Arc Raiders looked very different in its early stages of development, and even compared to its initial reveal trailer. While the team was flip-flopping between genres, one thing was clear: your goal was to kill a boss as fast as possible. Naturally, there was a lot of mobility in these early prototypes. You'd move fast to reach the boss's location, there were jump pads to fling you around, and the Snap Hook was unlimited. It's almost unrecognisable to today, where your character has a satisfying heft to them and limited stamina that makes crossing vast, open areas an intense prospect.
In his GDC talk yesterday, Arc Raiders' production director, Caio Braga, remarked that "because we made you run so fast towards the boss, all the craft that was in the game was kind of background noise." This faster, more upbeat pace is immediately apparent in the gameplay section of the old reveal trailer.
