Arc Raider's defining feature, according to Embark's CEO, is all the odd player interactions: 'We did not expect people to take on roles of Defender of the Swamp'

Arc Raiders skins: Key art showing three characters. The one on the left is wearing a blue pincho and holding a pistol ready at their hip. The middle figure is wearing a brown poncho and cowboy hat, facing the camera with a pistol across their chest. On the right is another character in a brown poncho and hat but facing away.

I'm a fan of extraction shooters, sure, but I've never liked one as much as Arc Raiders. Now, Embark Studios has made the notoriously difficult sub-genre slightly easier with more forgiving death penalties, plentiful loot, and nicer lobbies, but the standout feature for me is undoubtedly the social element.

I've encountered bloodthirsty raiders who'd fit better in a colosseum rather than Stella Montis, who have challenged me to axe-to-axe combat on threat of death, voiceless raiders who use voice prompts to help me find hidden loot, and battle medics who manage to pop out of thin air to revive me when I get downed by a rogue arc, it seems like Arc Raiders is a sandbox for all sorts of social adventures.