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Two weeks ago I became a little interested in a new game from Embark Studios. Fast forward to mid-November and Arc Raiders has quickly become one of my favorite multiplayer games.
This may seem like an exaggeration, but this superbly crafted world with near-perfect sound design, highly entertaining action and the ability to make every moment feel like a movie has truly been taken to the next level. Arc Raiders as one of best games for ps5.
Review of information
Platform reviewed: PS5 and PC
Available: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Release date: October 30, 2025
2025 is one of the best years for video game releases in recent memory, thanks to incredibly thought-provoking and wonderful events like Sandfall Interactive. Chiaroscuro: Expedition 33A gorgeous world handcrafted by the Cherry team. Hollow Knight: Silk Songor chaotic fun Donkey Kong Bananza.
In a year where it's nearly impossible to pick a Game of the Year shortlist for the upcoming Game Awards, I'm absolutely shocked to learn that an extraction shooter stands above the rest and is truly worthy of your attention.
A world worth climbing into
If you haven't heard of Arc Raiders however, this is a new multiplayer PvPvE (player versus player versus environment) game from the developers of the hugely popular game show-style first-person shooter. Final.
On paper Arc Raiders is an extraction shooter, an increasingly popular video game genre first seen in games such as Escape from Tarkov And Hunt: Clash. The difference is that while extraction shooters pride themselves on unforgiving gameplay (you die and you lose everything you've looted during the session), Arc Raiders reflects the broad appeal and console player base that few entries in the genre can match.
The idea is simple: Earth has fallen to an alien mechanical force called the Arc, pushing humanity underground. As a raider, you'll travel to the “Upper End” in search of materials among rusting cities, destroyed highways, and lands inhabited by very dangerous robots that look like drones.
Arc Raiders thrives in its atmosphere. I played the game on PS5 Pro in my living room with a soundbar and on my gaming pc connected to open-back headphones; In both environments the game captures my full attention – the world design is simply stunning.
Whether you're hearing drones attacking other players across the map, hearing car alarms in the distance, or slowly making your way through claustrophobic hallways, Arc Raiders makes you feel like you're part of the world, and because of it, the last thing you want to do is die.
It's okay to be alone
My biggest concern with online multiplayer games is when I feel excluded, because as I get 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, preferring the tranquility and emotional connection of story-based games over the thrill of explosions and gunfire.
But Arc Raiders different; it tries to match solo players with other solo adventurers, and the AI-instilled fear means that other players are often more valuable alive than if you chose to kill them. On my first adventure as a solo raider, I felt the magic of the game and immediately knew I would fall in love with it.
Crawling around the corners of Dam Battlegrounds, one of four maps at launch (each with different events that repeat throughout the day and evening raids that make it feel more like a horror movie than a heist adventure), I could hear players talking through the game's chat.
As soon as I stuck my head out, one guy shouted, “FRIENDLY? ARE YOU FRIENDLY?” I stopped, frantically searched for a button to switch the microphone, and just before he started shooting, I screamed back, “DON'T SHOOT, I'M GOOD.”
Both players, who had met in the game just a few minutes before I arrived, were very friendly and insisted that we team up and help each other find rare weapons and other necessary materials to start our game. Arc Raiders journey.
As we hacked containers, opened lockers, and fought enemies ranging from robotic spiders to loud snitches that alert other Arcs to your location, we came across the fourth player. “FRIENDLY? ARE YOU FRIENDLY?” my newfound friend screamed again. There was no sound, but the player standing in front of us, like a criminal on trial, nodded his head and began to jump in place.
Best bit
Social interactions in Arc Raiders are complex and often intense, but sometimes you'll spend time roaming the world with a complete stranger just to protect each other—it's social multiplayer at its finest.
In the midst of the commotion, another player we were studying turned on the microphone and said, “NO VOICE? NO LIKE!” and began firing bullets at the mute caretaker. In a split second, I decided that I wanted to instill humanity and justice into my life. Arc Raiders experience and shot my comrade, defending a player without a microphone and choosing justice above all else.
My friend turned enemy said, “I didn't hear them say, but I will die a warrior's death. I love you all, goodbye.” At that moment I punched them in the face, knocking them out forever, and never played with them again. If at any point you had to convince me that Arc Raiders it was something special and after that I made sure to tell every single one of my friends to fork over the cash and join me at Topside.
Best heist movie. Every time
The best thing about the anecdote I just shared is that if you ask any of the over 4 million people who bought and played Arc Raiders at the same moment, each of them will have their own stories.
From dancing in a group, betraying the best friend you first met just 23 minutes ago, or crawling to an evacuation point only to return to safety with your last last breath, every time you play. Arc Raidersa new storyline and a new chapter have been added to the story.
Arc Raiders is one of those special moments in the history of multiplayer video games. It feels like Fortnite moment for shooters, where a more accessible product captures the hearts of the mainstream audience and we all begin to wonder how we got by without it.
Back in 2017 Fortnite has taken the world by storm, and for many, many people, we all remember the first time we experienced a cartoonish battle royale. Do you love it or do you hate it Fortniteits influence cannot be underestimated, but before its existence, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds was already offering a great battle royale experience.
The same can be said about Arc RaidersWhile other escape shooters offer more intense combat, more unforgiving consequences, and a higher level of skill, none deliver the polished experience that Embark has created here. Many of my friends who are casual gamers or even people like me who love video games but are tired of online multiplayer games have fallen in love with Arc Raiders. And, best of all, each of them has fun playing alone or in a squad.
You don't need friends who play video games to get the most out of your gaming experience. Arc RaidersIf anything, the most impactful moments I experienced came in single player, encountering random robbers and joining teams, fighting dangerous robots, and being betrayed by people who claim to be friendly but rob your corpse after an attack when you least expect it.
Arc Raiders truly reignited my love for multiplayer video games, and 60 hours later I'm still eager to play more. The gameplay loop just hits the spot; you don't want to die, but you want to take risks for a big reward. Rinse and repeat.
If you haven't played Arc Raiders however, this review is your sign to join us. Embark is a studio that listens to and respects its players, and because of this, there is a thriving community growing around the game.
Arc Raiders It will get even better over time, and Embark has promised to update content over the years to keep the gameplay fresh. After the beta, I wasn't sold on it simply because extraction shooters are supposed to make the player afraid of losing equipment, and knowing that nothing would carry over to the main game, I just didn't care. However, after playing the full version for two weeks, Arc Raiders I'm now voting for the 2025 Game of the Year, and I'm honestly shocked that I even think so.
2025 will go down in history as one of the best years for video games, and what better way to end it than with a multiplayer game for the ages that absorbs what made us fall in love with games in the first place: the ability to capture our imaginations.
Is Arc Raiders worth playing?
Play if…
Don't play if…
Availability
Arc Raiders filled with special features that allow you to customize the game exactly the way you want it. With a variety of control schemes and basic controller remapping, there are different ways to play depending on your needs and preferences. You can change the scope and color of your weapon to get the best fit for your needs.
Voice chat is a very important aspect Arc Raiders; however, if you don't want people to hear you speak, you can 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 with colorblindness.
How I Reviewed Arc Raiders
I've played over 60 hours Arc Raiders on PS5 Pro connected to mine Samsung S90D, one of best OLED TVs, and also on Nvidia RTX 5090Samsung powered gaming computer connected to Samsung gaming OLED monitor. Both experiences were truly excellent, with near-perfect performance regardless of your hardware. Graphical fidelity and frame rate are the only differences I noticed when playing on my high-end hardware, but I didn't feel like the PS5 version sucked in any way.
I tested Arc Raiders solo, with a friend and in a group of three. I had some minor disconnection issues at launch, but at the time of writing this appears to have been completely fixed. I used the microphone on DualSense controller for PS5 and also mine Sennheiser HD490 Pro open ear headphones connected to Be a K7 DAC.
I've played a lot of multiplayer shooters over the years. Although I'm new to making shooter video games, I did my research and watched a lot of gameplay to get a feel for the genre.
First inspection November 2025
