With the upcoming release of Extinction, we decided to take a closer look at Ark: Survival Evolved, a game whose review we haven't reviewed yet. If you were wondering why there's been such a surge in online survival games lately, it's because of the game's success in Early Access. Everyone smelled the mountains of gold and rushed to create their own adaptations. If you want to download Ark: Survival Evolved for free, click here.
Without any memory, we land on the beach of an unknown land and must quickly start thinking about filling our stomachs and finding a roof over our heads to provide shelter during the cold, dark night. The roar of a predatory dinosaur in the distance makes things even more difficult. This is the very beginning of the game. There's not much of a plot, and we gather information about the world in small handfuls from notes we find. Enthusiasts will piece it all together, but the gameplay itself will suffice.
Initially, before the full release, players could only play on one map, "The Island," but the developers are gradually adding new ones both through free updates and paid DLC. Currently, there are five in total, of which only two require payment. Each world features a unique look and biomes. For example, Aberration is located entirely underground, while Ragnarok is a vast continent with colossal mountain ranges and an active volcano. The variety of locations ensures there's something for everyone. Personally, I enjoy playing Ragnarok the most, as it's a bit easier to hide from nasty invaders, which I'll discuss in a moment.
The gameplay combines everything you'd expect from a survival game. There's base building, hunting, temperature effects on the player, diseases, extensive crafting, and even character progression that allows for some specialization. There are also clans, called tribes, that often fight for dominance. Don't expect it to be a walk in the park here. This game is a monster that's not easy to tame.
The first few minutes are overwhelming, but everyone seems to have the instinct to start by building their first house. That's how it was for me. Using the tool proved simple and intuitive, but building on uneven terrain remains a problem. Unfortunately, the mechanics don't work well in a "natural environment," and many newcomers I've observed simply start from the beach because they can't manage to build foundations in the wilderness. Since you can only play solo or on dedicated servers, you can't avoid other players in online mode, and even on PvE servers, they can make life difficult for others. It's also disappointing that the first two tiers of buildings are practically useless and serve more as a way to gain experience and familiarize yourself with this crucial element of the game. The simplest buildings can be destroyed with a spear, and wooden walls easily fall to most dinosaurs. Since your body remains on the server after logging out, I would have expected greater security from the outside world.
Unfortunately, the developers also underestimated the high-level structures, which not only don't provide adequate defense but also boast strange stats. Huge hangars constructed from massive, side-by-side doors instead of walls (because they're more durable) look comical, but that's standard across all servers. A specific patch would be useful to improve this aspect, which, in my opinion, is the only one that has lagged far behind the growing competition. The easily destructible structure gives massive tribes capable of guarding their territory 24/7 a significant advantage.
A relatively simple and quite satisfying element in Ark is taking care of our avatar's needs. We must satisfy hunger and thirst, and also keep our character warm. Depending on the region we're in, temperatures fluctuate within a certain range, and unless we equip ourselves with appropriate clothing, exploring the desert or snowy taiga will be beyond our capabilities. Furthermore, slow health regeneration significantly increases hunger, while excessive heat increases thirst, so it's always worth having a supply of water and food in case of an unexpected event.
And this is where I come to the best element (or rather elements) that still distinguishes this title from its imitators. Exploring the map is essential to progression, but the dangers and living world ensure that each time we experience adventures worthy of a campfire tale. Let me start by saying that even the same patch of terrain varies between servers thanks to the random generation of trees, rocks, deposits, and fauna. Even after 100 hours on the clock, I sometimes got lost. There's also no shortage of stunning views. In your pursuit of resources, you'll explore various corners of the map. Each creature has a percentage chance of appearing in a given area, but while it's easy to spot a specific species in certain areas, you should never tread too confidently, as dangerous predators appear everywhere, often in packs. The beginning of your exploration is a combination of curiosity, quick feet, and looking around, as hungry beasts are just waiting for their next snack. Still, don't expect to be the center of attention all the time. Often, the player remains unnoticed in this living organism. Animals not only simply exist but also hunt, migrate for food, and fight for territory among themselves. It feels like an interactive Jurassic Park.
All fauna, including us, are characterized by experience levels. In the case of nature, this defines things like HP and damage dealt, while in humans, it defines points to be distributed towards stats, or so-called engram points. Engrams allow you to improve your character in many areas, from health to stomach capacity and even resistance to weather conditions. A cool theme allows you to adapt your character to the environment or role you're playing. Engrams, on the other hand, are the heart of the game – new technologies. With each experience level, you gain points to spend on crafting recipes, but you unlock them gradually by reaching certain thresholds. It's impossible to keep track of everything, but missing engrams can be found in special supply crates that drop randomly every so often. They also have their own experience requirements, marked with appropriate colors, and the better ones usually end up in less safe neighborhoods, but even in starting areas, I've seen the best ones. It's worth rushing to them primarily for the chance to find higher-quality equipment that far surpasses what you can learn. These scrolls are reusable, and they're also highly susceptible to being lost to other players. This leads to fights, raids, and general scuffles on PvP servers. A good shotgun has often allowed me to escape such encounters in one piece. It's a bit like the Wild West, isn't it?
I admit that I really like this progression system, which constantly gives me a sense of achievement while gradually introducing new players to new mechanics. Over time, you can craft firearms, traps, defensive turrets, agriculture, armor, and much, much more. All of this requires resources that appear in specific regions, which in turn forces you to explore the map. If you think Ark is a huge time sink at this point, you're right. Even playing solo, you need to maintain your base, gather large amounts of resources, and dedicate several hours a day just to maintain it. Although all the current ratios are doubled compared to those in Early Access, it's still not easy.
Take another element of the game as an example. Most creatures can be tamed peacefully or (usually) indirectly, with the required time and food/sleep potions increasing depending on their experience level. The better the beast in the wild, the more powerful it will be in your hands. To compete with others, you need to aim high, and to avoid wasting even eight hours of babysitting, you need to dedicate much more time to preparing the appropriate food from other dinosaur eggs. The system is very complex and interesting, but it can consume a significant portion of your life, and potentially many people. This "detail" aside, taming is a blast, and each beast has several uses, from gathering and producing resources to combat mounts and even siege platforms! If you want to be more than just hidden souls, unfortunately, you have to play in a group. Ideally, a large one so others don't push you around, because, as you might imagine, other tribes can be very aggressive. Furthermore, I won't deny that this title requires a lot of dedication. I remember a good two years ago, reading the wiki instead of a book before bed, and our conversations at work revolved around what dinosaur we needed and how much oil and ammo we needed for the next week.
Private, dedicated servers with even higher speeds, rules, and above all, dum dum dum – MODS – can come to the rescue for lone wolves. From maps, to new creatures, to completely different mechanics. All this awaits you in the easily accessible Steam Workshop, and I must admit, player creativity knows no bounds. Today, I even found a mod that allows you to have armed guards controlled by AI, like in Conan Exiles. I must admit, I really miss that in the main game, where I can feel safe even without friends.
Graphically, it's still decent, and it was the first title to support DirectX 12. I'm just not sure if Unreal Engine 4 is suitable for large sandboxes, as optimization still leaves a bit to be desired, and unless you have a powerful PC, forget about smooth gameplay. Apparently, it's not very stable on consoles either, but I played the PC version, so I didn't have the opportunity to test it myself.
In summary, Ark: Survival Evolved is a massive behemoth that will devour your souls, most of your free time, and in return, reward you with a lot of death and an often ruined base. Despite a few flaws, it's worth playing at least once. The mediocre construction system, excessive time constraints (private servers are a lifesaver here), and the dominance of offense over defense are irritating, but hardcore survival fans who demand more won't find anything better. Even the newer competition loses out in my opinion, offering huge, empty shells against a powerful, living organism. Oh, and watch out for oversized mantises... seriously.
