ARC Raiders vs Halloween: The Game
A polished extraction shooter fighting cheaters versus an asymmetric horror game fighting its own balance — which mess can you tolerate?
Updated 5d ago
ARC Raiders' accessible extraction loop is worth it now, but cheaters and content droughts mean wait until the anti-cheat is fixed.
Skip unless you're a Halloween diehard — Michael vs. civilian balance flips every patch, and 27% of critics recommend.
By the numbers
Prices checked Oct 10; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Oct 10.
| Measure | ARC Raiders | Halloween: The Game |
|---|---|---|
| Value ARC Raiders wins on value | ||
| Price now | $19.99 −50% · Steam | $33.99 −15% · Fanatical |
| All-time low | $19.99 | $31.99 |
| Cost / hour | $0.43/hr $19.99 · 47 h main story | — |
| Off its low | At its low low was Oct 2026 | +6% low was Sep 2026 |
| Main story | 47 h | — |
| Health | ||
| Steam reviews | 82% 421k reviews | 66% 16k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 63% 4k votes · vs 82% lifetime · souring | 63% 5k votes · vs 66% lifetime |
| Peak players | 39,900 Sep 2026 · ↓ 3% MoM | — Not yet charted |
| All-time peak | 465,097 Jan 2026 · now at 9% | — |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 2 days ago | 3 days ago |
| Patch cadence | 15+ in last 90 days, at minimum | 6 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
ARC Raiders
Atmosphere and audio are the anchors for long-haul fans — the abandoned world and machine hums keep 1000-hour players hooked.
Cheaters and exploiters are the dominating frustration, with veterans abandoning balanced/PvP lobbies and begging for real anti-cheat.
from our August 2026 verdict
Halloween: The Game
Recreating the 1978 film's civilians and kills earns the franchise-faithful praise from 100-hour fans.
Michael's slashing meta and civilian nerfs are the balance wall even 95-hour veterans flag.
from our October 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick ARC Raiders if
- You love Apex Legends but want slower, atmosphere-heavy extraction
- You want co-op PvE without full-loot loss anxiety
- You care about audio design and worldbuilding in shooters
Pick Halloween: The Game if
- You're a Halloween diehard who forgives bugs for 1978 film fidelity
- You played Friday the 13th and want more uneven asymmetric horror
- You prefer a short story mode teaching Michael's toolkit over survivor grind
Bottom line
Pick ARC Raiders if you can tolerate cheaters for a solid 47-hour co-op loop; only pick Halloween: The Game if you're a diehard willing to accept 27% critic approval and three maps.