As far as I can tell, this is just a PVP 3rd person multiplayer shooter. Tagging this game as PVE is absolutely disingenuous. Despite the dev team originally developing this as PVE, they launched with PVP included, and the PVP and matchmaking feels half-assed.

Story wise, the game world takes place in a post apocalyptic environment where scary robots, (arc,) have taken over the surface of the earth, and humanity has retreated to underground settlements. Your job as a raider is to go up to the surface, scavenge for useful things, and then extract yourself. There are no story elements here, which is a real missed opportunity. I guess if you’re playing an extraction shooter, you aren’t playing it for the story? Completing quests or your expedition thingy feels inconsequential. It’s an endless loop of grinding, crafting, losing everything and rebuilding. Who doesn’t love a Sisyphean task? A good story can really make the difference between wanting to keep playing after crappy matches, vs getting bored and quitting.

Despite the backstory hinting at working together to overcome the ARC, feats encourage PVP. For the most part, PVP is going to be the major interaction you’re going to have with other players that aren’t in the clique of friends you’re running with. Other players absolutely will shoot on site without trying to be friendly. If you play on PC, turning off cross play has reduced how often I run into PVP. Furthermore, there have been some improvements to matchmaking. If you take the friendly approach, over and over, you’re more likely to end up in matches with friendlier players. Now about 30% of my matches put me in PVP situations.

In B4 skill issue. Even though this isn’t the type of game I normally play, there are some glaring issues that I believe detract from a game like this, even for people who are more into this type of game.

1. Being dropped into a match/instance that is already half over. And it will happen match after match. Record for me is 6 in a row. Full matches are about 30 minutes. Getting dropped into one after 12 minutes has elapsed means that all the good stuff is already looted. This is infuriating; all the risk with no reward. From what I have learned this is intentional. Raiders get dropped into a match at different time points. I don’t understand the purpose of this. Seems like this is a mechanic that encourages extraction camping?

2. Arc spawns out of nowhere. I’ll go into a match with a pair of binoculars, or a gun with a scope, search the horizon, check 360 degrees, walk a few steps, and suddenly I’ve got aggro on wasps, a hornet, or a rolling bomb ball when I know it was clear just seconds ago. There is definitely an issue with how arc spawns.

3. The camping. The camping is out of control. Spawn camping, extraction point camping, and being 2 shot with the entry level guns. Why try to buy, make and upgrade guns when you can just spawn or extraction camp with a free loadout and ambush people?

4. Traders have limited items to sell with a 24 hour cool down. They have no patterns to sell, and there are 3 different currencies for purchasing things from them. Coins, cred, and seeds. (Celeste wants seeds for items, Shani wants cred for items, and the rest use coins.)

5. Movement is janky as hell. If I’m crouched next to a log laying on the ground, why do I have to stand to climb over it? Rock climbing also feels clunky.

6. Disconnecting due to internet issues also mean you lose your loadout too.