#MAP OF THE WOODS ESCAPE FROM TARKOV UPDATE#
#MAP OF THE WOODS ESCAPE FROM TARKOV TRIAL#

It also definitely helps that I chose to jump back into the game so shortly after a wipe (a periodic event where the progress of all players is reset) as I meant that I was very unlikely to run into any seriously kitted-out players. There are lots of easily recognizable landmarks and I can already get to most of the extraction points after just one afternoon playing. In contrast, the simple, compact layout of Ground Zero is super easy to learn. Most environments are absolutely massive, and I was barely able to wrap my head around a small portion of Woods even after consulting a fan-made map.

#MAP OF THE WOODS ESCAPE FROM TARKOV TRIAL#

Escape from Tarkov doesn’t feature any kind of conventional map for players to check their positions, meaning that much of your traversal relies on memory and trial and error. It's also the absolute perfect way to help develop key vital navigational skills.

The map’s small size means that you’re almost always guaranteed to run into other players which, although terrifying, has done a far better job at getting me comfortable with the combat mechanics than trudging around a seemingly endless forest without so much as seeing an enemy player ever could. The spoils of my first raid (Image credit: Battlestate Games) This included an absolutely incredible ambush in the central street, where Jake and I mercilessly pulverized two clueless level 10 players while we were perched on a sneaky vantage point at the top of an elevated walkway which resulted in me gaining a whole loadout of valuable plundered gear. It seems like it’s been designed to facilitate close combat encounters and I got into a handful of memorable firefights in my first run alone. Called Ground Zero, the map is planned to have a separate matchmaking pool for lower level players and consists of a small city block with a handful of abandoned buildings to explore.

#MAP OF THE WOODS ESCAPE FROM TARKOV UPDATE#

Under the watchful eye of our resident 3,500+ hour Tarkov expert and Editor-in-Chief Jake Tucker, I managed to get a decent grip of the basic mechanics without too much frustration - even if he hasn’t quite forgiven me for that one time I accidentally shot him in the back in the middle of a firefight.Įven though we had our fair share of memorable matches, the formula never really clicked with me until the game’s most recent update which features a brand-new map geared specifically towards newcomers like me. The only thing that stopped me from ditching the game entirely was the enjoyment of playing with friends. My first priority was to try and get to grips with the sprawling Woods map, but my experience mostly boiled down to catching a last-second glimpse of a heavily armored player crouched in a distant bush before immediately dying of a shot to the head. These systems meant that I didn’t have the best time back when I initially started playing about a month ago. Throw in a very fiddly inventory system, tricky weapon handling, and the need for your character to frequently eat and drink, and it is an awful lot to deal with at first.

Sound and positioning is also vitally important and, as a less experienced player, it took a good few hours and a surprising amount of concentration to stop myself from inadvertently revealing my position by accidentally brushing past foliage or stepping on broken glass. Any injury can be lethal too, meaning that you’re highly likely to find yourself bleeding out in a nearby ditch if you sustain a serious wound without immediate access to any healing equipment. Firefights are almost always fast, brutal, and intense, with enemies (or you if you’re not paying attention) going down after just a couple of well-placed hits. The stakes are already high when your entire loadout is on the line but Escape from Tarkov takes things to an even more punishing level than most with its unforgiving commitment to realism.

MAP of the woods escape from tarkov