Extraction shooter is a fussy, intimidating name for what was once a fussy, intimidating genre. The impenetrable militarism of Escape from Tarkov was for years the tone-setter – but now the pool is thankfully deeper, wider, and warmer.
The genre has a couple of defining traits: you need to “extract” – leave, basically – at the end of a run to secure everything you’ve gathered so you can add it to your permanent stash, and if you die you lose what you’re carrying. But beyond that it’s surprisingly flexible, and even some of these core pillars are now being challenged. You’ll find PvP mosh pits, singleplayer-only adventures, and even a brilliant top-down shooter starring cute ducks.
This is a great overview of extraction shooters! It’s interesting to see how the genre has evolved and how it compares to games like Arc Raiders. Looking forward to exploring more about these titles!