Since December 2020, ARK fans have been waiting for new information about ARK 2. At the Xbox and Bethesda Showcase 2022, it finally happened: There was a new trailer. The excitement quickly turned into disappointment, as there wasn’t much to see. However, there is plenty of new information that Studio Wildcard shared on Steam and their own website.
What does the new trailer show? At the beginning of the trailer, we see a Dodo. This is a small, harmless bird that is then chased away by a Dino – presumably a Deinonychus – at 00:41.
Shortly after, a Tyrannosaurus Rex enters the scene, scaring off the significantly smaller Dino. We also see Santiago da Costa (played by Vin Diesel) and his daughter riding a T-Rex (from 00:42). Then a date follows: 2023. The fears of ARK fans are confirmed, ARK is delayed.
By the way, here you can see all further info regarding the release, trailer, or gameplay of ARK 2.
Why is the trailer disappointing? Cinematically, the trailer looks good, but apart from the delayed release, it offers players no new information – it just looks good. There was also no hoped-for information about a possible PS5 release of ARK 2.
Climbing, fighting, and parkour – New ARK 2 information on the websites
What information does the trailer not show? What Studio Wildcard missed with the trailer, the development studio made up for elsewhere: On various websites and platforms, such as Steam, we have seen numerous new information since the release of the new trailer that sounds really good. MeinMMO summarizes what is stated there.
Exploring the world of ARK 2 in third-person
What new information is there about the world of ARK 2? In the world of ARK 2, a completely new experience is to be created through the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5, which affects weather, smoke, or even foliage.
- The new map: ARK 2 takes place in the new world of Arat. The inhabitants of this world are called Aratai.
- The Aratai: The inhabitants of Arat, the Aratai, see humans as intruders and therefore want to drive them out of their world. Aratai will hunt you down, attack you, and ride on their own tamed creatures.
- Dynamic world events: In ARK, there will be natural and unnatural events that will occur in the game world independently of the players’ presence. Interacting with world events offers a challenge and can yield a reward. Examples of world events include herd migrations, gatherings at watering holes, or wounded creatures.
- Natural behavior of the game world: In ARK 2, the world and its effects are supposed to respond to what happens in it: water flows around obstacles, smoke and particles are influenced by physical forces, and foliage reacts to passing wildlife.
- Weather: In ARK 2, there will be localized weather systems and individual storm clouds.
Until we see the first gameplay on the “ARK 2” map Arat, we might have to wait a bit, but another map has just been freshly released in ARK: Survival Evolved: The popular mod map Fjördur is here and playable on all platforms!
What new information regarding the technology is available? The big news for ARK 2 is that Xbox consoles will also be able to access mods of any kind in the future. For the predecessor, mods were limited to the Steam version of the game.
- Cross-platform modding: Community-created mods will be available in ARK 2 on all platforms – including the Xbox consoles – and playable on unofficial servers.
- Third-person perspective: In ARK: Survival Evolved, players could switch between first-person and third-person perspectives. However, ARK 2 will only have the third-person perspective.
What do we know about building in ARK 2? Building in ARK 2 is also expected to feature several changes, including the collaborative construction of structures in a team.
- Building with templates: In ARK 2, you will be able to create, save, and share building templates, similar to how it works with schematics in Minecraft. This way, you can place a building template on the map and construct the building as a team.
- Building options: The revised building system includes countless additional building options, according to Studio Wildcard.
Changes for combat with animals and fists
What changes are there in movement: Movement in ARK 2 will experience significant new innovations and be inspired by other games. For example, Studio Wildcard wrote that they are looking at soulslike games for the melee combat system and that Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed served as a template for the parkour movement.
- Soulslike melee combat: ARK 2 is supposed to have a melee combat system inspired by soulslike games like Elden Ring. This includes techniques such as target lock, blocking, dodging, combos, and special attacks.
- New movement mechanics: In ARK 2, it should be possible to navigate the world in new ways. This includes free climbing and parkour. You should also be able to slide and swing.
What do we know about interactions with animals in ARK 2? Even regarding animals, there will be some changes in ARK 2 compared to the predecessor, targeting the senses of the creatures and camouflage.
- Animals have senses: In ARK 2, animals will now hunt using their senses and try to track survivors by seeing, hearing, or smelling.
- Camouflage: Since animals in ARK 2 will rely on their senses, there should also be better opportunities for hiding. You can visually camouflage yourself, hide behind obstacles, or even mask your scent.
- Animation of attacks: Attacks in ARK 2 are supposed to actually hit the target. For example, a bite should tear the flesh of the victim and the target should respond to the physical hit at the spot.
If you are now excited about survival games because of all the new information and can’t wait until 2023 for the release of ARK 2, check out our list of the 25 best survival games in 2022.
