ARC Raiders Review: Is It Worth Playing?

What is ARC Raiders?

ARC Raiders is a third-person cooperative shooter developed by Embark Studios, a team founded by former DICE executives. Initially announced as a free-to-play title focused on battling mechanical invaders, the project underwent a significant transformation during its development. The game that launched in 2025 is a premium, story-driven experience. The premise casts players as a Raider on a post-apocalyptic Earth, fighting against the ARC—a relentless mechanised force that has decimated humanity. The narrative is delivered through environmental storytelling, audio logs, and mission briefings, framing a desperate struggle for survival against overwhelming odds.

Gameplay

In our view, the core gameplay of ARC Raiders is a deliberate and weighty blend of tactical combat, exploration, and scavenging. Movement and gunplay feel substantial, with a focus on positioning and managing engagements rather than fast-paced run-and-gun action. The core loop involves accepting missions from a central hub, venturing into semi-open zones, and completing objectives while fending off waves of ARC machines. These enemies range from small, agile drones to towering, heavily armoured constructs that require coordinated team fire on weak points.

The learning curve is moderate. The basic controls are intuitive, but mastering the timing of dodges, effective use of the grappling hook for vertical mobility, and managing limited resources adds depth. A key mechanic is the 'ping' system, which allows players to highlight resources, enemies, and points of interest for their squad, promoting communication even without voice chat. The game features a modest progression system, allowing for the upgrading of weapons and gear, but it avoids becoming a loot-centric grind. The depth comes from learning enemy behaviours and optimising team compositions for specific mission types, rather than from an endless pursuit of better gear stats.

Who is ARC Raiders for?

ARC Raiders is primarily for players seeking a structured, objective-based cooperative shooter. It is best experienced with a squad of two or three friends, though matchmaking for solo players is functional. The tone and pace will feel familiar to fans of games like Remnant: From the Ashes or the more methodical moments of the Destiny series, albeit with a stronger emphasis on environmental traversal and less focus on a sprawling live-service hub.

It is not a game for those desiring a purely solo narrative campaign or a high-octane, arcade-style shooter. While playable alone, the enemy tuning and some mechanics are clearly designed with team play in mind, making solo attempts a steep challenge. It sits in a middle ground; it is accessible enough for casual co-op sessions but offers enough mechanical depth and challenging encounters to satisfy more dedicated players looking for a focused, session-based experience.

Graphics and performance

ARC Raiders employs a striking visual style that juxtaposes the natural, overgrown decay of the Earth with the sleek, cold geometry of the ARC machines. The environments are detailed and atmospheric, with impressive lighting effects that highlight the dystopian setting. Character and enemy designs are distinct and readable during combat, which is crucial given the often chaotic firefights.

On the performance front, the game is demanding on PC. To achieve stable performance at higher graphical settings and resolutions, a powerful modern GPU is recommended. We encountered some inconsistent frame pacing on certain maps, particularly in areas with dense foliage and multiple enemy effects. The console versions, particularly on the latest generation of hardware, offer a more stable and consistent frame rate, making them a reliable option. While not the most optimised PC release, it is generally stable after post-launch patches, though players with older hardware may need to make significant graphical compromises.

Value for money

As a premium title, the value proposition hinges on one's appetite for its specific brand of co-op action. The main storyline and associated missions will take most squads around 15-20 hours to complete. Beyond that, replayability comes from tackling missions at higher difficulties for better rewards, completing optional challenges, and experimenting with different weapon builds. There is no seasonal content or battle pass; what you purchase is the complete game.

In our view, whether the price is justified depends entirely on your playgroup. For a dedicated team of two or three players who will experience the entire journey together, the campaign offers a satisfying, concentrated adventure. For a solo player relying on matchmaking, the experience can feel shorter and less cohesive, potentially making the cost harder to justify. It is a focused product rather than an endless live-service platform, and its value should be assessed on those terms.

Verdict

ARC Raiders is a competent and atmospheric cooperative shooter that delivers a solid, if somewhat familiar, experience for squads. Its strengths lie in its weighty combat, distinctive enemy design, and the satisfying teamwork required to overcome its larger mechanical threats. The shift to a premium model results in a focused game without the bloat or pressure of monetised progression, which will be a relief to many.

However, it is a game with a clear identity that will not appeal to everyone. The stark discrepancy between its high critical appraisal (Metascore: 89) and its more mixed user reception (Steam rating: 4.5/10) is telling. In our view, this likely reflects a divide between critics who appreciated its polished execution and a segment of players who may have expected something different from its original announcement or who found its scope too limited for the price.

We would recommend ARC Raiders to groups of friends actively seeking a new, story-driven co-op shooter to play through together. It provides a challenging and visually impressive backdrop for teamwork. We would caution against it for primarily solo players or those expecting a vast, endlessly replayable loot game. It is a specific recipe executed well, but it is not aiming to be all things to all shooters.