There’s never been a better time to be a fan of extraction shooters, with the subgenre of the best FPS games wrapping even the most experienced players in tense, challenging situations. Even with Marathon and Hunt: Showdown giving FPS players a tough time, Escape From Tarkov makes them look almost childishly easy. This is one of the toughest games I’ve ever played, which is why, at its lowest price, it’s the perfect time to give it a try.
While Marathon remains a personal favorite of mine, Escape From Tarkov knocks the experience up to eleven. Every step in those fateful raids could be a misstep into death, and like any entry in the subgenre, that means going back to square one. All that gear, the hard-earned stuff you took into the raid, is gone, likely belonging to another player now. Sounds bad? It is, but that’s why every match is so intense and fun.
Wearing heavier armor means better protection, but it can also make you slow; like, ridiculously slow. You can arm yourself to the teeth with as much gear as you want, or as little as you need, but a well-placed shot can end the run right where you stand. Battlestate Games pulled no punches in making the game brutal, but the developer also puts its trust in you to eventually figure it all out, inevitably extracting from a run with a bag full of loot and the hope that the next run will be even better.
For years, it existed as a separate launcher, meaning you’d have to buy the game through the developer’s website and play it through a separate application. Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. Escape From Tarkov is finally on Steam, meaning you can dive in and play with other newcomers who are—like you and I—doing pretty poorly.
Escape From Tarkov won’t be everyone’s favorite game, and that’s fine. It’s not exactly a casual experience, but for those looking for a militaristic FPS that requires your patience and practice, Escape From Tarkov is just $34.99 / £30.79 at Fanatical, granting you a Steam key for the game at 30% off. That’s cheaper than Steam’s lowest price ever, which remains at a 25% discount.
I know what it’s like when you’re interested in buying a game, but you’re unsure whether to spend the money on it or not. If Escape From Tarkov is like that for you, then getting it at a discount will make trying it less stressful. Trust me, you’ll want to save the stress for those raids.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical’s deals team.
