DO YOU EVEN ARK, BRO?

Alright ladies and gentlemen, here it is – another ARK article.

I’m not gonna hide my intention here behind smoke and mirrors. My goal is to get each of you to see this game through a different filter and perhaps even give it a shot. Now I know this game has been out for years, however, with new content being delivered constantly, the feel and play-ability of this game evolves quite often.

Let me showcase a few scenarios and see if I can’t change peoples perceptions on this being JUST a sandbox game with dinosaurs in it!

The Scene

Picture this:

The sun is just starting to dip below the horizon. You’re piloting a B-52 Bomber with a full payload. To either side of you, fighter jets are scrambling for the confrontation. You approach your target stealthily, using the dark of night as cover. You flip a switch arming machine guns and rocket artillery. You sound the attack to your troops and they parachute out of the back, steeled and ready for combat.

Sounds cool right?

The Reality (And The PVP)

What if I told you that you can do ALL of this and more in Ark?

Take for example, the Quetzal, a noble and huge prehistoric bird. Some might say the B-52 of the ARK world. Affixed to its back a platform saddle in which you’ve installed a generator and several machine gun and rocket turrets. Accompanied by members of your tribe armed to the teeth with assault rifles c-4 and parachutes ready to dive into an enemy base and attack for the glory of your tribe and the spoils of war.

To your left and right are Pteranodons, the fighter jets of ARK, diving in and snatching up defenders carrying them off into the night to be killed, devoured, imprisoned, or dropped from a high height to their untimely deaths.

I’ve only spoken of two flying creatures in the game, but I bet I have your attention. With 130+ existing creatures and more making their debut every update, the battle plans are as extensive as they are creative.

Take for example, the lowly Carbonemys (huge ass turtle). These dudes have massive HP. I like to send hoards of these guys at an enemy base for the purpose of depleting their ammo stores, thus nullifying turrets.

Or how about the silly Dodo? They’re fast and efficient to tame and to the naked eye quite harmless, until I strap c-4 to them and set them to attack your base!

The Grind

Now as for the sandbox features, sure – you DO have to harvest materials to be able to craft all of the games weapons, defenses, crafting stations and building materials. That said, it’s a riot taming the games many dino’s and using them to do so. Stegos for berries, Ankies for metal, Prehistoric beavers for wood.

It’s a blast trying to harvest with the realization that at any time you could be sniped off by an enemy tribe or eaten alive by any number of the games hostile wild creatures.

The PVE Environment

Survival on the ARK is harsh, to say the least. It is a savage yet beautiful landscape rife with pristine waterfalls and lush biomes. Don’t let that fool you though, as dang near everything on ARK poses a threat.

Underwater is every bit as diverse and deadly an environment as on land. Massive sharks, angler fish and even electric eels are some of the many creatures you will find in the murky deeps. On land there are caves to explore, which are kind of like a dungeon in RPG terms and are filled with creepy crawly bugs and bats and all sorts of nastiness.

There are also Alpha dino’s to face off against. I consider Alphas to be like mini bosses; they pose a real challenge but if you come prepared, you can take them down without too much difficulty. And if all of this wasn’t enough, you can tame and breed your dino’s to gear up for massive boss fights as well.

Now, if you’ve made it this far into the article, I’m going to let you know that ARK is still downloadable on GamePass. It’s a worthy venture and a true gamer’s game. It rewards your time and perseverance with many hours of joy and satisfaction at every feat completed.

If you’re smart, cunning and ruthless enough, YOU may not only survive the ARK, YOU may just thrive on the ARK!