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Shooters are easily one of the most played video game genres for the casual and competitive player demographic. Usually, when we talk about shooters, the titles that come to mind are Call of Duty, Counter-Strike, Valorant, Battlefield, and Arma. Each shooter in this category caters to and belongs to different categories, such as arcade shooters, strategic shooters, ability-based shooters, and extraction shooters.
Out of all these categories, we can safely say that extraction shooters easily belong in their own domain. While arcade shooters can give you a great couch gaming experience, extraction shooters will make you anxious and give you unparalleled satisfaction once you finish the mission at hand without getting killed.
Right now, when we talk about extraction shooters, the name that will pop up in everyone's mind is Escape from Tarkov. Escape from Tarkov is a different gravy when compared to hardcore shooters in the market. Developed by Battlestate Games, it's easily the most difficult and engaging extraction shooter I have ever played. If you've tried out or want to try out an extraction shooter, and if Escape from Tarkov is quite your tempo, I have gathered a list of the best extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov you can play right now.
What is an Extraction Shooter?
Extraction Shooter is a genre of shooter games that focuses on completing specific objectives, looting, and fighting other players during the process. The main goal of extraction shooters is to navigate through a highly dangerous area while completing objectives and extracting out of there alive. Once you die in an extraction shooter, you lose everything, so the stakes remain at an all-time high. Here are some general features you will find in extraction shooters:
- Objective-based gameplay that usually requires killing a specific target or finding something and then extracting out of the combat zone.
- PvPvE elements will be a common feature of most extraction shooters. You might have to go through NPCs and real players at the same time while exploring the map.
- The main feature of all extraction shooters is perma-death. Once you die in an extraction shooter, you will lose everything you were carrying.
- The gameplay in an extraction shooter leans towards slow and tactical rather than the usual fast-paced action from arcade shooters.
- The items you loot from the open world can be sold to vendors, and the money earned from that can be used to upgrade your weapons or get better gear.
- Seasonal progression reset is a common feature of most extraction shooters. The seasonal progression wipes ensure that all players start from the same fighting ground once a new season begins.
Best Extraction Shooters like Escape from Tarkov
- Hunt: Showdown
- Arena Breakout: Infinite
- Gray Zone Warfare
- Delta Force
- The Forever Winter
- Incursion Red River
1. Hunt: Showdown
- Developer: Crytek
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X
- Where to buy: Steam, Xbox Game Store, PlayStation Store
Hunt: Showdown is an eerie first-person shooter that perfectly blends the elements of horror and competitive shooter into a glorious amalgamation. The game will scratch the itch of extraction shooters and bounty-hunting enthusiasts at the same time.
The main goal in Hunt: Showdown is to hunt a boss, kill it, collect the bounty, and extract. While hunting for the bosses, you'll encounter other players in the wild doing the same thing, which means plenty of nerve-racking shooting moments throughout every match. The best feature of this game is its euphoric gunfight mechanics that will leave you wanting more. Once you get the hang of how gunfighting works in the game, you'll be the first one taking the shot simply because it's so satisfying.
I recommend trying out Hunt: Showdown if you're into thrilling gunfights combined with the unmatched feeling of extraction shooters.
2. Arena Breakout: Infinite
- Developer: Morefun Studios
- Platforms: PC, Android, iOS
- Where to download: Google Play Store, App Store, official website
Arena Breakout: Infinite is a simplified clone of Escape from Tarkov. From the developers Morefun Studios and publisher Tencent Games, it's a realistic free-to-play tactical extraction shooter that packs intense combat, strategy, and team-based play into a single package. The game is set in a futuristic war-torn world with a handful of maps and standard extraction mechanics.
There are various game modes in Arena Breakout: Infinite, allowing you to play solo or with friends.
While Arena Breakout: Infinite might sound like a watered-down version of Escape from Tarkov, you'll need to master positioning, timing, and memorising how the map works to successfully extract out during your gameplay sessions.
If you're looking for something that is less stressful than Tarkov, I recommend Arena Breakout: Infinite because it's a simple extraction shooter with tonnes of dynamic gameplay aspects that will keep you hooked once you get the hang of it. Moreover, Arena Breakout: Infinite is available on Android and iOS, which means you'll be able to play the game on the go with a stable internet connection.
3. Gray Zone Warfare
- Developer: Madfinger Games
- Platforms: PC, GeForce Now
- Where to buy: Steam
Gray Zone Warfare is another extraction shooter that borrows heavily from other established shooters. Developer Madfinger Games have managed to take the extraction and gameplay elements from Escape from Tarkov and combine them with the massive scale and ambience of a combat zone from Squad.
After Escape from Tarkov, Gray Zone Warfare is the most hardcore extraction shooter out there. During my playthrough of Gray Zone Warfare, I was constantly getting wrecked by NPCs and other players on the map. However, the gunfight mechanics of the game got me hooked on the game in an instant. Once you master gunplay and how to position yourself on the map, you'll end up dominating every session you drop into.
The tasks and quests in Gray Zone Warfare are quite straightforward. After getting the mission brief, you'll have to head to the designated area, fight enemies in your way, complete the required objectives, and then get out of there unscathed. The weapons and customisation in Gray Zone Warfare are also very good compared to similar titles.
What truly sets Gray Zone Warfare apart from other extraction shooters on the market is the visual presentation. The game looks absolutely stunning, which can create very immersive moments, especially during the night.
I recommend taking a chance with Gray Zone Warfare only if you are a patient player eager to get a handle on the game mechanics through trial and error. It is important to remember that Gray Zone Warfare is a very CPU and GPU-intensive game, so make sure to check your PC specs before diving into the game.
4. Delta Force
- Developer: Team Jade
- Platforms: PC, Xbox Series S|X, PS4, PS5
- Where to download: Steam, Epic Games
Aside from the classic game mode and Black Hawk Down game mode, Delta Force features an extraction mode called Operations. The Operations game mode is a simplified extraction shooter experience with the touch of Delta Force mechanics. In this mode, you will start with a three-person squad with operators from the four classic operator classes. Once your squad is deployed on the map, you will need to secure supplies and then extract with them alive to complete the mission.
While the Operations game mode is a straightforward extraction shooter, it has a unique element that spices up the gameplay to a higher level. The unique element called MandelBrick is a highly valued supply that contains rare items. However, once your squad gets their hands on the MandelBrick, your position will be revealed to all remaining squads on the map, putting you in the crosshair of everyone for the duration of the mission.
As a free-to-play title, the Operations game mode from Delta Forces is a great extraction shooter with excellent future prospects. Once Team Jade manages to put in performance updates and new content to the game mode, it will surely become a great contender for Escape from Tarkov and other extraction shooters in the market.
5. The Forever Winter
- Developer: Fun Dog Studios
- Platforms: PC
- Where to buy: Steam (Early Access)
The Forever Winter is a new entrant to the extraction shooter genre. Developed by Fun Dog Studios, this new post-apocalyptic extraction shooter might be one of the best-looking horror shooter titles out there. The game manages to bring a large-scale post-apocalyptic world to life that has uncanny resemblance to the worlds of Terminator 2: Judgement Day and Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Every session in the Forever Winter will give you the feeling of being hunted in the trenches of World War 2.
While the only other horror shooter title on the list is Hunt: Showdown, Forever Winter is unlike anything you have ever played. The grim and ever-brooding world of the game will make you deeply uneasy, while the gameplay aspects will keep you immersed with impressive looting and gunplay mechanics. With tension-filled gameplay, you'll always remain on the edge as other players and NPCs will take you out of sight.
Although the game is not in a perfect state yet since it's in early access, I recommend checking out Forever Winter if you're looking for a unique extraction game combined with horror and post-apocalyptic ambience.
6. Incursion Red River
- Developer: Games of Tomorrow
- Platforms: PC
- Where to buy: Steam (Early Access)
The Incursion Red River is another newly introduced extraction shooter from Games of Tomorrow. The game takes players to war-torn modern-day Vietnam. Incursion Red River's map and world ambience make you feel like you are navigating the plains of Vietnam yourself. With various weapons and items at your disposal, you'll have to navigate the terrains to complete different objectives and then extract out of the combat zone alive.
Incursion Red River allows you to play with up to three of your friends. By completing contracts and challenges from three separate PMCs, you can improve your reputation and rewards. Moreover, you can access the vendor to purchase a limited supply of weapons and gear. You can pick whether you want to be scoped from a distance or keep things up close and personal.
I recommend checking out the game on Steam. While the game will remain in early access for the next few years, the game is in a great state, and with continuous updates, the game will only keep getting better.
And that concludes our list of best Tarkov-like shooters you can play now. This article will be updated with new releases and developers and publishers announce such titles in the coming months and years.
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