The extraction shooter genre entered a competitive era as games like Gray Zone Warfare challenged Escape From Tarkov’s throne. If you’re new to the genre, you might be wondering whether to play GZW or Escape from Tarkov, and it’s not an easy choice.
Gray Zone Warfare vs. Escaping Tarkov
Escape from Tarkov has been the go-to extraction shooter for a while now, largely because there was no real competition. This slowly changed with Call of Duty's premier DMZ mode and now the arrival of GZW. Secondary market entrants often try to improve upon the formulas of firstcomers, which benefits gamers in the long run.
The biggest difference between GZW and Escape from Tarkov is the learning curve. When I first played Tarkov, learning the ropes felt a lot harder than in GZW. I think GZW is a lot friendlier to newcomers and can be more forgiving when it comes to mistakes in the game. While losing a shootout and hitting zero HP would make me feel like I was going to rage quit in Tarkov, that’s not the case in GZW.
Compared to Tarkov, GZW also places more emphasis on factions and squad play. While GZW can still be played solo, it encourages players to work together more.
