Escape from Tarkov

Singularly unforgiving, dizzyingly complex, and like no other FPS out there: the extraction shooter's extraction shooter.

Escape from Tarkov may have spawned an entire genre, yet it remains one of a kind. Its complex mechanics, visceral gunplay, and unpredictable pacing aren’t for the faint of heart, but with the release of 1.0 on Steam, there’s no reason for fans of hardcore tactical shooters not to enlist.

The prototypical extraction shooter, Escape from Tarkov is a shooter I've been playing for the past decade and will be playing for years more. Sublime firefights and just-complicated-enough mechanics make this a great game to lose yourself in, but the immersion only lasts until you need to check the Wiki, which is constantly when you're just starting out.

Escape From Tarkov might have been one of the first major extraction shooters, but the genre as a whole still has a lot to learn from its core gameplay and how it builds up tension.

As the hardcore pioneer of the extraction shooter, Escape from Tarkov is still quite compelling, but it's also saddled with issues that range from technical problems to pay-to-win monetization.

Escape From Tarkov has changed significantly on its road to release, but there's little doubt over this being the best that Tarkov has always been. The story mode adds depth and meaning to the game in ways that were sorely missing before, making its standout environment and gameplay actually matter. It may not be the prettiest or the most approachable game, but Escape From Tarkov looks set to remain the premier post-apocalyptic first-person shooter in the market for the foreseeable future.