EFT Tutorial and Guide
THE TARKOV CENTRAL
Listen Carefully
Listening to sounds and identifying their direction is essential. This is true for all FPS games, but especially in EFT, where the maps are large and complex, and you can’t predict or monitor every angle from which you might be attacked.
It’s crucial to listen closely to the noises around you and, at the same time, to make as little noise as possible. This helps avoid detection by enemies but also allows you to better hear the sounds of approaching foes.
To this end, it’s also essential to have high-quality headphones—both in the game (headsets equipped on your character) and as a physical gaming accessory.
Check this video by Gigabeef about EFT sounds and which are the best in-game headsets.
You don't need the volume turned up too high!
While some sounds, like the footsteps of players or AI, can be faint and barely noticeable, setting the volume too high can backfire. Loud sounds from your own movements or gunfire can deafen you, making it harder to detect quieter sounds (and potentially damaging your hearing).
Finding the right balance is key.
If you’re having trouble distinguishing sounds, rather than increasing the volume, consider investing in better-quality headphones. And with this I mean both the in game ones, and the in real life ones you use for gaming. For the real ones, in-ear monitors (IEMs) can also offer great performance at a lower cost than over-ear headphones.
Note: Unfortunately, EFT’s audio can sometimes be buggy, so if you didn’t hear an enemy, it may not be due to your headset or a lack of attention. You’ll need to learn which situations (and specific areas on the maps) might cause audio glitches, where the game’s sound isn’t always reliable.
TIP: to better understand the direction a sound is coming from it's often useful to rotate your head (using freelook) or whole character. By listening on how the sound moves among the left and right hear, you will be able to understand better, for example, if it's behind or in front of you.