Few first-person shooters match the immersive, adaptative gameplay of Escape from Tarkov and its hardcore players. Played online, the game pits opponents against one another in a nerve-scraping survival contest. Only those with the most skill and determination make it to the extract point with their lives and loot intact.
Given the exciting dynamics and thrilling gameplay that arise as the result of competitive play, it might seem foolish to some to play the game offline. However, Tarkov's offline mode can be an excellent training ground to hone one's skills and steel one's nerves. Escape from Tarkov is one of the hardest shooters around, and players need every advantage they can get if they're going to survive.
Updated on May 9th, 2023 by Hodey Johns: Initially, the concept of an offline mode seemed like something new players would want to do to practice for the immense difficulty of online play. It is this useful in this regard; gamers that don't like losing hundreds of times before they get a win will find that the offline mode is a fantastic way to prepare for the harsh realities of PvP combat. However, veteran gamers are finding that the intense online gameplay isn't always desirable. Plus, cheaters have run rampant and playing against them is not fun. It's nice to enjoy the rest of the game without constant fear and violence. For both groups, this guide has been updated to make it simpler to see how to go offline and exactly what going offline can do.
Going Offline
- Open the game.
- Select 'Escape From Tarkov.'
- Choose 'PMC.'
- Select the desired map & hour.
- Check the 'Enable practice mode for this raid' box.
Upon loading the game and selecting 'Escape from Tarkov' from the main menu, the player is given the choice of Scavenger or PMC raids. After choosing to play as a PMC (the player's main character) and choosing a map, the option to play offline is provided. By ticking the "Enable Offline Mode for this raid" box, the player transforms Escape from Tarkov from an online, multiplayer shooter into a solo, offline one.
It is also possible, following this same process to do SCAV modes offline. Finding valuable locations in SCAV mode while offline can help when popping back online.
Changing The Settings
Online, the player faces two threats: AI scavengers and other players. While playing in offline mode removes the latter, it only removes AI enemies if the player wants it to. Scroll down in the Settings screen to find PvE settings. As the game is offline, this will be the bulk of where players will be able to customize their experience.
The same screen that allows the player to enable offline mode also allows the player to tweak the options for AI enemies, including their difficulty, number, and whether or not they appear in the first place. With one of the best assault rifles and some easy enemy AI, players can have an enjoyable time.
Players can also tweak both the number and difficulty of the AI SCAVs that spawn. Rookies can then practice the basics of gunplay and learn fundamental tactics without getting shot as a gunfight begins. As players grow more confident, they can increase the difficulty, testing to see if they can still land shots from an elite sniper rifle into opponents as they move with increasing unpredictability.
Important Notes
- No gear can be lost.
- No gear can be gained.
- No experience can be accrued.
In standard online play, anything the player brings into a raid is at risk. If killed and successfully looted by an enemy PMC, whatever armor, weapons, and other gear the player had is lost, even if players had one of the best shotguns around going into the battle.
There is a flip side to the loot immunity that offline mode provides: just as nothing can be lost, nothing can be gained. If gamers find an amazing melee weapon, that weapon will be gone when the battle ends.
Online, the player's PMC develops with every raid. The longer they survive and the more they do, the more experience they gain. Skills level up, and loot is stashed away. Offline, none of this is true. The game allows players to loot, kill, level up skills, and otherwise grow during offline raids, but after the raid ends, this progress is wiped. None of it transfers to online play. The only thing to gain is knowledge of the game's most challenging maps.
Escape from Tarkov is in Early Access for PC.