you need to be selective. When I find something really special, it makes my day», another friend writes in our group chat. I couldn’t agree more. Arc Raiders is the polar opposite of Borderlands. Weapons are in short supply, and I’m always on the lookout for very specific upgrades to my workbench or a weapon.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
One flaw, despite all the beginner friendliness, is menu navigation and resource management. The menus in Arc Raiders look sleek, but even after several hours I still struggle getting to grips with them. They’re divorced from all logic. Sometimes menus are at the top of the screen, sometimes at the bottom, sometimes in the middle. If I want to upgrade a workbench, I have to click on each one individually, then open another tab just to find out whether I have enough resources for an upgrade.
While looting feels great, storage management back at base overwhelms me. There are countless colour-coded resources that’ll fill up your inventory in no time. What’s more, inventory space is limited at base too. I can recycle resources in order to obtain various other items from them. But even loot with a diamond symbol that’s supposedly only for trade is sometimes needed for crafting. Keeping track of everything is almost impossible. Just the fact that there are lists on Reddit distinguishing which items I can keep, sell and recycle says it all. During our LAN party, more experienced players turned into tour guides, wandering from table to table answering the same questions over and over again.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
The skills I unlock by collecting experience points don’t knock my socks off either. The skill tree, like everything else in the game, looks smart, but there are barely any interesting upgrades. Quietly breaking down doors or faster stamina regeneration when I get hit are useful, but don’t dramatically affect my playstyle. Carrying more weight is the best you’ll get.
Quests, on the other hand, are much better. They simultaneously serve as a tutorial for various game mechanics. Step by step, I learn how to interact with the world. For example, I find out that those rolling ball arcs called Fireballs contain a Fireball Burner – which I can use as a grenade. Or that I have to lug certain rectangular metal boxes to a field station whenever I find them. Once there, I can place them into a machine, rewarding me with resources.
Source: Philipp Rüegg
What makes the game stand out even more is the actual world. The four regions, also available as harder night modes, stand out clearly from one another. The starting area Dam Battlegrounds consists of a dam surrounded by swamps and forests. Burried City features an urban area submerged under sand dunes. Spaceport is dominated by the remains of spaceships, with two huge towers in the middle. Finally, The Blue Gate is a partially snow-covered mountain landscape peppered with small villages and tunnels.
Each map has its own charm and could have come straight from the mind of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag. Those huge industrial plants, abandoned cities and Arc remnants hinting at a great war conjure up a fascinating world, hiding secrets gradually revealed throughout gameplay. There are also creative skins for my raider, which I can accessorise with backpacks and bags.
Although Arc Raiders looks impressive, it doesn’t have an excessive impact on performance. The game runs decently, even on mid-range PCs. Then there’s the sound design, perfectly capturing an eerie, menacing feeling against the simultaneous melancholy.
Source: Embark Studios
Arc Raiders is available for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The PC version was provided to me by Embark Studios.
In a nutshell
As hardcore or casual as you like
Arc Raiders strikes the right balance between challenge and accessibility. I can decide for myself whether I want to sneak through high-risk areas until the last moment or head for an exit after just ten minutes. Even then, extraction is associated with plenty thrills. The tension only eases when the heavy doors close behind me. I can then enjoy the satisfying final sound that booms out over the words, «Returning to Speranza».
Still, I don’t stay in that safe haven for long before the adventure draws me back to the surface. This eerily beautiful world, its soulless machines and other raiders – sometimes friend, sometimes foe – guarantee that no two outings are the same. If an extraction goes wrong – and it will – you’ll feel the pain of all that lost loot. In a pinch, my rooster back at base comforts me, providing a few resources. Maybe next time I won’t get into a fight with a snitch 100 metres from the exit. Those things always live up to their name.
Pro
- Looks fantastic
- Great dynamic battles against humans and machines
- Satisfying loot loop
- Choose how long you play
Contra
- Horrible resource management
- Confusing menus
Philipp Rüegg
Senior Editor
Philipp.Rueegg@digitecgalaxus.chAs a child, I wasn't allowed to have any consoles. It was only with the arrival of the family's 486 PC that the magical world of gaming opened up to me. Today, I'm overcompensating accordingly. Only a lack of time and money prevents me from trying out every game there is and decorating my shelf with rare retro consoles.
Gaming
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
Review
Which films, shows, books, games or board games are genuinely great? Recommendations from our personal experience.
Show allThese articles might also interest you
22 comments
later