From As soon as Human, to Palworld, to Enshrouded, it’s been a fairly superior yr for brand spanking new survival video games. Whereas current juggernauts of the style additionally stay common, the category of 2024 is a robust one however there appears to be one scholar that’s flunking. Nonetheless technically billed to be launching by the top of this yr, Ark 2 is not only a sequel to one of many greatest survival video games round, however a transformational sequel at that – so the place the heck is it?
First revealed all the best way again in 2020, there was fervent pleasure that among the finest survival video games ever could be getting a sequel. Nevertheless, within the time since, we’ve obtained two cinematic trailers starring Vin Diesel, a 2022 weblog submit laying out an bold gameplay imaginative and prescient, and an announcement that the Ark 2 launch date could be delayed till “late 2024,” largely as a result of its change to Unreal Engine 5. Effectively, I’m my calendar proper now, and it’s wanting fairly late in 2024 to me. In truth, Ark 2‘s acquired simply eight weeks to seem earlier than it’s formally overdue.
The optimists on the market might hope for some form of shock shadow drop of Ark 2, however I simply wish to hone in on that aforementioned weblog submit for a second, as a result of its contents recommend to me that most likely received’t be the case. It’s a prolonged submit on Xbox Wire that goes over a number of the radical gameplay adjustments being made in Ark 2. And once I say radical, I imply it.
A change from first-person to third-person. Fight that “attracts closely from Soulslike motion for its human-scale fight.” Traversal impressed by Murderer’s Creed’s seamless parkour. “World occasions” involving stampeding herds of dinosaurs or eventualities the place it can save you injured creatures. Large overhauls to key techniques like crafting. All of this, plus rather more I’m certain, goes to make Ark 2 a massively completely different and extra bold recreation than its predecessor. The co-founders of Studio Wildcard who wrote the weblog submit even describe it as “the way forward for survival video games” – this isn’t the kind of venture you simply shadow drop. This wants gameplay trailers, deep dives, and extra to promote each current Ark followers and newcomers on its large transformation.
Given we’ve heard no extra particulars since that weblog over two years in the past, and we’ve seen no gameplay footage in any respect, it appears nearly inevitable to me that Ark 2 goes to get pushed again and miss its late 2024 window. That’s probably not a difficulty – disappointing, certain, however it’s unsurprising to see initiatives of this dimension getting delayed. What’s peculiar is that Snail Video games and Studio Wildcard have made no bulletins about its progress and have left it tremendous late to substantiate a delay.
There’s a slim likelihood I’m completely fallacious and that the optimists win this time round. Possibly there’s a world the place Vin Diesel struts out at The Sport Awards, tells Geoff Keighley he’s acquired one thing cool to indicate him, and the phrases ‘Ark 2, out now’ seem on a display screen behind him. I’d eat all of the hats I personal if it did occur.
As a substitute, the chances are we’ll be ready somewhat longer. A fast look on the Steam stats present that there’s nonetheless nicely over 30,000 folks taking part in Ark Survival Developed and Survival Ascended collectively proper now, so it’s not like there’s a dire want for Ark 2. Like I mentioned, a delay isn’t an issue – the weird radio silence undoubtedly is although.
You’ll want to take a look at much more nice dinosaur video games when you await Ark 2, or dive into our record of the most effective co-op video games to see what else you may be taking part in together with your friends.
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