Best Games: Arc Raiders

Best Games of the 2020’s is back with the ninth game in 2025. Sadly, the fifth entry in a racing franchise, that I hope gets a sixth, is off the list.

Arc Raiders (2025) goes on at #??

This game garnered positive and very loud buzz every time it had a public playtest. My radar is generally not tuned into this genre, but it was hard to ignore. Extraction shooters were the rage or are the rage? Escape from Tarkov seemed to be the best in class, but it felt too harsh for my delicate and old gaming sensibilities.

Arc Raiders has sanded off those edges a bit. Starting as a PVE^ game and then eventually adding in PVP^^, when per the developers just PVE lacked some punch and staying power. That origin is apparent the moment you load into your first game. The maps look fantastic, lived in, and a hidden back story in every room. The combat feels great, reminds me a bit of Last of Us.

You’ll likely encounter a robot or “arc” first and they will push you, maybe even kill you. They are tough and in groups they can quickly end your round. Eventually you will get better gear and better strategies for tangling with them and maybe even bored. In step the players. The opportunity to tussle with strangers is a endless thread to pull on. Do you have a friendly chat and pair up? Is their salutation a grenade at your feet? Can you deescalate a situation? How long can you trust your fellow man when there is shiny loot on the line?

It is a gem of a game, facets on top of facets. Entertaining and unpredictable. I want to be playing it right now. Just one more solo run to stock up or jumping on with friends to see what trouble we can get into.

Forza Horizon 5 (2021) is an excellent racing game, but it was too similar to Horizon 4 which grabbed a hold of me and kept me racing for a solid 2 months in 2018. On top of that the progression was poorly balanced. If they give you all the things in the first 3 hours, what is there to play for? Said my broken brain.

^PVE: Player vs. Environment or take on AI enemies

^^PVP: Player vs. Player or take on other people