Compare Arc Raiders vs The Last of Us Part II Remastered

Accessibility in the broad playability sense is positive, especially through free loadouts and approachability for extraction newcomers.

Reviewers praise the expanded accessibility suite, especially descriptive audio, speech-to-vibration support, and broader options that make the game easier to experience.

Evidence points to mature-only suitability: reviewers cite an M rating and warn that younger players or those without a strong stomach may not appreciate it.

AI behavior is one of the strongest themes, with many reviewers praising ARC intelligence, pathing, reinforcement-learning movement, and threat pressure.

Enemy behavior is praised for unpredictable patrols, strong aim, and AI that can swarm the player, especially in No Return encounters.

Aiming receives positive notes for accurate guns and satisfying precision shots.

Aiming is helped by precise PC controls and performance modes, with one technical review emphasizing fast aiming precision and dodging.

Animation quality is praised through ARC movement and reactive machine behavior.

Animation remains a major strength, with industry-best combat animation and varied contextual actions supporting the game's brutal presentation.

Art direction is repeatedly praised for retro-futuristic, industrial, post-apocalyptic style.

The art direction is praised through scenic, atmospheric landscapes that reviewers repeatedly stop to admire.

Atmosphere is praised through abandoned locales, weather, rain, robot threats, and post-apocalyptic tension.

The game maintains an oppressive, visceral atmosphere, with reviewers calling out its tension, revenge story, and masterclass sense of mood.

Battle pass value is viewed positively where the free Raider Deck and earned Cred rewards are mentioned.

Boss and large-enemy encounters are praised for Bastions, Leapers, Queens, and other set-piece threats.

Boss encounters are supported mainly through No Return and Abby-focused PC coverage, with reviewers highlighting memorable boss fights and final-run showdowns.

Bug frequency is mixed: several reviews report rare or manageable bugs, while others cite exploits, technical issues, or input problems.

Bug and stutter reports are limited but present in PC coverage, including texture glitches, foliage pop-in, and stutter entering dense areas.

Camera behavior is criticized by one reviewer for third-person corner-peeking advantages.

Camera praise is mostly cinematic rather than mechanical, with reviewers noting strong camera shots rather than camera problems.

Character development is supported by reviews praising Abby's humanization, character arcs, and the emotional impact of the main cast.

No Return's playable roster is a major positive, bringing Ellie, Abby, Joel, Dina, Lev, Jesse, Tommy, and others into the mode with distinct traits.

Co-op is praised for friends, squads, spontaneous team-ups, and group fights against ARC enemies.

The co-op experience is essentially absent; one review explicitly notes that the gameplay bones are there but the online infrastructure is not.

Combat is mostly praised as polished, tense, and satisfying, with isolated criticism that the basic shooting can feel mediocre.

Combat is one of the strongest areas, repeatedly described as dynamic, brutal, satisfying, and mechanically solid in both campaign and No Return.

Community features are a standout, especially proximity chat, emotes, and voice tools that let players negotiate or cooperate.

Community features are light but present through Daily Run-style shared challenges and leaderboard comparisons.

Competitive balance is mixed because PvP can shine, but campers, third-person advantages, and balance concerns remain.

Content variety is positive across maps, weapons, events, weather, modifiers, and enemy situations, with some late-game caveats.

The remaster is praised for its extras: No Return, Lost Levels, commentary, guitar free play, skins, speedrun tools, and other options.

Controls and shooting feel responsive in most reviews, although one console-focused review reported button input problems.

Controls are generally praised as responsive, smooth, and especially strong on PC mouse and keyboard.

Reviewers generally see the extraction loop as tense, addictive, and memorable, though a few found it tedious or repetitive over time.

The core loop is highly praised, especially the tight combat-survival rhythm and No Return's distilled version of the game's mechanics.

Crafting is useful and central, but reviewers repeatedly call the surrounding inventory and bench workflow cumbersome.

Crafting remains important, with reviewers tying it to survival, stealth, ammunition scarcity, and No Return upgrades.

Crash stability is mostly positive in the limited evidence, with one review reporting no crashes or dips.

Cross-play support is positively mentioned for Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and console-player access.

Cross-save support is supported by a review noting that PS4 saves and achievements can be carried over.

Dialogue quality is a weakness where AI-driven barks and flat delivery stand out against stronger presentation elsewhere.

Dialogue quality is split: one reviewer says no line is wasted, while another says some dialog exchanges stumble and bore.

Difficulty is intentionally punishing, with dangerous robots and high stakes that some reviewers praise and some warn about.

Difficulty is framed as challenging but fair, with selectable difficulty helping players ease into No Return while preserving tension.

Resource balance is mixed because stash limits teach prioritization but can feel stingy or tedious.

Resource balance is a strength, with reviewers praising scarcity that makes ammo, crafting materials, and every shot feel meaningful.

Emotional impact comes through shame, adrenaline, tension, betrayal, and relief generated by emergent encounters.

Emotional impact is one of the strongest consensus areas; reviewers repeatedly describe the story as heavy, upsetting, and memorable.

Endgame content is mixed: trials, projects, resets, and updates help, but several reviewers see long-term depth as uncertain.

Endgame value comes primarily from No Return's daily and custom runs, ongoing boss attempts, and reasons to return after the campaign.

Enemy variety is mostly praised for drones, rollers, Leapers, Bastions, Queens, and other ARC threats, despite one review calling designs generic.

Enemy variety is supported by No Return's randomized factions and the addition of new enemy types and infected encounters.

Environmental detail is praised through verticality, abandoned buildings, weather, lighting, and lived-in ruins.

Environmental detail is consistently praised, from photorealistic detail to Seattle's scenery, overgrown environments, and accurate city recreation.

Exploration is a clear strength, with reviewers praising hidden secrets, pleasant maps, and rewarding spaces to search.

Exploration is mostly positive because it rewards searching and environmental storytelling, though PC Gamer finds it more constrained than combat.

Facial animation and capture are repeatedly praised as best-in-class or amazing, preserving the campaign's emotional delivery.

Faithfulness is mixed but positive: reviewers call it a fascinating, bold sequel that recontextualizes the first game rather than repeating it.

Family friendliness scores very low because reviewers emphasize the game's violence, mature tone, and need for a strong stomach.

Frame rate stability is praised where reviewers cite rock-solid or consistent 60 FPS performance.

Frame-rate impressions are mostly positive, especially on PS5, though PC coverage notes some scene-dependent or configuration-specific issues.

Fun factor is very high in most reviews, with several reviewers saying they cannot stop playing or call it a standout multiplayer game.

Fun factor is strongest in No Return, where reviewers repeatedly describe the mode as fun, addictive, and a strong reason to replay.

Review evidence is strongly positive for gameplay mechanics, with reviewers describing it as a clear strength.

Gameplay mechanics are praised for fresh combat, stealth, top-notch play, and improved action systems over the original.

Graphics are broadly praised as beautiful, stunning, or technically impressive, with only minor visual caveats.

Graphics remain a major strength, with reviewers praising PS5 and PC visuals even when they call the upgrade modest.

Grind level is mixed: some enjoy long-term chase, while others find leveling slow or potentially tedious.

Handheld suitability is supported by Steam Deck impressions, which describe playable performance and a fruitful handheld experience.

Haptic feedback is widely praised on PS5, especially weapon resistance, bows, subtle vibrations, and DualSense immersion, though one PC review says it feels weaker than PS5.

Horror tension is present in stealthy, tense, and sometimes horror-like rounds.

Horror tension is strong, with reviewers mentioning anxiety from headphones, clicker sounds, and overall atmosphere.

HUD clarity is praised when the minimalist HUD keeps the screen clean and immersive.

Immersion is strong thanks to sound, world detail, survival tension, and believable threats.

Immersion is helped by DualSense, 3D audio, haptics, and environmental presentation that reinforce the harsh world.

Innovation is praised where reviewers describe the formula as genre-shaping, psychologically clever, or a new standard.

Innovation comes from the Lost Levels, developer commentary, and rare behind-the-scenes transparency more than from the unchanged campaign.

Learning curve is real: reviewers say systems are learnable, but players must learn through risk, failure, and repeated raids.

Learning curve is helped by selectable difficulty and clear No Return progression, though some automated hinting is described as blunt.

Level design is repeatedly praised, especially for verticality, strong map layouts, and varied spaces that create encounters.

Level design is mixed: reviewers praise design explanations and training of expectations, but one PC review finds navigation unclear.

Live-service support is cautiously positive, with roadmaps, patches, and long-term plans balanced by concern about future changes.

Live-service support is poor because the planned online or live-service multiplayer project is repeatedly referenced as canceled.

Load times are a clear improvement, with reviewers noting fast or seamless loading compared with older versions.

Loot is a core strength, making extraction tense and rewarding, though negative reviews dislike the literal junk loop.

Loot systems matter in No Return through randomized shops, rewards, modifiers, and challenges, though this is not a traditional loot-heavy game.

Lore depth is present through vendors, cutscenes, and environmental clues, but several reviews want more explicit story.

Lore depth is supported by environmental storytelling and optional encounters that reveal wider stories without large exposition dumps.

Map and navigation design is strong, with praised map variety, lived-in spaces, and multiple playable maps.

Map and navigation design is mixed: No Return's route board is clear, but some campaign navigation is criticized as hard to read.

Matchmaking quality is mixed: similarly sized squads help, but aggression-based or skill-based systems raise concerns.

Menu usability is the most repeated usability complaint, especially stash, crafting, and inventory management.

Menu usability is supported by the feature-rich extras menu and speedrun recap tools.

Microtransaction impact is moderate: cosmetics are present, sometimes paid, but several reviews say they are optional or restrained.

Mission design is mixed: objectives help guide raids, but several reviewers found them ordinary or checklist-like.

Mission design is strongest in No Return, where randomized encounters and changing objectives create short, focused challenges.

Mission variety benefits from map events and available quests, though not every objective feels equally meaningful.

Mission variety is a No Return highlight, though a few reviewers say encounter types can eventually become samey.

Monetization fairness is mixed-to-positive, with restraint and sensible pricing noted alongside concern over cosmetics and DLC direction.

Monetization is generally seen as fair because reviewers repeatedly accept or praise the $10 upgrade price.

Movement is described as weighty, grounded, and flexible, with sliding, climbing, grapples, and stamina limits shaping play.

Movement feel is praised for nimble combat, large arenas, smoother movement, and improved melee animation.

Multiplayer design is central to the praise, especially PvPvE tension, emergent player behavior, and genre execution.

Multiplayer design is effectively absent because the Factions or live-service project was canceled.

Narrative is mixed: the setting has promise and some reviewers like the story, but others find it thin or compromised by AI voice work.

Narrative quality remains the most divisive area: many reviewers call it profound or powerful, while others criticize cynicism, pacing, or its framing.

Onboarding is strong by extraction-shooter standards because free loadouts, early quests, and simpler systems reduce early friction.

Onboarding is decent through difficulty settings and hint prompts, though some guidance can feel artificial.

Online stability is mixed, with limited interaction and playable sessions praised but netcode and sign-in issues noted.

The large map spaces and dense locations make the open-world-style exploration feel strong within the extraction format.

Originality is mixed: some call it genre-defining or spectacular, while negative reviews call it generic or lacking identity.

Originality is mixed: the core game remains singular, but No Return is described as fun without being a unique roguelike structure.

Pacing is split: some praise the countdown pressure, while negative reviews call parts slow or sleepy.

Pacing is the most repeated story concern, with reviewers citing excessive length, elongated sections, and short lost levels cut for pacing.

Performance optimization is praised across several reviews, including strong PC/Xbox performance and smooth Unreal Engine 5 results.

Performance optimization is generally good on PS5 and PC, but PC impressions vary with some stutter and texture-glitch caveats.

Platform-specific support is positive where controller support and cross-platform launch are mentioned.

Platform-specific feature support is strong, spanning DualSense, 3D audio, VRR, FOV, ultrawide, HDR, PC options, and save carryover.

Polish is a major positive, with reviewers repeatedly calling the experience polished, finely tuned, or impeccably built.

Polish is generally high, with reviewers citing Naughty Dog polish, top-notch PS5 optimization, and a strong PC definitive version.

Progression is broadly positive thanks to XP, skills, benches, upgrades, and optional resets, though some reviews note grind or inventory friction.

Progression is praised in No Return through unlockable characters, cosmetics, bosses, modifiers, and an overarching progression track.

Protagonist appeal is mixed: Ellie is praised as carrying the sequel, but one reviewer says the character became harder to relate to.

Review evidence is generally positive for puzzle design, with praise outweighing the caveats.

Puzzle design appears mostly in Lost Levels and optional environmental sections, with reviewers calling out light or water-based puzzle elements.

Quest design is mixed, with useful structure and lore offset by vague instructions, uneven progression, or quality-of-life issues.

Remaster quality is strong as a special edition, not a remake: reviewers praise the package while noting visual changes are modest.

Replay value is strong for reviewers hooked by the evolving raids, though long-term content remains a concern elsewhere.

Replay value improves through No Return, daily/custom runs, unlocks, and extras, though a few reviewers question long-term staying power.

Sandbox freedom is praised through player choice, proximity-chat encounters, and flexible ways to approach raids.

Sandbox freedom is strongest in No Return, where custom runs, modifiers, and route choices let players tune combat scenarios.

Seasonal content has limited but positive evidence through daily quests, weekly challenges, and timed events.

Server reliability is mixed, with some queue/sign-in/server concerns and some reports of quick fixes or stability gains.

Side characters and vendors help sell Speranza for one reviewer, but the evidence is limited.

Side character depth is supported by praise for supporting performances and scenes involving characters beyond Ellie and Abby.

Skill trees add depth and build choice, but some reviews call certain perks filler or slower than ideal.

Skill depth appears in No Return through supplements, upgrade trees, skills, and temporary build decisions rather than a deep RPG system.

Social features are a defining strength, with repeated praise for friendly encounters, uneasy alliances, and emergent player stories.

Social features are limited but include friend comparisons on leaderboards for Daily Runs.

Sound design is one of the strongest consensus positives, repeatedly described as informative, immersive, and excellent.

Sound design is a major strength, especially stealth audio, clicker/stalker cues, and anxiety-enhancing headphone play.

Soundtrack quality receives positive notes when mentioned, especially its fit with the tone and gameplay.

Soundtrack quality remains strong, with reviewers praising the score and music's emotional impact.

Review evidence is strongly positive for stealth mechanics, with reviewers describing it as a clear strength.

Stealth mechanics are praised as improved, tense, and central to both campaign and No Return.

Tutorial and onboarding guidance is useful in some reviews, but others wanted clearer tips for what to keep or recycle.

Tutorial and guidance are present but mixed, with hints and commentary explaining scenes but some prompts feeling artificial.

Upgrade systems are praised for workbenches, weapons, bases, and stations that unlock better gear.

Upgrade systems are praised within No Return through weapon upgrades, skills, recipes, and character unlocks.

UI design is generally positive in the field and HUD, though back-end inventory systems are more divisive.

UI is mixed: the Extras menu is feature-rich, but one PC review notes a mouse/UI frame-rate issue and guitar free play clunkiness.

Value is generally positive, especially with several reviewers noting a fair $40/£30 price.

Value for money is usually positive, especially at $10, though one review argues the package may not be worth every player's time.

Visual effects are praised in combat moments such as shields breaking, sparks, and projectile impacts.

Visual effects remain strong, with praise for lighting, scenery, pop-in improvements, and environmental effects.

Voice acting is the most consistent artistic complaint, especially around AI-generated or flat vendor voices, despite one voice-disguise accessibility note.

Voice acting is consistently praised, with reviewers calling the cast superb and the performances central to the story.

Weapon balance is mixed: many reviews like distinct weapon roles, but several cite overpowered or stagnant weapons.

Weapon balance is supported by scarcity and weapon tradeoffs, where having ammo for one weapon often means lacking it for another.

World-building is a major strength, with reviewers praising Speranza, environmental storytelling, retro-futuristic identity, and lore-rich maps.

World-building is praised through Seattle's detail, environmental storytelling, and the expanded world of the sequel.

World interactivity is positive where quests, sound cues, and environmental observation matter during raids.

World interactivity appears in optional encounters, environmental clues, and small interactive moments that deepen the setting.

Writing quality is criticized where missions and narrative delivery are described as not award-worthy.

Writing quality is mixed but high-impact, with praise for intentional storytelling alongside criticism of some script choices.