Aback-to-basics shooter that punishes mistakes
Escape From Tarkov has some of the most satisfying gun fights in any shooter, with one well-placed bullet being all you need to win a fight and a map design that makes positioning key, so it makes sense to make a game that is all about that experience.
Escape From Tarkov: Arena is that game. Built on the same engine as the regular Tarkov and using all the same systems, it could be classed as a new mode that is being sold as a separate title. But this is
Tarkov as you have never seen it before. Without the large maps, the focus on looting and the fear of losing your best gear Arena gives you the chance to shoot people to your heart’s content, and it does it incredibly well.
The best way to describe Escape From Tarkov: Arena is to imagine if Call of Duty’s multiplayer was dropped into the Tarkov engine and world. Small to medium-sized maps featuring two teams fighting it out to eliminate the other or secure an objective. There are no abilities, no in-match economy and no storyline to worry about, it’s a barebones shooter by today’s standards that is just about shooting other people in the face.
A UNIQUE FORMAT
In the beta, there are two modes available, but both are essentially the same thing with different player numbers. Rounds start out with a minute and a half of combat, where your only objective is to eliminate the enemy team, if after that time each team still has some players standing an objective opens up that a team must capture by standing on it. If after another 45 seconds each team still has players alive and the objective has not been captured, a squad of AI-controlled characters swarm the map to try and kill all the remaining players, effectively forcing the round to end.
A 5V5 BEST-OF-SEVEN COMPETITION THAT TYPICALLY LASTS AROUND 15 MINUTES
It’s a slightly inelegant solution to the problem of players just camping until a round ends, but these multi-stage rounds are much more strategic than just a standard team deathmatch shooter. You’ll need to work together to clear angles, and running with teammates is the most effective way to make sure you can trade kills and not give away a freebie to the enemy team. As rounds progress it doesn’t become a fight for where the objective will be, it becomes a fight for the best vantage point of the objective, as capturing will leave you exposed. There’s more thought required when it comes to positioning than you find in a similar game.
Teamfight is the mode I’ve gravitated towards the most, which is a 5v5 best-of-seven competition that typically lasts around 15 minutes. Shootout is a 2v2 or 3v3 variation of this formula that instead of being a match between two teams, is a round-robin tournament with the top two teams at the end playing a best-of-three final. Maps are shrunk d
