ARK: SURVIVAL EVOLVED
Survival Evolved makes its Sony dino debut
What a fine day for a prehistoric stroll. Wait, what’s that bundling towards us..? Oh, we’ve been stomped to death by a wild female Doedicurus. Swell. Fret not, this new respawn point looks pretty saf… Dang. We really should have spotted that level 70 Thorny Dragon sooner. Welcome to Ark: Survival Evolved, the online sandbox where both dinos and Smaug’s second cousin want to eat your face.
Studio Wildcard’s T. Rex-riding adventure hit Steam Early Access in June 2015. Since then, over five million PC players have hopped onto its servers, and its success prompted the team to bring Ark to PS4 last December. Hold onto your butts… and every other craftable supply you can get your mitts on.
Don’t go into Ark expecting the finished Allosaur article, though. Like the PC original, this toothy open world is still a work in progress. Buy the game now, and you’re taking a gamble on Studio Wildcard hitting its goals for the final product.
“Ark’s going to receive a great many updates on PS4 between today and its ultimate ‘content complete’ point in spring,” promises team co-founder Jeremy Stieglitz. “Beyond that we will continue to add creatures, items, and mechanics.”
COME DINO WITH ME
What state is it in now? It’s still fairly rough. Graphically, Ark is muddy, while PS4 performance chugs badly. The core action is bewildering, too, mainly because the game explains nothing. You’re dropped into the world cold and naked, then forced to survive by taming dinos, foraging for food and crafting weapons. Expect to scour YouTube for help early on.
Yet we can all agree it’s a very cool premise, and its PC audience is hooked for good reason. Consider it a case of claws crossed that Ark can improve and fulfil its potential. The Founder’s Edition is available on the PS Store right now for 29.99.