ARK: Survival Evolved (FINAL REVIEW)

From a Beta to the final product Wild Card Studios', "ARK: Survival Evolved" has evolved into quite the polished product. While I did notice some lingering issues in the form of a half-done "Survival Guide" tutorial section without control explanations included, and a couple of bugs the game impressed me enough to get a recommendation in my Youtube video review. I think the developer's dedication to the project through the Beta phase, and future content scheduled for release beyond the final version is enough to make me believe that the game will continue getting the love and attention it needs to make server play last. Server play, as you might have guessed is a key selling point for ARK. It allows for online coop, and competitive clan/tribe play on hosted, or non-hosted servers. For those of you worried about a more singular experience there is a singleplayer option within the base survival mode. If you prefer server play though you can find those lobbies ready for your enjoyment. The catch is you'll get the base game at the base price, and the DLC add-ons at a more premium price. The DLC in question adds in extra server options based on new unique in-game areas.

Ark: Survival Evolved (PS4 Impresions)

Before I say anything I need to say this ... 'Ark: Survival Evolved' is still very much a work in progress. It will not be finished until Spring 2017, and even after that I imagine the developer will continue supporting the game with patches, and updates. To date, the game has received many such updates including new crafting items, new environments/servers, and new beasts of burden (or prehistoric creatures). As far as the state of the game goes I've played both the Xbox One launch release of the game, and this newer PS4 port of the same release. In both instances I was met with initial confusion, a lack of control functionality comprehension, and a lack of mechanics comprehension. I did, however understand it was a first-person survival game at heart, and that it had "Minecraftian" elements embedded in the game's UI (User Interface), but with no tutorial or reference guide I was unable to grasp what it is I needed to do in order to not die or even to bring up the menus. I also realized in my aggravation that the game harbored RPG, and online competitive features that worked together in a server only presentation. Since it had been so long from the time of my former Xbox One playthrough though I met up with the same frustrating factors, and unfortunately that frustration ran off about 18 viewers from my Twitch stream. Nobody likes seeing some virtual caveman named "BeezleBob" wandering aimlessly around in a dark island jungle for 30 minutes straight with nothing to visibly see. Nor do they like hearing me rant and rave about a lack of explanation as I failed continuously to see the controller diagram available right in front of my eyes within the "OPTIONS" menu. Seriously Brad? ...

Ark: Survival Evolved - Day 2 (PREVIEW)

This morning I spent a couple of hours getting back into the PvE side of the"Ark: Survival Evolved" preview on the Xbox One. For whatever the reason the second go around was vastly more pleasant, and greatly more enjoyable than my first time with the game. The graphics definitely looked better. There were also less noticeable texture issues, and the frame rate hiccups weren't as bad as they were before. On top of that I finally figured out how to craft things which in turn allowed me to survive longer than I did before. I still feel that the menu management UI isn't as user friendly as it should be, especially in regards to the crafting mechanics though. I'd highly suggest referencing the in-game manual before getting into the game. As far as the fun factor goes this game is amazing! I feel like I'm a part of a living prehistoric ecosystem every time I get into it. I've had some laughable moments as well as some moments of discovery that kept me wanting to play more just to see what I could find.

Ark: Survival Evolved (PREVIEW)

Instead of taking to Twitter, and spamming your timelines with my thoughts on the Xbox One "Ark: Survival Evolved" preview experience I figured it best to include it all here on this blog post. That way you can reference all of my thoughts any time you wish ...

When 'Reverb Inc.' contacted me about getting in on the preview of "Ark: Survival Evolved" I was honestly very excited. What got me even more excited than that base excitement was the fact that I was given the go ahead to stream, or post my thoughts on the game if I so wished. Not many PR, developers, or publishers have the brass balls to let the journalism outlets have at their game so early on, and this alone had me thinking we might actually be seeing one of the Xbox One's best game offerings yet. You can imagine the thoughts racing through my head when I realized that. While my anticipation was definitely hyped up, and my anxiousness to get into the game and hunt dinosaurs was to the extreme I found said expectations met with a bit of disappointment. Mind you, the game is still far from being hammered out to perfection though, and I expect it will be a work in progress up until release date. I fully realize that this is a preview build, and that the final product will no doubt function, and look much better than it does now. At least I'm hoping so.