ARC Raiders has conducted its final test before release, and the shooter has a lot of strengths, says our MeinMMO author Christos Tsogos. Unfortunately, some fans do not share the same opinion and they want to enforce changes that he believes are unnecessary.
ARC Raiders recently completed its final test, where anyone interested could participate for free. As a long-time shooter fan, I couldn’t miss the opportunity and thus checked out the world of ARC and visited Speranza.
For many, this might sound like a joke, but ARC Raiders could finally become the Fortnite of the extraction genre that the gaming industry has been aiming for years. The developers at Embark seem to be getting a lot right – whether it’s the game world, the story, or the difficulty. Everything seems to harmonize so far, but I see a major problem before the release.
A specific group of players is criticizing exactly what makes the shooter so exciting, which is the difficulty. Therefore, I say: For ARC Raiders to remain successful, Embark should not listen to these fans this time.
Survival is extremely difficult and it should stay that way
No matter which extraction shooter I play, they all have one thing in common – they are incredibly difficult to master, and that should and must stay that way. ARC Raiders is also so good precisely because it can realistically capture the atmosphere of a dystopian future world full of rampaging robots. You can only rely on your instincts, your skill, and your abilities. Everyone is against you, including strange ARC Raiders in the form of players.
It’s particularly frustrating when you get ambushed and your entire team is wiped out. That has happened to me as well, and not just once. But that is a good thing because without such experiences, you can’t improve – learning to foresee and navigate the terrain and outsmart traps. It hurts and costs a lot of resources, but that’s what makes an extraction shooter.
Unfortunately, there is a faction in the community who finds the game too difficult. They are calling for nerfs or even want a dedicated PvE mode where things are not as intense. Theoretically, that would be possible, but it would go against the core idea of ARC Raiders.
An apocalyptic scenario like this is not relaxing and must correspondingly create strenuous moments. Therefore, it’s all the more satisfying when you emerge victorious. Some clips on Reddit show the dopamine rush of many players as they just barely managed to reach the rescue lift while being hunted by other players or robots.
That’s what makes the thrill. Such moments only exist when the game remains challenging and offers challenges. Without them, the shooter would be boring and there are already enough titles like that.
A game for everyone is a game for no one
However, I do not oppose general feedback as long as it is justified and helps the game. Without the help of the community, Embark would not have postponed the release of its shooter to improve it. The version you recently played would not have been possible. One just has to evaluate where and which criticism is meaningful.
Many large studios like to take the path of developing their games for the mass market. There should be something for everyone, as only this can lead to maximum success. That may be true, but I like to remember a phrase the developers of Helldivers 2 once said: “A game for everyone is a game for no one.”
This phrase is exactly the one that ARC Raiders should adhere to. It should remain true to its idea regarding difficulty. Not every game will please you, and that’s fine. Forcing a game into paths where it loses its identity just to become more popular is, in my opinion, not the right way.
I, for my part, had a lot of fun with the Server Slam and now I am sure that I will also be there at the release. And I also know that I will get beaten again, but I will face my downfall with a smile because I know that ARC Raiders is still fun.
Do you also think that ARC Raiders should remain that difficult, or would you like a dedicated PvE mode? We would love to hear your opinion in the comments! You can find more about the release here: ARC Raiders: All about release, price, and crossplay
