Arabic
In a new documentary published by Embark on YouTube, players get an in-depth look at how ARC Raiders has evolved over more than 7 years of development. The documentary explores the radical shift in the game’s identity from a cooperative PvE project against giant robots to a fiercely competitive PvPvE extraction game.
At the start of development, ARC Raiders was designed to be a pure PvE game where players cooperate to defeat giant robotic threats, but over time the team found that adding PvP elements became a necessity to make the game more marketable in the modern market.
One of the highlights of the documentary is a talk by Embark’s Director of Animation, David Dixon, who talks about the goal of incorporating PvP in a way that doesn’t alienate less skilled players:
“Some players don’t like going up against other players for fear of getting Tri-Hards. But if we do our job well, everyone will feel that the experience is fun and balanced even if you’re not the best shot.
Dixon added that playing against humans makes the possibilities infinite compared to the AI, giving a new depth to the experience, and the goal is for everyone to find reward in the idea of survival and extraction, whatever their abilities.
When ARC Raiders was released, it seemed like a unique cooperative experience that brought players together to explore a new world, but it was only days before the competitive nature of the game increased and most encounters became immediately hostile, and although there were positive moments, the increased experience and equipment of players made spontaneous cooperation rare.
Still, players see this as a normal part of the PvPvE cycle, and ARC Raiders is still far less aggressive than games like Escape from Tarkov.
The documentary reveals an unexpected development path and Embark Studio’s desire to build a game that is enjoyable for everyone, whether for fans of cooperation or confrontation.
