Ark Park’s announcement comes two weeks after ARK: Survival Evolved was officially announced for the PS4, despite the studio initially saying that the game would only be released on PC and, after the game sold over a million copies in Steam Early Access, the Xbox One. The game is currently available on three platforms, albeit in a development state, and features survival gameplay on an island filled with all kinds of different dinosaurs which players can tame and then ride into battle against other players.
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Ark Park promises to be a bit more Jurassic Park than a dinosaur Hunger Games - a look at the trailer as well as the announcement by developer Snail Games shows that the game will have some features of ARK: Survival Evolved’s gameplay but will focus more on exploration and learning about dinosaurs. Players will be able to explore the varied biomes that ARK’s world offers, from snow-capped peaks to thick forests to lush jungles, finding out which dinosaurs live where and collecting their “gene cubes.” These are essentially entries into the player’s in-game encyclopedia and will be the main educational aspect of the game.
The survival element comes into play when trying to find the gene cubes: players will have “to use a combination of puzzle-solving logic, action skills, exploration, and careful resource management to bag the most prized animals,” according to the press release. The trailer shows there will be plenty of action to be had as players run and jump to avoid being eaten while on safari and they will also be able to participate in the signature Survival Evolved activity of hunting, taming and riding dinosaurs.
Ark Park seems like the kind of game virtual reality was made for: players will be able to immerse themselves in an alien, fascinating world far from their own experience by simply putting on a headset. Ever since Jurassic Park came out in 1993 people have been able to imagine what dinosaurs would look like, soon they will be able to experience it.
Ark Park will be available in 2017.
ARK: Survival Evolved is now available in a development state on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
