They bring extra dimensions to the typical multiplayer FPS dynamic, but principally, the lure of extraction shooters is in their difficulty – if you want something more tactical, realistic, and punishing than a free-fire round of CoD and Battlefield, you look to Arma, Gray Zone Warfare, and maybe Delta Force. Such is the spirit of the new Escape From Tarkov event. While it takes a fantastical, survival-horror-inspired leap away from the grounded, milsim aesthetic of the base game, with a new raid, a hyper-hard boss, and some extremely tough-to-acquire gear, Battlestate Games says that the suitably named EFT Labyrinth is one of the greatest challenges in the game to date, and you can play it now.
There are a lot of recent contenders for the extraction FPS game top spot. Hunt Showdown 1896 just got a new update. I’m also curious about Wraith Ops. But for the time being, Escape From Tarkov still feels like the top dog – the new event, released alongside a fresh patch, crystalizes a lot of EFT’s character. It’s all based around the Labyrinth, or, to give it its correct name, ‘Λabyrinth,’ a new location that’s just opened up under the Shoreline health resort. After you complete a series of storyline quests in either PvP or PvE, the Labyrinth will open up for you. That’s when things get tough.
In a team of five, you’re presented with a series of traps and puzzle rooms in the vein of Resident Evil and other classic horror games. Hidden pits. Tripwires. And, of course, some bloodthirsty enemies. BSG itself admits this is “one of the most intense challenges in Tarkov.”
And then you get to the center, and come face to face with the new Escape From Tarkov boss, Shadow of Tagilla. A unique enemy, the Shadow carries a double-headed axe and can wreck even the most experienced and prepared EFT veterans in a single hit. Even after the Shadow is dead, you still need to collect the plunder and find your way back out. All told, this isn’t for the faint of heart.
Alongside the Labyrinth event, the new Tarkov patch introduces audio and visual refinements and also improves enemy AI and rebalances a number of different weapons and equipment pieces. Available from Thursday March 27, you can try the Shadow of the Labyrinth Escape From Tarkov event right now.
Alternatively, you might want to play some of the other best war games, or maybe the best survival games on PC.
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