ARC Raiders is absolutely worth the money. Coming from many hours in Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown, I can say that the extraction shooter genre remains one of the most intense and exciting in modern shooters.
Gameplay & Atmosphere:
The rule here is simple: if you think you saw something — you probably did. Even a tumbleweed rolling nearby can make you aim down sights, because danger can come from anywhere. The constant tension feels great and keeps every moment engaging.
Since the game is played from a third-person perspective, sneaky kills are much harder to pull off, which reduces the prevalence of stealth camping. Although yes — exit camping with mines does exist.
Community & Developer Attitude:
The developers clearly care about their community. Players aren’t punished for encountering or accidentally using bugs, and fixes usually come pretty fast. There was even a situation with premium currency prices — instead of rolling back, the devs let players keep what they got. It’s nice to see a team openly acknowledging and owning their mistakes.
About AI Usage:
Some people criticize the game for using AI-assisted content, but this is stated openly on the Steam page: procedural and AI tools are used to assist development, while all final creative direction comes from the team. The “AI voice acting” complaints also feel exaggerated — you’ll mostly hear brief lines and death sounds. It doesn’t hurt immersion at all.
Final Verdict:
I don’t regret a single minute or cent spent on ARC Raiders. It’s a fun and dynamic co-op extraction shooter with a great atmosphere and strong potential. But playing solo gets boring pretty fast — bring two or three friends for the best experience.
