Those hoping for an internal view mode should not get their hopes up. Embark Studios, the game’s developer, has no plans to include one.
Two extraction shooters, Bungie’s Marathon reboot and Embark’s Arc Raiders, are coming soon, and both had the opportunity to prepare with playtests. According to Arc Raiders design director Virgil Watkins, the timing was fortunate. It was an opportunity for Watkins to see how players would react to the two games’ different designs. He said he didn’t scrutinize the game, as most of the Marathon tests were restricted. However, he was rooting for the game’s success.
“It was very coincidental that they had their test around the time we did. As far as I know, none of us knew that was going to happen. It was a great A/B test for us because they made decisions we didn’t, and vice versa. We could compare and contrast how some of those things shook out. It was interesting to see what players thought about certain things and what did or didn’t work in their context or ours. I found the art style very evocative. I’m personally curious to see how it ends up. I hope to see more of that in the future,” said Watkins.
Arc Raiders is a third-person shooter, so it’s unlikely that it will have a first-person perspective (FPP) mode. According to Watkins, the game was built for a third-person perspective, and he doesn’t see any advantage in switching to first person.
“I think the quality that our animation, audio, and environment teams have brought to the game, in terms of the immersion, the world, and the interactions that your character has with the things in the world, the enemies, and the other players, has amplified so much that it all works together as this very nice package. You can really place your character in that world. That’s not to say it’s impossible in first person, but third person worked so well for us that we never really considered first person. I know there are hybrid models, like Helldivers 2 and a few other games, but for us, trying to do that would require us to reevaluate how our areas are built and laid out because first person gives you very specific sight lines. Once you can put your face right up against an asset, it kind of falls apart,” Watkins added.
He also mentioned issues with the game’s geometry and the quality of the tools that need to be addressed because everything in Arc Raiders is designed to be seen from above the shoulder and from a distance. Ultimately, it’s highly unlikely that Embark will ever add a first-person view, though Watkins understands why people are asking for it.
Arc Raiders will be released on October 30 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC.
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