A great example of this is Escape From Tarkov, which wasn’t the first survival game, but one of the few that has changed the genre for the better. Its ultra-realistic play style has made it one of the most brutal survival games to date, where players must manage everything.

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From the type of bullets they hold to how many items they have all while trying to survive as long as they can, this makes Escape From Tarkov a fun and immersive experience. While the game has a steep learning curve and is unforgiving with almost everything designed to be pitted against the players, Escape From Tarkov can become somewhat easier by the player’s load out. Specifically, shotguns, since most guns in Escape From Tarkov act like real-life guns, the shotgun class shows off that realism quite well. If players choose to run shotguns in the game, they should check out this list because it’ll have an impact on gameplay.

5 Toz-106

This shotgun is a rather questionable one because while it has high damage, it suffers from insanely bad recoil. It’s a great shotgun to have for the more running and gunning play style, because if players hit once, the shot lands and kill. But players need to note that the Toz-106 isn’t that great in the more spread-out location in Escape From Tarkov, but rather the smaller, and close-quartered areas, where players are forced to fight in the confined space.

It can be modded several times making it a little better, but for starting out the Toz-106 is great for what it can do. However, players can get the armor in Escape From Tarkov, with some sets better than others, and this shotgun wouldn’t be ideal for a head-on fight against an armored enemy. Because it does not penetrate armor, so players will have to shoot for the limbs, but as mentioned before, if they do that, players can get high damage, due to the Toz-106’s power.

4 MTS-255-12

One of the many things that have gotten better is the number of places players can go to in Escape From Tarkov, and this shotgun highlights the diversity of the game. The MTS-255-12 has pretty good range, players can fight in dynamic ways depending on the area but has limitations that force the player to either upgrade or get a better weapon. But if they want that power, plus a short-to-medium range gun, this is a great starting point.

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Since Escape From Tarkov is one of those games that are harder for newer players, the MTS-255-12 can help them adjust to the combat of the game better. However, the reason why it’s this high on the list, is that it’s a hard gun to use out of the box, but with upgrades, it can get a little easier to use. On top of that, when fighting a PVP fight, players should note that they need to run and gun because the recoil is so high. On the other hand, the negative qualities can be managed better than the Toz-106.

3 MP-53

Pump action shotguns while slower, does massive damage which can lead to more experienced players using them longer because they know how to time shots better than newer players. The MP-53 is like that, its slow fire rate gets made up for its power. The game features “wipes” meaning Escape From Tarkov severs get scrubbed making everyone lose their progression, so all of them start at zero.

The MP-53 is a great shotgun after the wipe happens, because right when players pick it up, it already has great range, high power, and less recoil, but a slower fire rate. However, since all players are on the same level, this shotgun outperforms most weapons post-wipe. The more interesting part about the MP-135 is that it’s better at long-range fights, so if players are fighting in a building, they should use a shotgun that can do that.

2 M3-Super-90

Now, players, who have this shotgun in Escape From Tarkov they can get super deadly. One of the best things about the M3-Super-90 is that it can be upgraded to be a semi-automatic shotgun, allowing players to be great with both types of shotgun layouts. One of the more advanced tips in Escape From Tarkov is being quicker than the enemy, even if players have the pump action, they can surprise attack the enemy and down them faster.

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On top of that, when players fully upgrade this shotgun, it can outclass even the best weapons in Escape From Tarkov. So it’s great for them to have, and due to the versatile nature of the M3-Super-90, players can be more adaptable when they fight. Going from indoor to outdoor, or vice versa comes much easier with this gun. Plus, if players are good enough with this shotgun, they can fight a lot more aggressively.

1 Sagia-12

Probably one of the best weapons overall players can get in Escape From Tarkov. Because of its high degree of customization, giving players a lot more options with how they fight, and its rather affordable price tag, all render this a great weapon to use. The modifications allow it to be even more deadly, players can have either a 5-shell magazine which is great, provided players hit with a few shots, or a 20-drum barrel magazine, which allows players to fight aggressively.

Because it’s a semi-automatic, players can shoot first and faster, so PVP fights become more engaging since the ones who have the Sagia-12 will be able to counter most attacks, due to its much more diverse usage. Players can fight in many ways with this gun, and that can make them more deadly. As mentioned before, the Sagia-12 is not that expensive, and out of the box is already quite brutal, so the sky’s the limit in terms of what players can do with it.

Escape From Tarkov is available now on PC.

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