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Two weeks in the past, I had a minor curiosity within the new recreation from Embark Studios. Quick ahead to the center of November, and Arc Raiders has rapidly turn into considered one of my favourite multiplayer experiences ever.
That may sound like hyperbole, however this excellently crafted world with near-perfect sound design, very enjoyable motion, and the flexibility to make each second really feel like a film has really elevated Arc Raiders as one of many best PS5 games.
Assessment information
Platform reviewed: PS5 and PC
Accessible on: PS5, Xbox Collection X|S, PC
Launch date: October 30, 2025
2025 is one of the best years for video game releases in recent memory, from incredibly thought-provoking and beautiful experiences like Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the attractive hand-crafted world of Workforce Cherry’s Hollow Knight: Silksong, or the chaotic enjoyable of Donkey Kong Bananza.
In a yr the place it’s nearly inconceivable to pick out a shortlist for Recreation of the 12 months on the upcoming Recreation Awards, I’m completely shocked to say that an extraction shooter stands above the remainder, and really warrants your consideration.
A world worth climbing up to
If you’ve not heard of Arc Raiders yet, it’s a new multiplayer PvPvE (player versus player versus environment) game from the developers of the hugely popular game-show style first-person shooter, The Finals.
On paper, Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter, an increasingly popular video game genre pioneered by titles like Escape from Tarkov and Hunt: Showdown. The difference is that, while extraction shooters pride themselves on unforgiving gameplay (die and you lose everything you’ve looted during your session), Arc Raiders captures the widespread appeal and console player base that few, if any, of the genre have been able to.
The premise is simple: Earth has fallen to an alien mechanical force called the Arc, pushing humanity underground. As a raider, you need to venture “Topside” to salvage materials amongst rusted towns and shattered highways, and lands inhabited by very dangerous drone-esque robots.
Arc Raiders thrives in its atmosphere. I’ve been playing the game on PS5 Pro in my front room with a soundbar and on my gaming PC linked to open-ear headphones; in each environments, the sport grabs all my consideration – the world design is simply completely ace.
Whether or not you’re listening to different gamers get attacked by drones throughout the map, the sound of automotive alarms going off within the close to distance, or slowly crouching via claustrophobic corridors, Arc Raiders makes you’re feeling a part of the world, and due to that, the very last thing you need to do is die.
It’s ok to be alone
My biggest worry with online multiplayer games is feeling excluded because, as I grow older, I have fewer and fewer friends who want to team up after a long day at work for some intense online shooter action. In fact, the older I get, the more I avoid multiplayer games altogether, opting for tranquility and emotional connection with story-driven games instead of the thrill from explosions and gunshots.
But Arc Raiders is different; it tries to match solo players with other solo adventurers, and the instilled fear from the AI means other players are often more valuable alive than if you were to choose to kill them. On my first adventure as a solo raider, I experienced the magic of the game and instantly knew I would fall in love with it.
Crawling around corners in Dam Battlegrounds, one of the four maps at launch (each has different events that cycle throughout the day, and evening raids that make things feel more like a horror movie than a heist adventure), I could hear players conversing through the game’s proximity chat.
As soon as I popped my head out, one guy screamed, “FRIENDLY? ARE YOU FRIENDLY?” I paused, frantically looked for the button to toggle my microphone, and just before he started to shoot, I screamed back, “DON’T SHOOT, I’M NICE”.
Both players, who had just met each other in the game mere minutes before I arrived, were super friendly, insisting we team up and help each other find rare weapons and other essential materials to kick-start our Arc Raiders journey.
As we breached containers, opened lockers, and fought enemies ranging from robotic spiders to loud Snitches that alert other Arc to your location, we stumbled on a fourth player. “FRIENDLY? ARE YOU FRIENDLY?” my newfound friend screamed again. No sound, but the player standing in front of us, like a criminal on trial, nodded their head and started to jump on the spot.
Best bit
Arc Raiders social interactions are complex and often intense, but sometimes you spend time wandering the world with a complete stranger for no other reason than to protect each other – it’s social multiplayer at its finest.
In the midst of the commotion, the other player we’d been exploring with unmuted their mic and said “NO VOICE? NO LIKE!” and started spraying bullets into the mute custodian. In a split second, I had decided I wanted to instill humanity and fairness into my Arc Raiders experience and gunned down my comrade, protecting the microphone-less player and choosing fairness over all.
My friend turned foe said, “I didn’t hear them speak, but I’ll die a warrior’s death. I love you all, goodbye.” In that moment, I punched them in the face, knocking them out for good, and I never played with them again. If any moment needed to convince me that Arc Raiders was special, it was that, and from there I made sure to tell every single one of my friends to fork out the cash and join me Topside.
The best heist movie ever. Every single time
The best thing about the anecdote I just shared is that if you were to ask any one of the 4 million plus people who have purchased and played Arc Raiders for a similar moment, they’ll all have their own stories.
From dancing in a group, being betrayed by your best friend you only met for the first time 23 minutes ago, or crawling to an extraction point to make it back to safety with your last dying breath, every single time you play Arc Raiders, there’s a new plotline and new chapter added to the story.
Arc Raiders is one of those special moments in multiplayer video game history. It feels like the Fortnite second for extraction shooters, the place a extra accessible product captures the hearts of a mainstream viewers, and all of us begin to surprise how we managed with out it.
Again in 2017, Fortnite took over the world, and for a lot of, many individuals, all of us bear in mind the primary time experiencing the cartoon battle royale. Whether or not you’re keen on or hate Fortnite, its impression can’t be understated, however earlier than its existence, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds was already providing a wonderful battle royale expertise.
The identical may very well be stated for Arc Raiders, whereas different extraction shooters supply extra intense fight, extra unforgiving repercussions, and the next ability degree, none present the polished expertise that Embark has created right here. Lots of my pals who’re informal players and even these, like me, who love video video games however are sick and uninterested in on-line multiplayer, have all fallen in love with Arc Raiders. And, better of all, each single one has a blast taking part in solo or in a squad.
You don’t want pals who play video video games to get essentially the most out of Arc Raiders, if something, essentially the most impactful moments I’ve skilled have come from solo play, from assembly random looters and teaming up, from combating harmful robots, and from getting betrayed by the individuals who declare their pleasant however rob your useless physique after attacking while you least count on it.
Arc Raiders has properly and really rekindled my love for multiplayer video video games, and after 60 hours, I’m nonetheless itching to play extra. The gameplay loop simply hits the spot; you don’t need to die, however you need to take the chance for the large reward. Rinse and repeat.
In the event you’ve not performed Arc Raiders but, this evaluation is your signal to get on board. Embark is a studio that listens and respects its gamers, and due to this, there’s a thriving group rising round this recreation.
Arc Raiders will get even higher with time, and Embark has promised years of content material updates to maintain the gameplay recent. After the beta, I wasn’t bought, purely as a result of extraction shooters must make a participant worry the lack of tools, and with the data that nothing would carry over to the primary recreation, I form of simply didn’t care. That stated, after taking part in the total recreation for 2 weeks, Arc Raiders is now my vote for 2025’s recreation of the yr, and I’m truthfully shocked that I’m even pondering that.
2025 will go down as probably the greatest years ever for video video games, and what higher strategy to cap it off than with a multiplayer recreation for the ages, engulfing what made us fall in love with gaming within the first place: The power to seize our imaginations.
Should you play Arc Raiders?
Play it if…
Don’t play it if…
Accessibility
Arc Raiders is filled with accessibility features to set the game up exactly as you want it. With multiple control schemes and basic controller remapping, there are different ways to play depending on your needs and preferences. You’re able to change your gun’s crosshair and color to make sure that you get the best experience for your needs.
Voice chat is quite an important aspect of Arc Raiders; however, if you don’t want people to hear you speak, you can opt to mask your voice using one of Embark’s AI-powered filters. There are also options for multiple text sizes as well as options to help those who are colorblind.
How I reviewed Arc Raiders
I played over 60 hours of Arc Raiders on PS5 Pro linked to my Samsung S90D, one of many best OLED TVs, in addition to on an Nvidia RTX 5090-powered gaming PC linked to a Samsung OLED gaming monitor. Each experiences have been really wonderful, with near-perfect efficiency no matter your {hardware}. Graphical constancy and body price are the one variations I observed when taking part in on my high-end rig, however I did not really feel just like the PS5 model was a slouch by any means.
I examined Arc Raiders solo, with a buddy, and in a gaggle of three. At launch, I had some very minor disconnection points, however this seems to be absolutely rectified on the time of writing. I used the microphone on the PS5 DualSense Controller in addition to my Sennheiser HD490 Pro open-ear headphones linked to a Fosi K7 DAC.
I’ve performed a complete host of multiplayer shooters through the years. Whereas I am a novice to extraction shooter video video games, I’ve carried out my analysis and watched a number of gameplay to know the style.
First reviewed November 2025
