Ark: Survival Evolved is a sophisticated action-adventure game that features both roleplaying and survival elements. Players are cast as space colonists stranded on another planet where prehistoric and fantastical creatures have made the environment extremely hostile to human life. While there are limits on the design, it provides players with as immersive of an open world environment you could possibly design for a mobile game.
Where Ark: Survival Evolved shines best is in the animal designs, which are rich and varied. There are numerous dinosaurs to raise and train, which makes it almost something of a virtual pet game that could be enjoyed merely for its dinosaur-rearing mechanics. Players who want a little more action will enjoy both the first-person and third-person perspectives that the game provides. In these scenes, Ark is every bit as good as many dedicated console titles.
As one levels their character up and starts to climb the tech tree, however, they might start to get a bit frustrated with how much Ark relies on grinding to acquire new powers. Some players may also find that crafting new tools and weapons is an extremely slow process, especially considering that certain in-world materials are finite and can take time to regenerate.
Alternatively, you could look at such drawbacks as an attempt to inject some reality into an otherwise fantastical game. Though it might take some getting used to for anybody who normally plays games like this with a controller, Ark: Survival Evolved packs quite a lot into a small mobile package.
Pros
- Features over 80 different dinosaurs to train
- Offers several maps to play on
- Gives players both a first-person and third-person perspective
Cons
- Heavily relies on grinding mechanics
- Crafting can be difficult and tedious
