Escape from Tarkov Review

Most games, especially most shooters, tend to wear their entire appeal on their sleeves. Promising you action, fun gun fights, and multiplayer modes. It's usually easy to tell what you're getting into from trailers to pages.

However, it's challenging to categorize a game into a single genre or definition; some games tend to offer something more complex and evolve into something unique. Escape from Tarkov is one of those games.

On paper, from a gameplay perspective, it seems like you're a regular first-person shooter mixed in with a battle royale-like twist; there are guns, raids, and looting. But that description cheapens what makes this game stand out. 

Escape from Tarkov combines survival mechanics, including thirst, hunger, and varying health management, in a manner reminiscent of an MMORPG, with a battle royale-style session-based player progression, and a military simulator approach to weapon handling.

As a result, you get an experience that feels like you're playing in a hostile world rather than just playing another open-world shooter. Developed and published by Battlestate Games, Escape from Tarkov is set in a fictional Norvinsk region somewhere in the Northwest of Russia. 

The stage is panned out for two private military companies that are locked in a brutal conflict. The Russian backdrop mixes four raids that are filled to the brim with adrenaline, tension, and the fear of losing everything you've spent hours on.

It's not a game that you play for 20 minutes, but a commitment that will test your patience.

Escape from Tarkov is far from games where you would hop on for 20 minutes to play with your friends and then call it a day; it's the whole package of patience, knowledge, and long-term progression. And those who embrace it have an unforgettable experience.

The two factions in conflict are BEAR, a Russian paramilitary force, and USEC, a private contractor funded by foreign parties. You play as someone a part of the faction, in the hopes of executing your mission to scavenge, survive, and escape with your loot.

Although there is an overarching narrative with the plot, most of the experience feels like you're riding your own adventure. What do you decide to do? Do you focus on trade quests? Do you gamble and risk your best rifle for the chance of getting rare loot? Do you play cautiously for the sake of staying alive? The choice is yours.

In the genre of ever-growing shooters, in Escape from Tarkov, your progression is tied to your actions. Similar to games like Skyrim or Morrowind, utilising your skill improves it. Shooting more and getting into more gunfights will increase your weapon mastery, sprinting around more will build your endurance; even in niche areas, if you heal often, your medical efficiency will increase.

This overall system prioritises players with even small advantages. Someone who has been playing for longer will be able to reload more quickly and go even further. And skill isn't your only stat, there are so many more that you can learn from understanding maps, knowing the various ammo types and their qualities, and learning how the enemies move.

The primary gameplay loop will be based around raids, and every raid will follow a similar pattern. You first equip your character and then choose a map and drop in. The lobby you enter will be filled with AI enemies as well as other actual players, all hunting for goodies.

You'll need to explore, fight, and loot as much as you need before making your way to the extraction points. Reaching the extraction point successfully, you ensure that you keep everything you carried out through the raid, and if you die, you lose everything.

Every movement, shot, and action affects your growth, turning even basic tasks into meaningful progress

This may seem daunting, and it is the fear of losing hours of progress that makes every fight feel nerve-racking. Your victory still feels earned, but your mistakes will be punished.

Gearing up for your raid preparation is as important as the raid itself. The game features are very unique, including a permanent inventory between raids called the stash, from which you can select weapons, armor, and various other supplies. 

Whatever you successfully extract will be returned to the stash, and anything you lose will be lost forever. The stash will also act as a progress indicator, hence the unique RPG aspects of the game. This also creates a constant risk management. Do you equip expensive gear and gamble with them in a raid for the chance of getting higher rewards, or do you play it safe using cheap loadouts?

You'll be able to use traders for a steady supply of equipment in exchange for game currency, and increases will often take you towards specific goals.

Escape from Tarkov isn't a full-blown multiplayer game; a lot of the enemies that you will encounter are AI opponents known as Scavs, and they are scattered across every map. 

They usually tend to be unpredictable and can be dangerous when in groups. The more you play, the more you'll be able to learn their behaviour and weaknesses. The game also features dangerous Scav bosses that act as mini-bosses, and they often contain a significant amount of rare loot. Each of these bosses will have a fixed territory.

The layout and map design of Escape from Tarkov feature a unique style and diverse environments. The wooded area provides a wide open space for long-range tools. Customs will mix outdoor yards with tiny interiors, making it good for mid-range fights, and Factory acts as a short-range haven, whilst Labs are a high-risk, high-reward area.

The maps are also quite interactive. Many areas are locked behind keys that you will need to find; others require you to turn on power in exchange for accessing special areas by flipping a switch, which will alert everyone nearby. It's a design intended to prompt you to think before acting and emphasize the importance of preparing adequately.

The world feels unpredictable and dangerous, where maps, enemies, and choices constantly test your awareness.

The quests in Escape from Tarkov are called tasks and primarily shape how you progress. Many of them will simply lay out straightforward goals, such as eliminating Scavs, visiting specific marked areas, or submitting certain items. They are creative ones as well, such as assembling weapons for a mechanic.

You'll usually be rewarded with money, items, and most importantly, trader reputation. The higher your reputation, the more likely you are to unlock better gear-making tasks, a fundamental aspect of the game.

Outside of raids, Escape from Tarkov features a hideout system that serves as a personal base, which you can upgrade. The base will have specific stations that cater to different aspects of the game. The Medstation will speed up your healing, the workbench will allow you to craft, and the shooting range will allow you to test weapons.

Upgrading your base requires you to collect scavenged materials, and some of the items can be rare as well. The hideout system also serves as a long-term progression indicator, extending beyond the typical raid loop.

Escape from Tarkov also features a unique mechanic where you are allowed to play as a Skav along with the game's AI. To balance the risk of losing gear, the game lets you spawn as a random Scav equipped with varying loot. You spawn into an active raid that already has some progress, and the AI Scavs treat you like an ally unless you attack them; other Scavs, who are also other players, are also encouraged to cooperate.

This mode is a great way to balance out the skill gap, as you are allowed to scavenged loot without risking your precious inventory; the only con being that you won't be able to progress quests or skills. 

Whenever in doubt, Scav it out. Utilise the Scav mode to balance out the skill gap.

Escape from Tarkov has a controversial feature where, every few months, all players' progress will reset to level one. From hideouts to all quest progression, it's a frustrating feature that erases months of work. For others, it's a fresh start that keeps the game from becoming stale.

These wipes are often synchronized with new patches that add new weapons, Maps, and newer mechanics.

The real charm of Escape from Tarkov is in its details. The weapons feel unique and alive, with the varying handling differences and differing weight and heft. Ammunition also has a penetration level that determines whether a certain bullet will pierce armor. Medical items are used to treat a specific condition. Someone will stop bleeding. Someone will fix broken bones.

Even movement is limited, as carrying heavier gear will drain your stamina faster, decreasing the number of full steps you can take and revealing your location. They are also different headgears that allow you to hear footsteps depending on the quality of your headgear in-game.

But no game is perfect, and Escape from Tarkov is also far from it. Cheating is one of the game's biggest problems, as hacks, bots, and item-selling cheats have greatly affected the community. 

The developers who attempt to partner with BattleEye's anti-cheat combat this issue, but dishonest players always find a way to slip through, and oftentimes, the anti-cheat measures inconvenience even legitimate players. 

Aside from cheating, the game has also sparked a debacle regarding pay-to-play, accusations, and a lengthy wait for content and bug fixes.

Visually, Escape from Tarkov has a great, realistic charm. The environments are bleak and brutalist, which match the setting of a war-torn city. The buildings feel abandoned, but at the same time, the forest looks haunted. Although the graphics may be a bit dated, the atmosphere does not compromise immersion, and performance will greatly depend on your PC's capabilities.

Even if the graphics feel somewhat outdated, the game’s atmosphere remains fully immersive. 

Sound design is where the game truly excels, as the gunfire is realistically deafening, footsteps tend to echo, and they seem daunting; the reloads and shuffles, as well as the healing noises, have an impact. 

Escape from Tarkov is not suitable for everyone, especially those with limited time. The learning curve is harsh and punishing in its progression, and it can feel slow and frustrating.

Playing with friends greatly enhances your experience, making raids far more enjoyable. A squad will be able to share resources and cover for each other, which is why the game probably has such a strong community to this day.

Escape from Tarkov is one of the most detailed and unique shooters ever created, combining elements from survival, RPGs, and simulators in a single package. It's not easy for casual gamers to get into, as it's so simple and has a steep learning curve. However, for those who prefer a challenge and love deep, complex first-person RPG-like action, it's the most immersive game out there.

Every raid that you participate in is a gamble and will be a test of your nerves, whether you're cautiously looting as a Scav, curating your hideout, wandering through the Russian words in hopes of catching enemies off guard, or playing Escape from Tarkov, which created moments that are hard to forget.