Escape From Tarkov Is Finally On Steam And Nobody's Happy

"Escape from Tarkov 's efforts to move on from its early access period and become a full release have not gone smoothly. Steam users lament a variety of concerns with the new 1.0 release, from gripes over the pricing of different versions to complaints that just launching the game is a laborious and frustrating process. On November 15, hardcore extraction shooter Escape from Tarkov saw two notable events occur. Firstly, it emerged from a beta status, which it was in for over eight years, into the full, official 1.0 release. And secondly, it arrived on Steam."

""[It's] one of the most premium pieces of launcher software I have ever purchased," reads one of the top "Most Helpful" negative reviews on Steam. "Great hardcore experience, it already starts with trying to launch the game - 10/10" reads a cleverly disguised "positive" review in the same category. That critique doesn't seem to be an overreaction either, as several other reviews cite an hours-long struggle just to get into the game."

"These launch issues follow recent turmoil within the game's community over the fact that the Steam version would require a separate purchase for those who already owned the game. And that controversy came fresh after developer Battlestate Games faced tough criticism over a controversial $250 version of the game. Like your average game of EFT, it's messy."

Escape from Tarkov exited early access after over eight years and released version 1.0 while launching on Steam. The Steam release generated many negative and mixed reviews due to frustrating launcher and long startup problems that left players struggling to simply launch the game. Players also criticized pricing choices, including requiring existing owners to repurchase on Steam and controversy around a $250 edition. Director Nikita Buyanov anticipated negative reactions as user reviews dragged English ratings to Mixed. Despite issues, the game's hardcore extraction gameplay continues to appeal to a dedicated subset of shooter enthusiasts amid growing interest in the extraction-shooter genre.

Read at Kotaku