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.

(Image credit: Embark)

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.

Arc Raiders Unexpected Initiative - Raiders in Buried City

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

"What I like about the game and what I think is interesting is how people are playing the game," Embark Studios CEO, Patrick Söderlund, says in an interview with GamesBeat. "I read an article the other day about how this game is almost like a social experiment.

"The social aspect of how this game is played and the interactions people have in the game and what stories the players tell, that I think is where the glue sits, that is at least why it is appealing to me. I have over 100 hours in this game since launch, and I've played it in various shapes and forms for six years, and I still play it."

I may have toned down just how much Arc Raiders I've been playing as of late, but that's not due to any lack of interest, even if the expedition isn't all that. It's the kind of game that I can comfortably dip in and out of, getting my fill of weird player interactions when I so desire.

Arc Raiders: Key art featuring two raiders holding weapons and standing in the middle of the road, turning to run away from a large Queen spider-like robot on the buildings in the background.

(Image credit: Embark)

"It's the first game that I've played where proximity chat is something that people are completely comfortable with, and that's a natural part of playing the game," Söderlund says. "That to me is pretty cool. And on top of that, all the crazy player stories that unfold as you play the game. I've bumped into people doing crazy things in the game. We did not expect that, we did not expect people to or something, we never anticipated that."

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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'