Escape From Tarkov Review – When Survival feels like an Achievement

The extraction shooter genre has made its way into the limelight thanks to the unparalleled popularity of ARC Raiders. While I have played multiple extraction shooters until now, I never truly grasped the feeling or fondness people felt towards this specific genre until I tried out ARC Raiders. To broaden my horizon into this genre, I tried getting into Escape From Tarkov with my squad.

Initially, I was very excited to try out the game that started it all for the extraction genre, and to be frank, I was left with mixed feelings. Off the bat, Escape From Tarkov looks and feels like a game that was made quite a long time ago, with minimal quality-of-life features in mind. In all honesty, Escape From Tarkov feels a little too hardcore for casual gamers like me; however, I was amazed at how much the game has to offer in terms of content, right off the bat.

The Thinking Player's Battlefield

Let me begin with the strong points of the game that set it apart from other titles in this category. Tarkov's sound design might be one of the best ones I have come across in a while. For a game that was built almost a decade ago, the audio design is phenomenal. Everything in this game has a sound cue, and understanding these cues can make or break the game for you. For instance, one incident really stuck with me in the game; during a looting run with my squad, I heard a player step on a small panel of glass, which literally saved us from getting backstabbed by another squad.

The risk-to-reward ratio in Escape From Tarkov is genuinely top-tier compared to ARC Raiders. In my almost 200 hours of ARC Raiders gameplay, I have found most of my high-value loot in the outskirts and low-tier places of every map. While in Tarkov, getting into a high-tier loot zone will almost always increase your chance of getting high-tier items like weapons and gear. The balance of the loot pool is excellent, making it so you actually get decent loot if you put your gear and time on the line by venturing into high-risk POIs.

Battlestate Games

Escape From Tarkov's indoor environment is unlike any other extraction shooter out there.

The PvPvE aspect of Escape From Tarkov is rewarding if you get the hang of it. Most NPC Scavs and USEC operators inhabit the maps of Tarkov, and you'll find them randomly while exploring different places for loot. These NPCs are quite hardcore if they end up catching you off guard. I clearly remember an NPC Scav literally blowing off my hand from a cheeky angle. Fighting them off is challenging; however, initially, these NPCs are a great source of loot, and with decent aim, you can pick them off from cover.

One thing that put me off in ARC Raiders was the absence of a secondary in-game market. At the end of the day, when you have duplicate blueprints or any other high-rarity items in excess, you have to rely on third-party websites to trade with other players. On the flip side, Tarkov eliminates this issue simply with their in-game flea market. The flea market is a secondary market comprised of all players and AI vendors, where you can buy and sell items in exchange for in-game items and currency. The whole concept of the flea market eliminates the tedious grind of getting items that might not come around in front of you while another player is holding them in excess amounts.

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Trading is a major part of Escape From Tarkov's economy.

A major aspect of Tarkov's speciality is its unmatched tactical depth and the focus on realism. The weapon customisation system in this game is off the charts. With countless attachments and ammo types, the game gives you the freedom to create any type of weapon you want without breaking a sweat. The hyper-realistic aspect of the game pops up when you get injured in the game. The injury system in this game is incredibly well-built. For hardcore shooter lovers, this certainly makes the game more challenging, asking you to pick fights only when it's absolutely necessary. On the contrary, the injury system might be a little too overwhelming for casual players. With no tutorials or hints being thrown at players, treating a broken hand or leg might become the biggest challenge to overcome as a beginner.

Tarkov feels Like a Second Job

Now, let me get into the things that put me off as a casual player. The first thing that makes it feel like the game is being gatekept from casual players is the absurdly steep learning curve. From the moment you jump into the wild, the game throws stuff at you without any guidance. I was absolutely clueless about what I had to do to even heal my character in-game. Meanwhile, ARC Raiders does an excellent job at onboarding new players with their tutorial mission, which teaches you the absolute basics of getting in and out of raids. While I understand that Tarkov is a more hardcore game that caters towards a more realistic shooter-loving audience, some guidance in the beginning stages of the game can make or break the game for most casual players.

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Escape From Tarkov's realism might catch casual players off guard.

Tarkov's biggest weakness is its ageing game engine. I am not a very hard person to please when it comes to game visuals or mechanics; however, I felt pretty underwhelmed by Tarkov's visual engine. The game's potential gets held back by the fact that it runs on a decade-old tech that has countless issues like desync and performance problems. The game has a weird visual clutter that sticks out like a sore thumb on lower- to mid-range PCs. Moreover, the cluttered UI makes searching for even the simple stuff feel like a chore when you are in a hurry.

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Escape From Tarkov's inventory can feel like a challenge to understand from the get-go.

Additionally, I think Tarkov requires quite a significant time investment from players to make them reach a place where they feel comfortable playing alone or even become efficient enough to complete intermediate raids without breaking a sweat. The balance between casual and hardcore gameplay is nonexistent in Tarkov. You either commit fully to the game, or you end up losing your gear and time because you were not accustomed to how the game and its environment work in a nutshell. I know some of you reading this review are probably saying "skill issue", and that's fair enough.

Final Thoughts

Escape From Tarkov is genuinely impressive as a realistic extraction shooter that is obviously catered towards a more hardcore audience. However, for casual players, understanding the game's overwhelmingly long list of mechanics and features can feel like committing to a second job with no compensation. Tarkov is not a game you play merely to enjoy or fulfil your extraction shooter itch; rather, it's a title you commit to - building up a solid inventory and playing for a very long time is what Tarkov requires of you.

For veterans of the shooter genre, Escape From Tarkov is a worthy title that will reward you with the best stuff if you decide to put your time into it. However, for casual enthusiasts, I think the best option would be to invest your time into something more casual, like ARC Raiders.