Ark: Survival Evolved
Platform: Windows, PS4, Linux, OS X, and Xbox One
Developer: Studio Wildcard, Instinct Games, Efecto Studios, and Virtual Basement
Publisher: Studio Wildcard
Release Date: June 2016
Author: K.D.
Since the beginning of archeology, humankind has always been interested in what kind of creatures roamed around the Earth before us. One of the most celebrated classification (dog, bird, fish, etc.) of pre-human times is the dinosaur. Have you ever wondered what life with dinosaurs would be like? Surely, the ineffable T-Rex would be our demise! Well, either way, the four studios mentioned above worked tirelessly to give us a simulated answer to those wildest dreams, Ark: Survival Evolved.
First of all, this game has been in Early Access on all systems so far, except for the PS4. Steam started the Early Access in June 2015 on PCs; Linux and Macs in July; and Xbox One in December. The full game is to be released in June 2016. So this is akin to a beta test, where players within the communities are encouraged to give feedback so that the developers can improve the gameplay and mechanics for a more consistent finished product. One such change was the incentive of an endgame to which players can strive, or they can continue to survive in a Jurassic world. A cool side-note: the full game is reported to be launching with Oculus Rift and PS VR support, and that Xbox One versions will be released through ID@Xbox (which is a really great system to support indie developers).
So let’s get down to the actual game. What is it? Survival Evolved is a classified as an action-adventure survival, and is played through 1st person gameplay with some 3rd person scattered in there. There is some serious exploration going on in this game, and the construction of defensive bases. Bases require structural pieces which can be crafted, such as walls and floors, doors, and can be then placed into the world. Bear in mind that it needs to be structurally sound; if your base’s foundations get destroyed, get what’s next to go? THE WHOLE BASE. Weapons and items can also be crafted, though technology for crafting is required. And if you die, you’ll drop your current inventory (but not the knowledge you’ve collected) and respawn at a designated spawn point or, if you haven’t done so, randomly near where you enter the game. To replenish your health, eat food and the player’s health bar will regenerate progressively.
What’s super cool about this game is that you can domesticate creatures. By feeding it food. Once tamed, you can use and abuse your creature’s ability to your fancy. Ever wanted to fly high into the atmosphere and drop into a nosedive to see how fast you can go? As an acrophobic, this is my worst nightmare. BUT it sounds like fun in a videogame, so bring it on! Need to cover lots of ground quickly? Hop on your speedy dinosaur! You can also give your pets commands to defend a cave entrance while you go spelunking, or to aggro a base while you slip around back. With sixty different types of dinosaurs and other things like sabretooth tigers, mammoths, dodos, and giant rideable frogs, there’s a lot of variety that this game presents. What’s even cooler than this? Every living creature in this game belongs to an ecosystem that hierarchizes the food chain, and you can experience the wonders of nature! #NerdAlert
The graphics are pretty on par with most current-gen (or is it next-gen, I can never remember which is which) games, in that it works off of the Unreal 4 engine and looks absolutely wonderful. There was a lot of consideration that went into the creation of this Jurassic world, with (post-)modern twists! The music score for Survival Evolved is also pretty fantastic in that it adapts to whatever situation you’re in. The main theme begins pretty and calming, though the booms of the drums and swelling crescendos soon take over and make me feel pretty epic. This goes for most of the soundtrack, it’s almost a rousing call-to-arms to explore and not die! So… do, and don’t.
This game is well worth checking out, from the active exploration that has been embedded in human nature for as long as we can remember, to DINOSAURS, to strategic building and defense mechanisms, to simply appreciating a time long since passed; the reasons for playing this game are just as plentiful as there is to explore. And just think, if you have a great idea before June of this year, hop on the Early Access (sorry PS4 players, I weep with you) and try to push for your idea to become a reality. From what I understand, the developers are happy to try new things.
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