Compare Arc Raiders vs Elden Ring: Tarnished Edition

Voice acting was the most criticized element, with repeated complaints about AI-generated or flat NPC/vendor performances.

Voice performances are strongly praised and fit the broader enthusiasm for the game’s heavy, atmospheric audio presentation.

Menus and stash handling were one of the most common frustrations, especially on console and between raids.

The recent-items tab is a meaningful quality-of-life improvement, making newly collected lore and gear much easier to track.

Controls were praised as responsive in one review, while a PS5-focused review reported serious button-input issues.

Most reviewers find combat inputs responsive enough that mistakes still feel like the player’s own, which is crucial for Elden Ring’s timing-heavy fights. A few note lower-frame-rate feel or stick dead zones as minor compromises.

Later coverage criticized matchmaking as exploitable, especially around aggression-based or PvE-leaning lobbies.

Matchmaking is remembered as easy and fluid during periods of high player activity, helping the online experience feel effortless.

Writing was criticized when reviews focused on the thin plot, quest storytelling, and AI-voiced dialogue.

Environmental storytelling is strongly praised, with the world’s finer details doing much of the narrative work without relying on conventional exposition.

Reviews diverged sharply, with one calling it smartly designed and another saying it had almost no originality.

Even when its fantasy influences are recognizable, reviewers praise the game for transforming them into a distinctive dark-fantasy identity of its own.

Early missions were described as solid introductions to the basics before later quest repetition set in.

The tutorial draws sharp criticism from one reviewer, who finds it poor despite the ability to revisit help information later.

One reviewer said weapons reliably hit where aimed, making the gunplay feel dependable despite early weak gear.

Enemy lock-on can feel less reliable on Switch 2 than on other versions, making target tracking less precise in some encounters.

Reviewers liked the reset and expedition idea in theory, but later coverage criticized the endgame as hollow or fragile.

Shadow of the Erdtree is praised as exceptional endgame content, adding a full new map, demanding fights, and fresh progression for high-level characters.

Loot was often praised as rewarding and useful, yet inventory friction and one negative review’s trash-loop criticism pulled impressions down.

Shadow of the Erdtree’s older exploration rewards are criticized as underwhelming, with later updates improving what players receive for some discoveries.

Pacing was divisive, ranging from fast and tense to slow, sleepy, or bogged down by between-run chores.

Returning to the Lands Between still feels easy to settle into without a long grind or sluggish open-world pacing getting in the way.

Robot animation and reactions were praised for selling machine behavior, with drones and larger Arcs reacting believably to terrain and damage.

Animation holds up most of the time, but large groups can cause distant enemies to animate in a noticeably choppy, stop-motion-like way.

One review flagged occasional solo-versus-organized-crew encounters as a fairness issue in an otherwise strong multiplayer structure.

One reviewer sees the starting-class stat spreads as useful for min-maxing, while also flagging the possibility that certain new gear could be unusually strong in PvP.

Mechanics were generally praised for risk-reward strategy and meaningful tools, though one strongly negative review called the gameplay mediocre.

The overall gameplay design is described as deeply satisfying, with exploration, combat, build experimentation, and progression reinforcing one another.

The grind was considered manageable by some and slow by others, especially around leveling and repeated recycling or upgrading.

One returning reviewer specifically praises how easy it is to dive back in without facing a long, sluggish grind, while exploration and flexible leveling let players strengthen naturally.

Online impressions were mixed: one reviewer reported zero bugs, while later coverage focused on cheating problems.

One reviewer reports an annoying suspend-and-resume reconnection loop that repeatedly returns the player to menus before restoring the session.

Performance-focused comments were highly positive, citing rock-solid frame rates and smooth 60 FPS or better results.

Frame-rate impressions are genuinely mixed. Many reviewers report a mostly stable 30fps experience with only occasional dips, while others encounter choppiness or severe drops in busy open areas and certain boss fights.

Crafting was seen as deep and useful, but several reviewers found the required inventory sorting, item tracking, and unclear components frustrating.

Crafting earns strong praise and is useful enough that the reviewer who focuses on it wants FromSoftware to expand the system in future games.

The story and lore intrigued reviewers, but evidence also showed that much of it remains light or left to imagination.

The lore is repeatedly described as dense, strange, and rewarding for players willing to read item descriptions and connect environmental clues, even when the main story remains deliberately opaque.

The game was mostly described as polished, though some reviews still pointed to refinement needs, bugs, and rough edges.

Reviewers overwhelmingly see the shipped edition as polished and dramatically improved over early demos, with remaining rough edges rarely overwhelming the core experience.

Emotes, proximity tools, and player behavior were praised for making encounters surprisingly cooperative and approachable.

Online activity, messages, summons, and the broader player community can make the world feel more alive, but platform separation and DLC compatibility concerns reduce that benefit for some players.

One impressions review said the game remains easier to approach despite the genre’s high skill ceiling and many systems.

The game remains demanding to learn, and some systems are communicated too subtly for newcomers. Its open-world structure and plentiful guides make that curve easier to manage than in earlier Souls games.

One review praised traders for having enough personality and interaction to feel like more than simple vendors.

Recurring side characters give the smaller questlines much of their charm, helping the world feel personal despite its enormous scale.

Most reviews praised the range and threat of Arc machines, though one review found the enemy designs repetitive and unimaginative.

The breadth of creatures is praised as staggering, helping exploration stay surprising across a very large world.

The sparse interface was praised for grounding the player in the world rather than overexplaining the action.

The sparse HUD is often praised for keeping the screen readable and letting the world dominate the presentation, though small handheld text can make some information harder to read.

Weapon balance was mixed: reviewers liked niche-based weapons and viable free kits, but later evidence flagged overpowered or weak weapons.

The game offers an enormous range of viable weapons and builds, and several new Tarnished weapons are enthusiastically praised. Some new options are clearly outclassed by later DLC gear, while a few may be unusually strong early on.

Reviewers praised the dense, vertical, weathered environments, but one negative review described them as barren.

Distinct biomes, intricate armor, architecture, foliage, underground areas, and dense scenery make the world feel richly authored. Even with Switch 2 reductions, reviewers still find the environmental detail striking.

Visuals were broadly praised as gorgeous, detailed, and technically strong, with only minor reservations in a few impressions.

Switch 2 preserves the game’s visual identity surprisingly well, especially in handheld mode, but resolution softness, reduced draw distance, pop-in, simpler textures, and a clear gap versus PS5/PC are recurring caveats.

Cosmetics were flagged as pricey and less customizable than expected in one review.

The Tarnished Pack’s paid cosmetic-and-starting-gear approach worries some reviewers because it departs from FromSoftware’s usual pattern of more substantial paid expansions or free minor updates.

Upgrades and workbenches add depth, but unclear item requirements and workshop friction made the system less smooth.

The expansion’s additional upgrade paths are viewed positively, adding fresh ways to strengthen characters and experiment with builds.

Most reviewers liked the retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic look, though one sharply negative review found the visuals bland and generic.

The art direction remains one of the game’s clearest strengths: dramatic vistas, strange creatures, monumental architecture, and a distinctive dark-fantasy style survive the Switch 2 downgrade exceptionally well.

The strongest reviews highlighted tense, eerie, and immersive environments, while one dissenting review found the ambience nearly absent.

Reviewers consistently praise the mournful, oppressive, mysterious atmosphere. Even technical compromises rarely diminish the strong sense of place across the Lands Between and Realm of Shadow.

Most reviewers found the loot-extract-repeat loop addictive and memorable, but a major negative review found it tedious and unrewarding.

The cycle of exploring, fighting, discovering gear, experimenting with builds, and returning stronger is repeatedly praised as absorbing and difficult to put down.

One later review reported no random disconnects or lag spikes, supporting generally strong stability impressions.

Crash stability is excellent in the reviews that address it directly, with multiple long sessions reporting no crashes or major failures.

Inventory limits and stash pressure were the main resource-balance complaints, especially when quest items occupy space until full turn-ins.

Limited build resources can discourage experimentation, with one missed opportunity being a safe training space before committing materials to a setup.

The best moments were described as memorable, dramatic, hilarious, tragic, or relief-filled, giving raids real emotional stakes.

Finally overcoming a boss after repeated failures is singled out as one of the game’s most powerful rewards, creating a strong sense of relief and accomplishment.

Reviewers felt Arc Raiders smartly refines extraction-shooter systems and, at its best, pushes the genre forward through social design.

The open-world reinvention is still described as revolutionary years later, especially in how it turns traditional Souls difficulty into freedom to explore elsewhere and return stronger.

Movement was usually praised as fun, grounded, or fluid, though one negative review found basic navigation ponderous.

One reviewer finds the Switch 2 controls responsive enough that traversal and combat movement still feel dependable during demanding play.

Noise, sound traps, visual cues, item use, and environmental interactions were praised for shaping play.

The world is packed with encounters, treasure, NPCs, and unexpected threats, giving exploration a strong sense that something is always happening nearby.

Weather, lighting, particle effects, smoke, and environmental effects were often praised, with pop-in as the main caveat.

Large-scale lighting, spells, particles, and environmental effects remain impressive on Switch 2, though the busiest scenes can coincide with performance drops.

Reviewers split on the third-person camera: one saw it as reducing ambush frustration, while another saw corner-peeking as inherently unfair.

The camera remains a recurring weakness, especially in tight spaces or during hectic encounters. Several reviewers describe it as awkward enough to be noticeable even when the rest of combat works well.

Co-op was repeatedly praised as a major strength, especially with friends or impromptu allies, though team play also makes raids more aggressive.

The one reviewer who directly tested co-op reported smooth back-and-forth summoning and found fighting bosses with a friend highly enjoyable.

Reviewers generally liked the danger and high stakes, but several warned the punishing consequences and slow early climb can frustrate casual players.

The game is brutally demanding, but the open world, summons, build changes, leveling, and alternate routes give players many ways to respond to a wall. Some late-game and DLC encounters still draw criticism for spikes or mechanics that feel overly punishing.

Many reviewers called Arc Raiders unusually approachable for an extraction shooter thanks to free loadouts, solo matchmaking, and forgiving progress.

The opening is more approachable than earlier Souls games thanks to an optional tutorial, flexible starting classes, and many routes to power. Some reviewers still want clearer explanations of classes and core systems.

Proximity chat, emotes, and spontaneous cooperation were among the most praised parts of the game’s identity.

Asynchronous messages and easy matchmaking helped make the original shared-world experience feel unusually lively and communal.

Map and content variety were often praised, but some reviewers wanted more events, weapons, upgrades, or late-game additions.

The complete package is enormous, with weapons, armor, spells, builds, regions, bosses, dungeons, and the full expansion offering exceptional breadth. The edition-specific extras are much smaller, so returning owners may find the genuinely new material modest.

Positive reviewers described the game as a blast, a serotonin hit, or a phenomenal experience, even when acknowledging genre-specific caveats.

Despite the punishment, reviewers repeatedly describe the game as exhilarating, addictive, and hard to put down, with combat victories and exploration delivering sustained enjoyment.

Progression was widely praised for maintaining forward momentum, though some skill-tree and grind complaints remained.

Runes, flexible stat allocation, upgrades, respec options, and the expansion’s separate progression create strong build freedom. Some DLC-specific progression mechanics remain divisive.

Combat drew broad praise for tense, punchy, tactical third-person firefights, with only a few reviews calling it cumbersome or mediocre.

Combat remains one of the package’s biggest strengths, combining precise timing with shields, dodges, magic, summons, weapon skills, mounted fighting, and an enormous range of builds. Reviewers repeatedly describe victories as demanding but deeply satisfying.

The story premise drew interest, but one review wished the narrative were more present outside lore and cutscenes.

Story reactions are mixed: lore-focused reviewers admire its depth and environmental storytelling, while others find the central narrative too sparse or easy to lose track of during free exploration.

Bugs were usually described as rare or occasional, but reviewers still cited frustrating glitches, pop-in, and exploits because losses carry high stakes.

The shipped port is far cleaner than its rough preview build, with many reviewers seeing few serious issues. Pop-in, lighting glitches, resume quirks, and occasional odd bugs still appear in some playthroughs.

Exploration was widely praised for rewarding curiosity, hidden routes, dense maps, and environmental discoveries.

Exploration is the most consistently celebrated part of the experience: distant landmarks invite detours, hidden areas reward curiosity, and repeated playthroughs still reveal places, quests, and encounters reviewers missed before.

One review singled out Arc Raiders as highly immersive because its lore, world, sound, and machine threat all reinforce the fiction.

The combination of sparse interface, atmospheric art, sound, scale, and discovery makes the world exceptionally immersive even after hundreds of hours.

The game lets players choose between cooperation, betrayal, PvE, PvP, gadgets, and creative strategies in ways reviewers valued.

Players are free to change builds, choose routes, delay bosses, use summons, or approach encounters in very different ways, making the game unusually accommodating of personal playstyle.

Stealth was praised through shadows, foliage, detection behavior, and the ability to avoid PvP through careful play.

Stealth is not the main focus, but sneaking through dangerous areas is described as a fun and useful alternative to direct combat.

Reviewers consistently emphasized that Arc Raiders’ PvPvE structure creates unpredictable, social, and often hopeful multiplayer moments.

The online systems remain useful, but Switch 2’s isolated matchmaking pool is viewed as a meaningful loss for a game built around summons, invasions, and asynchronous interaction.

Inventory UI was criticized for lacking search and customization even though basic grouping exists.

The interface is intentionally restrained and mostly effective, while additions such as a recent-items view make it easier to track newly collected lore and gear.

Quest design was mixed: some quests guide players well, while others were vague, uneven, or narratively unexciting.

Optional questlines and their recurring characters are praised as a major source of charm, rewarding players who wander beyond the critical path.

World-building was a broad strength, with reviewers praising Speranza, map storytelling, lore hooks, and the surface’s lived-in detail despite some dissent.

The Lands Between remains one of the game’s signature achievements, combining environmental storytelling, mythology, strange characters, and memorable regions into a world reviewers describe as unusually rich and coherent.

Maps were praised for flow, markings, extraction pressure, and strategic navigation, with routes and timers reinforcing tension.

The expanding map supports discovery well, but its limited guidance can be both freeing and daunting depending on how much direction a player wants.

Maps received strong praise for flow, density, varied spaces, and strategic layouts across multiple reviews.

Legacy Dungeons, layered open spaces, underground regions, and the expansion’s vertical layouts are consistently praised as intricate, surprising, and among FromSoftware’s best work.

Sound design was the most consistently praised attribute, repeatedly described as excellent, informative, immersive, and tension-building.

The soundscape is praised for reinforcing loneliness, menace, and the weight of combat. Handheld speakers can sound thinner, but the underlying audio design remains strong.

Large Arc threats such as Leapers, Bastions, and the Queen were treated as intimidating cooperative challenges rather than simple targets.

Boss fights are widely admired for spectacle, challenge, and payoff, though some reviewers criticize late-game difficulty spikes, repeated encounters, or weaker bosses in specific regions.

Controller and console support were praised as an unusually strong genre win.

The Switch 2 version benefits from portability and some hardware support, but reviewers miss options such as a performance mode, stronger HDR behavior, and broader online compatibility.

Server impressions were mixed, ranging from good/no-lag reports to disconnects, queues, and early launch sign-in issues.

Online maintenance can force the game offline and prevent planned multiplayer sessions, making availability a practical inconvenience when it occurs.

Replay value was a major strength, with reviewers repeatedly saying they could not stop playing or wanted one more run.

Replay value is exceptional: alternate builds, missed quests, hidden areas, New Game Plus, and the new starting gear give veterans repeated reasons to return.

Performance was one of the strongest technical categories, with repeated praise for smooth play and solid optimization.

The final port is dramatically improved from the disastrous 2025 demo and many reviewers call it an impressive technical achievement. Experiences still range from near-faultless to noticeably rough in demanding areas, so optimization is strong but not uniformly flawless.

Music and audio presentation drew strong praise for industrial sci-fi mood, synth atmosphere, and complementing gameplay.

Music is strongly praised for elevating major encounters and strengthening the world’s dramatic, haunting identity.

Battery results vary by test, but most reports land around a couple of hours to roughly two and a half hours. Some reviewers found that acceptable for a game this demanding, while others considered the drain a notable portable drawback.

The game is more flexible than earlier FromSoftware titles, but dedicated accessibility accommodations remain limited for players who need broader options.

Reviewers generally praised Arc enemies as unusually intelligent, dangerous, and unpredictable, though one review noted moments where enemies lose track or navigate poorly.

Sites of Grace are generally placed close enough to major fights that failed attempts do not require long runbacks, keeping repeated boss attempts focused on the fight itself.

The new Idus and Heavy Knight starts are generally viewed as strong, useful options for newcomers and repeat runs. A few reviewers think their early equipment can be powerful enough to soften the opening challenge.

Spirit Ashes are repeatedly praised as capable helpers that make difficult fights more approachable without removing the satisfaction of winning.

Dialogue and vendor lines were criticized as flat, forgettable, or artistically compromised by generated voice work.

The experience remains firmly true to its Souls-like roots, preserving the demanding combat and learning-through-failure identity longtime players expect.

Fast travel is treated as a major quality-of-life strength, letting players escape areas they are not ready for and quickly return after upgrading or changing strategy.

The base game and Shadow of the Erdtree together offer an enormous amount of playtime, commonly described as well over 100 hours and potentially hundreds for thorough explorers or repeat runs.

Portability is the edition’s defining advantage. Most reviewers enjoy exploring, grinding, or tackling shorter objectives in handheld mode, though battery drain, small text, darker scenes, and Joy-Con comfort can limit very long sessions.

One reviewer specifically praises the tactile feedback, finding the controller response effective enough to strengthen the feel of combat.

Several reviewers compared raids to survival horror because of the fear, sound cues, darkness, and pressure around extraction.

Loading is generally acceptable to very fast on Switch 2, especially around fast travel and death, though a few reviewers notice longer waits than on more powerful hardware.

One negative review criticized the cosmetics and freemium-style store as visually uninspired and out of place.

One review liked that different drop conditions can create different quests or events on a map.

The Game-Key Card approach disappoints reviewers who want the complete game stored on the physical card, since a substantial download is still required.

Missed jump inputs on Joy-Cons can make precision platforming frustrating, especially in a game where a failed input may mean falling to your death.

Later coverage liked new content but said a major map update was not a true game changer.

The skill tree has meaningful branches and upgrades, but some reviewers found filler perks or stamina taxes dull.

Build freedom is exceptional: players can reshape stats, weapons, spells, armor, and playstyle with very little long-term commitment to the starting class. The new classes add more useful starting points rather than locking players into fixed roles.

Controller impressions depend heavily on setup: the Pro Controller earns praise, while stock Joy-Cons can feel cramped or tiring during long, demanding fights.

One review praised quests and trials for giving specific match goals with worthwhile rewards.

The open world is almost universally praised for freedom, density, verticality, and the way it turns difficulty into a choice to explore elsewhere. Reviewers repeatedly describe it as a benchmark for open-world action RPG design.

The one puzzle-related event mention was positive but limited, describing it as a nice diversion that needs more support.

Switch 2’s lack of cross-platform multiplayer is a clear limitation, keeping co-op and invasions separated from the larger PlayStation, Xbox, and PC populations.

Shadow of the Erdtree is repeatedly treated as a huge, high-quality inclusion that makes the package feel exceptionally complete. The smaller Tarnished Pack extras draw more mixed reactions, especially when judged as paid content on other platforms.

Support looked promising through roadmaps and updates, but reviewers worried future tuning could undermine the carefully balanced experience.

The small paid DLC is criticized for potentially breaking existing mods and forcing modders to support split configurations.

Sleep-mode behavior can force online players back to the title screen and create an unpleasant risk of losing recent progress when stepping away.

For newcomers, the base game plus Shadow of the Erdtree is repeatedly called a huge amount of high-quality content for the price. Existing owners have a weaker case to rebuy because the Tarnished-specific extras are comparatively small.

One analysis highlights a mismatch between circulated 60fps claims and the shipped 30fps-class performance, making pre-release performance messaging a notable point of skepticism.