If you’ve picked up Arc Raiders and can’t seem to enjoy it, you’re not alone

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I’ll be honest, I really got caught up in the excitement surrounding Arc Raiders, a major multiplayer game coming in 2025. What particularly drew me in was how the game’s positive reputation seemed to grow naturally from the player community – it didn’t feel like a typical marketing push, but rather genuine enthusiasm shared by people who were actually playing and enjoying it.

Everyone was raving about Arc Raiders – even we gave it a perfect score – so I expected to be completely hooked. When I first started playing, I really enjoyed the satisfying shooting and movement, and the post-apocalyptic world felt fresh, even though it reminded me a bit of games like Fallout and Mad Max. Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last. I quickly lost interest, and I’ve only played about 5 hours, according to Steam. I know I’m busy, but that didn’t stop me from spending over 20 hours on Battlefield 6 when it came out, or even 80 hours on Hades 2. So, what happened? I feel like I’m missing out on something with Arc Raiders, and maybe you are too.

Arc Raiders Is Cool, but It Hasn’t Sunk Its Teeth Into Me Yet

For All Its Strengths, Arc Raiders Will Always Be a Live-Service Extraction Shooter

Extraction shooter games generally involve entering a dangerous area with teammates, grabbing valuable items, and then trying to safely return to base without losing everything. While I enjoy challenging games, I’ve always found the extreme consequences in this genre—losing all your progress if you die—to be overly frustrating. I get that the risk is supposed to match the reward, but it’s simply not a gameplay style I personally enjoy.

There are many reasons why I’m not fully enjoying Arc Raiders, but a big one is the difference in skill level between new and experienced players. You’ll almost always encounter someone much more skilled who can quickly end your progress, especially when you’re still learning. Unlike other shooter games where you can respawn easily, dying in an extraction shooter means losing a lot of time and effort – sometimes hours of work. While successfully looting and escaping a session feels good, everything leading up to that feels like a chore. It’s all just routine and uninteresting, with the constant threat of losing everything hanging over you, making the whole experience feel like work instead of fun.

Okay, so Arc Raiders does try to be welcoming to players who aren’t super into this kind of game, like with the free starting gear. But honestly, it feels like they’ve watered things down a bit. That sense of accomplishment you get from really earning your upgrades and surviving tough runs just isn’t there when things are handed to you. It kinda takes away from what I think the game was aiming for.

Honestly, what really turned me off about Arc Raiders is that it’s a live-service game. I just prefer games with a clear start and finish, something I can actually complete and fondly remember. I don’t want something that feels like a chore, where I’m constantly grinding just to keep up, or tempted to spend more money to progress. That’s kind of the whole point of those games, isn’t it? They’re built to keep you hooked forever, and it feels like lasting enjoyment isn’t really a priority.

Playing Arc Raiders has actually made me do some thinking. I don’t dislike the game at all – I genuinely like the world they’ve built, how it looks, and even how it plays. But I’ve come to realize that these games that are meant to be played endlessly just aren’t for me. It feels weird saying that, because everyone keeps trying the live-service thing, even though players always say it’s not working. That’s the tricky part, I guess. Maybe one day I’ll ‘get’ Arc Raiders, but right now, starting it up feels more like a chore than fun.

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2025-11-22 09:04