The extraction shooter genre is an interesting one, to say the least. It’s inherently niche because of the high level of risk associated with every run, and regular resets mean that only the most dedicated players will have good gear all the time. Still, that hasn’t stopped developers from trying to cut out a piece of the extraction shooter pie, all to various degrees of success. Some titles, like Bungie’s excellent Marathon, struggle to gain a consistent player base, while something like ARC Raiders has proven to be a massive hit. Even if some feel the extraction shooter genre will soon grow crowded, there’s more for fans to look forward to, from MW4’s returning DMZ mode to Halo’s rumored extraction shooter to Steam games like Gravebound.
Steam’s Gravebound is a cross between Borderlands’ art style and ARC Raiders’ mechanics, and given the state of both these larger IPs, it’s coming out at a perfect time. Borderlands 4 may have been well recieved upon release, but its post-launch support has been terribly disappointing, from poor seasonal events to a lack of raid bosses to short story expansions. And though ARC Raiders remains fairly popular, its player count has started to dip, as the move to big, bi-yearly content drops has led to droughts where there’s little new to do. With both looter and extraction shooter fans likely craving something, Gravebound has a big opportunity ahead of it if developer Crater Studios can stick the landing.
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Gravebound Features at a Glance
- FIGHT a range of machine enemies in six-player co-op.
- BUILD your ideal survivor with “endless” variety, as relics, augmentations, and weapon upgrades will be available.
- PERSISTENT progression means long-term upgrades via systems like CEP Progression and the Tinkerer.
- DYNAMIC runs promise players will encounter a variety of upgrades, squad combinations, and more each time they jump in.
- EXPERIENCE a stylized, colorful world that offers a mix of comic books and sci-fi.
Gravebound is a 6-player co-op extraction shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by rogue machines. Scavenge valuable loot, survive intense firefights, complete dynamic objectives, and extract alive to keep what you earn. Push deeper for rarer rewards, tougher enemies, and higher stakes.
Gravebound Doesn’t Just Have Borderlands’ Look, But Its Depth, Too
As soon as you load into Gravebound, its visuals should feel familiar. Sure, some details — like the comic book-esque “boom” text appearing when blowing something up — stand out, but overall, the architecture, character models, and overall visual style feels just like the original Borderlands. However, any Borderlands fan will know that the series’ iconic art style is only one piece of the puzzle, as building out your Vault Hunter is just as crucial to those games’ successful formula. Fortunately, Gravebound seems poised to offer its share of build variety, which should help significantly with replayability.
Alongside persistent upgrade mechanics resembling the unlocks from Marathon’s faction contracts — a few systems called CEP progression and the Tinkerer will get players some long-term boosts — each run will offer exciting items you have to extract with to keep. Sure, there are the expected weapon upgrades to add attachments and stat improvements to their guns of choice, but you will also be able to find relics and augmentations for their character. With dynamic runs being a key feature of Gravemind, no two runs will play the same, meaning that there’s no telling which relics, augmentations, or upgrades you’ll find on each deployment.
If that wasn’t enough, Gravemind also seems to have a fair bit of Borderlands’ signature humor up its sleeve. “Chaos” is thrown around in its Steam description about as much as it is in the marketing material for any given Borderlands game, while some of the potential enemies are on par with the series’ walking, talking Tediore guns. Supposedly, you will have to contend with “fridge tanks, sniper microwaves, exploding toasters, angry vacuums” and deadly “blenders.” Seeing household machinery serve as the inspiration for enemy designs feels like the concept for a Borderlands side quest, but don’t worry — ARC Raiders’ DNA is very much present.
ARC Raiders’ Machine Foes and Emergent Co-Op Gameplay Carry Over to Gravemind
Unlike Borderlands games that limit co-op to four players, Gravemind will allow teams of six to enter the same map. With groups the size of a raid party from the Destiny franchise, it’s no surprise that this particular extraction shooter is advertising arguments, stress, and humor alongside its actual features. You will have to drop in, fight or avoid killer robots, and get out with all the loot you can, with nail-biting escapes and epic revives sure to happen on a good portion of runs. So, if you’re looking to “create disaster stories” you’ll talk about forever, Gravemind is undoubtedly worth a spot on your wishlist.
