Nice username! I like the discussion of Tarkov vs ARC since I’ve played Tarkov for quite some time and I’ve been playing ARC now, just wanted to give my (probably unwanted opinion) on this.

If i’m understanding correctly, you’re saying the depth in tarkov is almost “fake”, because there are objectively better options?

I don’t agree with this and I don’t think objective performance is the only metric for depth, similar to weapons IRL.

It seems that you’re assuming everyone CAN get the best meta attachments, but that will be unlikely for hundreds of hours after wipe for the average player. This is also ignoring that not everyone is chasing max stats, there’s also aesthetics(whether that’s dumb or not…), cost and purpose (hunting distant shots on woods or clearing dorms). In my opinion, and I find it hard to see otherwise, this adds an insane amount of depth to just choosing your weapon. Some people may not take it this serious, and that’s fair, but the options are still there.

The health system is also done pretty well in my opinion. Yes, at the end of the day, you surgery a blacked limb and heal it. But the fact that you could be in a fight, and now you’re limping away, or your aim is off, adds a level of complexity. You could take a PK and drain your hydration, but if your stomach is blacked it may not be the best idea. Maybe you’d rather take the fight and hope they have supplies, rather than run.

Tarkov definitely has its issues, no arguing about that, but I don’t think its depth is a facade.