About Escape From Tarkov

"Trailer for Tarkov's 0.14 patch" 

“Escape From Tarkov '' is an online tactical FPS, embedded with realistic elements that brings it towards a hardcore and punishing atmosphere. Developed by “Battlestate Games”, Tarkov is all about survival. You’re dropped into a post-apocalyptic world in the fictional region of Novrinsk, Russia. With a limited supply of gear, you’re forced to scavenge, loot, and kill whoever and whenever you see fit in order to survive.

Escape From Tarkov Story

“Two USEC operators depicted traversing through Tarkov”

Most video games of the same genre don’t include a story and if they do, then it’s usually very basic. Good guys versus bad guys. Red versus blue. Opfor versus Blufor. Etc. Tarkov, however, goes in an interesting direction. 

The Novrinsk region, where your character resides, is a sealed off area caused by political tension that escalated into conflict. A political scandal involving TerraGroup Labs, a subsidiary of TerraGroup International Holding, which focuses on scientific research into biochemistry, started conducting illicit activities.

These illegal operations led to the employment of USEC and BEAR. Both very powerful private militaries. USEC was hired by TerraGroup Labs in order to cover up and destroy any evidence. BEAR was hired by the Russian government to gather evidence of TerraGroup Lab’s operations. Along with those factions, you have Scavs. Scavs are the locals turned militants, scavenging and much like you, trying to survive.

After many months of conflict, the Russian government quarantined the area. Now, any PMC or Scav within the borders of the Novrinsk Region are left to their own devices to escape from Tarkov, the largest city in the area.

Tarkov likes to incorporate their story in a healthy way. Not by shoving it down the throats of the players, like some games try to do, but by revolving the weapons, gear, missions, etc, around the story. At the core, Tarkov’s story is very much an East versus West conflict. But what makes it stand out from the rest is its ability to blend it in a realistic way.

What’s also interesting about Tarkov’s lore is that it is an extension of Battlestate's previous title, “Hired Ops''. Developed and released in December of 2016, the video game is a FPS much like Tarkov, only without the hardcore elements. It’s a much more watered down, arcade version of their current project.

Not only does Battlestate implement their story through the game, but also through writing and film. “Predator: Escape From Tarkov” is a book written by Alexander Kontorovich detailing an office worker turned Scav’s journey through the desolate region. Battlestate has also produced a multi-part short film series titled “Raid”. A very good live action rendition of their game.

Escape From Tarkov Gameplay

“A screenshot of a custom SCAR-H getting inspected”

 "Gameplay footage of Tarkov's new map, Streets"

So how does one play Tarkov? Tarkov is described as an extraction shooter. “Call of Duty’s DMZ” and “Hunt Showdown” are other examples of this new genre of FPS. The premise is that you spawn in at a random location on the map and have a time limit to reach an extract location.

It’s a simple objective but the difficulty lies in the mechanics. There’s no HUD to show you where to go or if you’ve been spotted by an enemy. No compass unless you bring it with you and read it manually. No respawn when you die and among other challenging systems.

When your character is killed you lose everything you went in with aside from whatever is in your character’s secure container; a special inventory slot where you can carry small items. There is an insurance system where you pay a slight fee before the start of your game to have your items returned to you at a later date, that is if no one grabs it off of your dead body.

“Two Scavs enter the dorms on Customs”

Tarkov also introduces the ability to play as a Scav. This means you spawn in with random gear, usually very low level, and there are no penalties when dying. Good thing about this is whenever you extract safely you keep whatever you got out with. There is a 20 minute cool-down however.

Inventory is based on a “jigsaw” system. This means that each item takes up a specific number of slots that can change based on how you modify that item. Backpacks, vests and secure containers are the only items that alter your character’s inventory space. “DayZ” has a similar system to this.

The main point of Tarkov is loot. You have to work to obtain money so that you can get yourself the gear that you want to use. The main way of doing that is by looting buildings, containers, and bodies. Learning what item is valuable and which one is garbage, is an important aspect of the game that can require some time to learn.

Loot spawns in set locations which opens an avenue to plan and strategize. These locations are well balanced with the amount of Scavs that may spawn around them or the other players who have the same idea as you do.

Bosses are also included in Tarkov. There’s currently 13 bosses, all of whom have their own story and in some cases items specifically made for them. Bosses spawn randomly however the spawn rate is not too high.

4 out of the 13 bosses spawn on a few maps whereas the rest of them are bosses of the map they reside in. They vary in difficulty but can be learned to understand the most efficient ways to kill them. The reward you get for killing a boss usually matches the fight it took to bring them down.

There’s currently 10 maps in the game, the newest one being “Ground Zero”. Each of these maps have a time limit ranging from 25 to 45 minutes which is plenty of time to reach your extraction point. But it is easy to lose track of time. If you don’t extract before the time runs out, then your character is given an “MIA” status and has the same consequences as dying.

The level design is very detailed with each object placed meticulously. Each location of the map gives a very post-apocalyptic atmosphere and is successful in introducing story elements in a visual manner. With 8-12 players roaming around and lots of Scavs, the maps feel true to the setting.

There’s always something to do in Tarkov. Whether it’s completing tasks, hunting down players, fighting with bosses, or simply looting. Tarkov offers a variety in how you spend your time in the game by not imposing any penalties. What makes Tarkov’s gameplay so exhilarating is the absence of direction.

Escape From Tarkov Combat

"Combat within the Streets of Tarkov" 

Tarkov’s combat is intense. There really aren't a lot of games that are able to replicate the adrenaline and fear that Tarkov produces when fighting a player or boss or even a Scav. Since there is no respawn, combat is very much based around strategy. It’s not about how fast you can get the kill, it’s about how you can survive the fight.

Firefights last either a split second or a few minutes. The time-to-kill in the game varies based on many factors. Ammo type, the weapon, the armor you’re wearing, etc. As is the nature of the game, combat is unpredictable. 

“The newly added SR2-M Veresk”

For most in the FPS genre, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2019” is where fans were first introduced to a detailed weapon customization system. However, Tarkov was ahead of their time by designing a system more realistic 5 years earlier.

In order to use a firearm in game you need to make sure that all necessary parts are attached. Gas blocks, pistol grips, sights, barrels, stocks and much more. Many would look at that list and be flustered with a shopping list just to fire a gun.

Weapons are modeled with extreme detail in the way they function and can be disassembled and reassembled. So much so, that each part is modeled and animated to work exactly like its real-world counterpart.

With a selection of roughly 70 firearms and hundreds of attachments to choose you’re able to reach an insane 3,000,000 different weapon combinations. This is very fun to play around with and in some cases is its own game within a game.

It’s important to point out the health system. Since Tarkov aims for realism there is no health regeneration over time. You need to heal your character yourself and in the proper places. Tarkov runs on a collective system where each limb, head, and body are averaged together.

When one of these places on your character gets shot you can expect them to either be blacked out which means that body part is unhealable, or a myriad of health complications. Fractures require splints, heavy bleeds and light bleeds require their respective bandages. Your character can even deal with pain which requires painkillers to get rid of.

This incredibly detailed medical system makes firefights all the more stressful. Where if one bullet doesn’t kill you, it can alter the direction of the fight immensely.

Due to the fact that Tarkov has a wipe system, every 6 months the playing field levels out. This unfortunately doesn’t last long. For new players combat is hard to even attempt since the majority of players you’ll be up against are using ammo and wearing body armor that your starting weapons won’t do anything against.

Combat against Scavs can be frustrating. There are moments where a Scav ends up killing you from a hundred meters away without you even knowing where they are. Boss fights are intense too, as they have very high level gear and weapons and health boosts.

Tarkov offers a more complex movement system than other FPS titles. With the inertia system giving your character more weight and the fact that your character’s arms get tired the longer you ADS. You’re given a lot of controllability over your character. Using your scroll wheel on your mouse you can dictate how fast your character walks and can cycle through different crouch heights.

You also have the ability to lean your weapon around a corner or above your head to blindfire. With Tarkov’s newest 0.14 update, players are given the ability to move your weapon to your left shoulder to help you lean left more efficiently. Also as said before there is no HUD so to know how many rounds you have left in your magazine you have to manually check.

These systems presented in Tarkov really increase the stress of firefights and can easily turn Tarkov from a shooter to a horror game.

Escape From Tarkov Quest/Mission System

As Tarkov is part RPG, it includes some questing. Quests are given to you by the in-game traders. Based on the trader level and what you have completed beforehand, you’re given a list of tasks. You either have to find x amount of items, kill x amount of Scavs or PMCs, or bring "x" item to "x" location.

At first the tasks are a little troubling and can take some time to complete but they get progressively frustrating as you continue to advance through them.

As an example, one of the most infamous tasks in Tarkov is, “Shooter Born in Heaven”. This requires you to get 3 headshots on PMCs on each map at a range of 100 or more meters. For any other game this doesn’t sound too bad. But considering that sometimes you’ll leave a match without a single PMC kill puts into perspective the difficulty of this.

The rewards you’re given at the end of the tasks depend on the task you just completed and sometimes how well you completed it. They can range from money to gear to useless items and can sometimes lower your reputation amongst other traders.

Reputation is an interesting system in Tarkov. It dictates what level you have with each trader and how Scavs and bosses treat you while you’re on a Scav run. Lower reputation means less friendly Scavs and mean bosses.

These Tarkov tasks offer you something to do but they can become very tedious. The end goal in completing all tasks is getting the Kappa case. This is the biggest secure container in the game and whether this is a viable reward for how long it takes to complete the tasks is up to debate.

Escape From Tarkov Graphics

“A beautiful sunny rendering on the map Woods”

Tarkov runs on the Unity Engine, so the graphics are pretty up to par with current titles of the same genre but can use a bit of updating. As pretty as Tarkov can look there are instances where this affects the gameplay.

Being mindful of where you’re facing in regards to the sun is very useful but because of this sometimes players or Scavs are hard to see. Lighting indoors works very well with light bouncing off of walls in realistic manners. However, the brightness of flashlights can be blinding which is of course frustrating at times.

"A beautiful showcase of Tarkov's graphics" 

Optimization isn’t the best but is manageable. Performance from map to map changes so there are some variations to the way the game runs. The settings are limited but if modified correctly can definitely increase FPS.

One thing that Tarkov does extremely well is its animations. Each weapon and usable item have beautifully rendered animations. There’s no jankiness or robotic feel to the way the character moves. It all feels very organic and adds to the immersion of the game.

New Content Updates

“Player emoting towards teammates in Team Deathmatch”

As of 2024, Tarkov has released one official DLC. Titled Arena, it’s a competitive team based version of Tarkov that Battlestate treats as its own title. Primarily focusing on pvp, the combat in Arena is more fast paced than its original counterpart.

Arena’s launch wasn’t that great in terms of public opinion. The game was launched with many bugs and is yet to reach its full potential. However it seems to be a good route for Battlestate to open up a new pvp-focused and casual experience for the community.

Tarkov unfortunately doesn’t have much of a modding community. “SPTarkov”, a single-player modded version, is the only platform that can give you a customized Tarkov experience. It is a separate launcher that allows you to load mods.

Escape From Tarkov Developer

"A screencap of Tarkov's development"

As mentioned before, Tarkov is developed by Battlestate games. A Russian originated video game company founded by Nikita Buyanov who branched off from “AbsolutSoft” in 2012 to venture onto his own projects.

Tarkov is Battlestate’s second video game. Before Tarkov came “Hired Ops” which was an extension in many respects to “Contract Wars”.

Battlestate has shown itself to be a competent video game developer as they understand the game they’re making along with who their audience is. But sometimes they seem to have trouble following community requests. 

There are some bugs that can be found when playing Tarkov. Most are cosmetic or don’t really take away from the experience. Others, however, can leave you scratching your head. Sometimes weapon ballistics don’t work the way they should or spawning issues that can have AI spawn right behind you.

For the most part Battlestate is aware of these issues and is constantly working on fixing them. Unfortunately, these fixes don’t come until much later.

One long standing notion that has been brought up in the community time and time again, is how Battlestate caters towards streamers too much. This can be argued for or against but it does seem to be that when streamers complain, those same complaints are turned into updates.

Though this doesn’t take away from them being vocal about Tarkov. Through their “Developer Diaries” series on YouTube, they are very communicative about the progress they make. Showcasing how certain systems are made and the tasks the studio goes through really keeps them connected with their community.

Along with posting memes and being in touch with community jokes, Battlestate likes to let the players know they haven’t left the project. There’s constant updates and maintenance done on the game.

Sadly Battlestate can be a little antsy with their content. Multiple YouTubers and streamers have been copyright striked by Battlestate for uploading gameplay content in a manner they didn’t approve of.

Escape From Tarkov Price

Tarkov is only available on PC and currently retails for $50 for the standard edition. $82 for the left behind edition. $110 for the prepare for escape edition. The differences between these versions can be seen in the changes of stash size and better starter equipment.

This does leave players with a high advantage depending on the version they chose to purchase. So the idea of this being a pay to win feature is up for debate. Aside from this, a $3 stash upgrade and a cosmetics unlock, there’s no other in-game purchases to be made.

Battlestate also announced a new Arena version of Tarkov which can be defined as a DLC in some regards. Unfortunately Arena costs an additional $35 which many say is not worth it right now since Battlestate has a lot to iron out with development. 

FINAL VERDICT

“Escape From Tarkov” in my own opinion is a very interesting game. I’ve dumped hundreds of hours into this game and have been keeping up with it ever since I saw the first gameplays of it over 9 years ago.

It’s very nice to see how far the game has come and how much it is improving by. The overall atmosphere, difficulty and uniqueness that Tarkov offers is like no other. However there are some aspects of the game that do leave it muddied. The biggest issue with Tarkov is the fact that it is in no way a casual game. 

Unless you dump hours day after day you’re going to be left behind and soon you’ll find yourself waiting for the next wipe because everyone has already surpassed you in gear and ammo. Once you’re out of the loop for even a week it’s very hard to catch up.

I think Tarkov is fun if you’re looking to play a game that’s challenging and willing to devote your time into it. If you’re fine with dying in frustrating ways and things not going the way they should then Tarkov is for you.

However if you like more arcade and fast paced games then you might want to look for something else.

Overall I would give Tarkov a 6.7/10. I think it’s a one of a kind game and a pioneer of the extraction shooter genre. However, there are still flaws that unfortunately take away from the game.

Pros

• Good graphics and animations
• Unique gameplay experience
• Exhilarating combat
• Immersive maps and atmosphere

Cons

• Very challenging, not meant for casual gameplay
• Steep learning curve
• Can feel more like work rather than gaming at times

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