Disclaimer: I am simply listing games that have the features that a hardcore extraction shooter would need.
Since 2016, with the release of Escape from Tarkov, players around the globe have gone crazy of over extraction shooters. Games like Hunt: Showdown and DayZ have nearly captured the feeling, and the upcoming Delta Force seems like it’ll be close to Tarkov. The problem with Hunt and Delta Force though, is they feel more arcadey and don’t capture the same intense feeling of survival. There’s still no game that fully embraces what makes the grandfather of the genre so beloved (and hated at times).
Somehow, the genre of the extraction shooter feels like an untapped market. There’s a mass of players that simply want a hardcore FPS with a detailed health system, a heavy focus on looting, and an in-game economy. I can’t help but feel like it’s do-able, but why it hasn’t happened is beyond me. Inventory management can be reworked for controllers, and a health system isn’t out of the realm of possibility. DayZ has (mostly) proven that it’s possible.
I believe the answer may lie in the beliefs of many triple-A studios. They seem to be stuck in the era of hero shooters, with games like Concord being a frequent thing (until they weren’t). It seems every major publisher has one at this point. It feels like they think console players need games like this to be dumbest down. It’s crazy because honestly, hardcore shooters don’t have to be locked to gaming computers.
Exhibit A: DayZ
Bohemia interactive’s DayZ is probably the biggest supporter of this idea. The game has an in depth inventory system, detailed health including specific wound types like heavy bleeding and bone fractures, an open world, and (mostly) tactical gunplay. There are even servers that attempt to replicate the feeling of an extraction shooter. For many console players, it’s the closest they can get to Escape from Tarkov. The only thing missing is the extraction aspect, and militant AI instead of “infected”.
Exhibit B: Rainbow 6 Siege
While it may be an unpopular comparison, Siege has at least the skeleton of a hardcore extraction shooter’s gunplay. It already has a heavy emphasis on positioning, rotations, and peaking, as well as mostly realistic damage (i.e. headshots=instant kill). Add an in depth health system, loot and an inventory system, and different armor types, remove hit markers and special abilities, and you’ve got yourself an extraction shooter.
Ubisoft kind of attempted to make a game like this when they released the Rainbow 6: Extraction spinoff. But that was closer to Call of Duty: Ghosts’ Extinction mode than anything, if we’re being honest. I’m partially surprised they didn’t just make a game like Arena Breakout Infinite. Speaking of that…
Exhibit C: Arena Breakout Infinite
The last and most likely example comes in the form of a game that is currently only on PC. Arena Breakout Infinite is essentially a replica of Escape from Tarkov in nearly every way. It’s so similar that many people initially assumed that Tencent simply stole the game’s code. After playing both games, it really is the whole experience, albeit free-to-play with the dreaded microtransactions.
The devs did recently announce that the game will come to consoles sometime in the future through their discord, though. The release hasn’t even been hinted at, but it’s supposedly on the way. So if PS5 is on the table, many just may have the Tarkov-like shooter they’re hoping for.
Credit Where It’s Due
The least tactical of all, Helldivers 2 really only fits the bill loosely. Sure, you infiltrate a location, complete missions, and gather collectibles. But you can die multiple times, it’s only PvE, and the collectibles are very specific and only serve one function. So it’s not hardcore, but still, it’s a ton of fun. It’s a great game that focuses on teamwork, has a cool universe, and for many it could be a good introduction to a whole new kind of game.
The Question Still Stands
Will we ever get a hardcore extraction shooter on PlayStation? The odds look good, it’s just a matter of waiting. As the genre grows and more people are intrigued by it, console developers will eventually have to at least try to make it happen. It’s such an untapped market that any release has a high potential for success, and the first game to get it right will have a hit on their hands. I just hope we see it within this generation.
