Dr Disrespect has put his weight behind Escape from Tarkov, the hardcore FPS title climbing back into popularity in December, claiming Battlestate only needs to make one big change to turn their title into a true heavy-hitter.
Escape from Tarkov is enjoying a little renaissance to end the year, sparked by the game’s new voice proximity feature that lets players team up and roleplay.
The hardcore Battlestate Games shooter can hit even loftier heights though, claims star streamer Dr Disrespect, if they changed just one thing about the cult title — make onboarding for both new and returning players “just a little more forgiving” in the early stages of each new server wipe.
“The game is tedious for those players,” he said.
“The way the game is built, it’s really cool, I really love it, but it’s tedious. That means you have to be grinding the game constantly, and that’s bad for its popularity.”
According to Dr Disrespect, who touched on his main Tarkov problem in a December 29 stream, Battlestate only needs to dial down the brutal nature of the game’s earliest stages and it can truly explode.
“Every time someone wants to get back into Escape from Tarkov or they play for the first time, you go through this bad part. Your character feels sluggish and slow, you’re just constantly catching your breath. I know you level up and that changes, but then everyone is asking, do I want to go through this?
“It’s tedious, and it means anyone that isn’t grinding the game 24 hours a day is at a disadvantage. Immediately. That’s not fun, and it makes the game less fun. That’s the one thing that Tarkov really needs to fix.
“Listen, I think it’s really fun. I think more people would play, but there’s this big barrier. Honestly, that’s all that needs to change, and it could take over.”
Doc then conceded — something he doesn’t do much, we’ll tell you — that his Tarkov suggestions don’t exactly fit the “brutal” nature of the game. Battlestate Games has crafted a truly hardcore experience, which he praised, highly.
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“I like it, it’s cool. They’ve got it how they want,” he said.
“The problem is it’s only cool when you’re grinding constantly, you have heaps of money. Things like the PMC raids, that’s a good example. Dying and waiting, that’s cool. But for new players, it just feels bad, in my experience.
He added: “I really do like Tarkov. I want more players. It’s just one thing, right at the beginning, that a lot of people don’t enjoy. That’s stopping it being huge.”
Dr Disrespect also had another request for Battlestate — add more Escape from Tarkov maps, including “several little ones” for violent, speedy fighting.
“Hey, even with that grind,” he continued, “I had a really good time playing Escape from Tarkov, not even going to lie. I’d love to see some more maps added too, more places you can go. I just love the concept and love the game, so I’m always quite interested in where they’re going to take it next.”
“I’ve got a feeling that Streets [the next Tarkov map to be released] is going to be pretty intense. That’s what everyone is waiting for. I’ll do a fresh wipe for that map.”