2024 is the year of supposed Tarkov killers. Already we have had multiple games launch in the last six months that were heralded as the game that would finally improve on the Escape From Tarkov formula and steal away a chunk of the player base. Gray Zone Warfare for example is great, but a very different style of game, while Arena Breakout Infinite’s beta has been disappointing. But now there is one that I honestly believe is the closest we have to a true Tarkov rival; Level Zero: Extraction.
At first glance, Level Zero: Extraction looks quite different from Tarkov. Instead of welding massive guns with tons of attachments, you are running around with torches and glow sticks, at least in the early stages. Then an alien pops out of a vent and ends your run with a move that is closer to a horror movie than an extraction shooter. But once you get past the major differences, Level Zero: Extraction does a lot of things as well, if not better, than Tarkov.
Ignoring the ability to play as the alien, which is a fun distraction, Level Zero: Extraction has effectively the same gameplay loop as Tarkov. Load into a map, try to find the best loot you can, and then extract. Loot isn’t quite as exciting as in Tarkov yet, but that’s partly because there isn’t much to do with it. However, when you do find something rare, that gear fear kicks in immediately in a way that I’ve only ever experienced in Tarkov.
The player versus player combat is also very similar is how it plays, especially with the new weapons that have been added in the current playtest, which has just been extended by a few days, so there is still time to get in and try it if you want. You’ll be taking things slow, relying on sound, and in this case light, to figure out where your enemy is and if you should try to take them down. Lethality is high, and one well-placed shot can bring down another player.
This will likely all sound very familiar to Tarkov players, as it is what the game arguably does the best. Level Zero: Extraction isn’t trying to copy Tarkov like Arena Breakout Infinite, but it does feel very familiar. The different setting and wildly different map design changes how it plays moment to moment in a lot of instances, which is perhaps why this doesn’t feel like an outright Tarkov clone, but it still manages to elicit the same emotions and feelings that Tarkov does when it is at its best.
When you add in the fun ability to play as the alien and the combat against them with light, which is an incredibly clever idea, the complexity of Level Zero: Extraction only increases. While it will likely never be as difficult to learn as Tarkov given its millions of weapon builds and complex tasks, there is more than enough variety to keep you playing for a while, and this is only in a beta stage.
The make or break for Level Zero: Extraction will likely be if it can add more content that gives you more of an overarching mission and adds a bit of variety to the map pool. If it can pull that off over the coming months leading to release, then this could end up being the next big extraction shooter out there. I doubt it will kill Tarkov, because that seems to be somewhat of an impossible task, but for any fans who are looking for something new, this is one to check out.