Game Review - ARC Raiders Technical Test Review: A Gritty Co-op Shooter That Doesn’t Hold Your Hand

The technical test for ARC Raiders reveals a game that leans hard into a tactical co-op experience with an unforgiving edge. Right out of the gate, it’s clear that ARC Raiders is pulling inspiration from Helldivers—not in aesthetic, but in its core gameplay loop: drop into a hostile zone, scavenge for gear, complete objectives, survive against escalating threats, and extract. The difference is that ARC Raiders leans more into PvPvE chaos, adding a layer of unpredictability that Helldivers largely avoids.

One of the most notable absences in this test is story. Outside of the general premise—you’re fighting back against autonomous machines called ARCs—there’s no meaningful narrative thread to follow. If you’re looking for character arcs, lore depth, or even basic context for your missions beyond survival and resource collection, it’s not here—at least not yet.

Where It Stands Out and Falters Simultaneously

Where ARC Raiders really stands out (and sometimes falters) is in how it handles death and difficulty. Dying in the middle of a run doesn’t just mean a reset. You lose resources, gear, and progress. It’s punishing in a way that can feel unfair if you’re caught off guard—especially by third-party squads or sudden ARC patrols—but it also forces a more cautious, tactical style of play. There’s no room for run-and-gun bravado here. Every fight needs to be weighed against what’s at stake.

Playing solo? Technically possible, but practically a gamble. The game seems actively designed to discourage it. In a heated firefight, you can easily find yourself pinned between an aggressive player team and an ARC unit bearing down on you. Without teammates to revive, flank, or draw aggro, you’re usually toast. Team play isn’t just encouraged—it’s required if you want to consistently survive.

Combat is weighty and satisfying, with decent weapon variety and sharp audio design that makes the battlefield feel alive. But balancing still needs work. Some enemies sponge damage, and the lack of cover mechanics or reliable AI pathing can lead to frustrating deaths that feel out of your control.

The Extraction System Adds Tension in the Best Way

The extraction system adds tension in the best way. Extraction zones are tense, and open invitation for chaos; knowing you could be ambushed while calling in your evac keeps you on edge. Calling in an evac alerts other players and often draws both human teams and ARCs to your location. It turns what would be a simple end-of-mission beat into a final showdown. The adrenaline spike during these moments is real—and it’s where the game shines brightest. Whether you extract with rare loot or die trying, these moments feel earned.

Loadouts and gear progression feel promising but undercooked

During the test, loot and crafting were available in a basic form. You can find better weapons, armor, and mods, but the difference in performance between early and mid-tier gear wasn’t always clear. There’s a loop in place—drop in, scavenge, extract, upgrade—but without a stronger sense of growth or specialization, the incentive to grind is weaker than it should be. Future updates could change this with deeper customization, rarity tiers, or class-based gear sets.

Performance, AI, Audio, UI and Visuals

Visual Are Solid and Performance is Mostly Smooth

The game looks great in motion. Lighting is dynamic, environments are gritty and detailed, and ARC designs feel convincingly alien and industrial. There were occasional visual bugs—floating objects, animation hitches—but nothing game-breaking. On the technical side, performance was mostly stable, with some reports of frame drops during large-scale fights or near extraction zones. Optimization seems decent, especially for a test phase.

Audio Does the Heavy Lifting in Immersion and Threat Detection

Gunfire echoes realistically, footsteps matter, and ARC sounds are terrifying in all the right ways. You learn to pick up on sonic cues—an ARC spinning up, a squad approaching from the flank. This audio design adds tension and depth to each encounter. Playing with a headset isn’t just recommended—it’s a gameplay advantage.

Enemy AI is…Unpredictable - Sometimes Great, Sometimes Baffling

When it works, enemy AI can create brilliant moments—ARCs flanking you, coordinating attacks, or forcing you out of cover. But sometimes, they get stuck on terrain, lose aggro mid-fight, or target other squads in strange priority orders. It’s clear the AI is still being tuned, and right now, it’s inconsistent.

PvPvE Leads to Incredible Moments…but Cheap Deaths

The mix of player and enemy threats creates emergent stories: third-party ambushes, uneasy truces, or chaotic free-for-alls during extraction. But it also means you’ll occasionally die without warning, sniped while fighting an ARC, or wiped by a team who just happened to roll up with better gear. It’s part of the thrill—but also part of the frustration.

User Interface - Confusing and Has Room for Improvement

New players will likely be confused in the first hour. The game throws you into a world with minimal guidance. The UI lacks clarity around objectives, gear stats, and mission flow. There’s potential here for cleaner menus, better tutorials, and clearer explanations for how the game’s systems interact.

Final Verdict

ARC Raiders shows potential. It’s intense, gritty, and geared toward players who like their co-op with a serious risk/reward structure. But the lack of narrative, high solo difficulty, and punishing death system might push away casual players. With more polish, balance adjustments, and a stronger narrative hook, it could be something special.

Score: 7/10 – Promising but rough around the edges