Extraction shooters can be hit or miss, as not many can replicate the success that Escape from Tarkov introduced to the genre. That doesn’t stop some bold challengers from challenging the king, and no, we’re talking about Marathon, but rather, Escape from Duckov. This new extraction shooter is releasing on the PC on October 16, and it’s about to test its duck– sorry, luck in the genre.
Escape from Duckov was developed by the 4-person team at Team Soda and published by BiliBili (yes, that BiliBili from China). Team Soda’s other games include Soda Crisis and Snake Force, both of which are well-liked on Steam. Escape from Duckov has also been wishlisted by more than 400,000 on Steam.
So while Escape from Duckov might sound like a joke, parodying Tarkov is certainly one of its strengths as an extraction shooter, and it has trended quite well in the past. Despite its prime FPS inspiration, however, Escape from Duckov is assuming a top-down view instead of Tarkov‘s nerve-wracking first-person view.
And just in case you’re in a fowl mood over the recent system demands of recent shooters, Escape from Duckov‘s visuals are more modest and cartoonishly minimalistic, perfect for budget-oriented gamers. Escape from Duckov also further distances itself from its inspirational namesake by including a base-building mechanic, turning it into a fully-fledged survival game.
Of course, it being an extraction shooter means you still have to make it out alive in Escape from Duckov. The game’s page has made this kind of gameplay loop clear enough: “Start your journey as an Average Duck—ordinary stats, one basic gun. Gather all sorts of curious items, build your hideout, upgrade your gear, and struggle to survive in the world of Duckov—until you make it out alive.”
A New Home for Tarkov Players? (Probably Not)
It’s no secret that Escape from Tarkov has had many controversies in the past, particularly with regional pricing changes and a $250 expansion. Tarkov‘s players have since called out the developers for the rather exorbitant pricing. This year is not without its string of controversies, with many players still hounding the developers on social media.
Sadly, Escape from Tarkov is somewhat one-of-a-kind, and there aren’t many extraction shooters out there that can match what it created. Escape from Duckov isn’t it, despite being only $17.99, and the wider availability between Windows and Mac (or in this case, Quackintosh). Still, Escape from Tarkov supposedly promises “50+ HOURS of gameplay,” which ought to be enough to distract you from your Escape from Tarkov woes.
