GAME APPRECIATION THREAD:

A few months ago, my wife & I found a game we really enjoyed. Sadly, the non-separate PvP elements made us stop playing. Since then, I've been trying to fill that void. This week, I finally did that.

With ARK: Survival Evolved @survivetheark

ARK is a survival game where you gather resources, build shelters, eat, drink, hunt and explore. You can fight, tame, ride and breed all kinds of different dinosaurs. You can play with the masses, a few close friends, or totally alone.

And it is incredibly beautiful.

This sense of beauty is inviting. It begs to be explored; what is the large monument I can see on the horizon? What is that beam of light in the distance? Is that a cave? What's around that corner? But be careful. Inviting as it may be, ARK's worlds are *incredibly* dangerous.

The dinosaurs are grand in scale, terrifying and dangerous. I was exploring down the beach looking for resources, when a colossal Brontosaurus walked out onto the beach. I could hear Richard Attenborough in my head say aloud: "Welcome, to Jurassic Park." Breathtaking.

The night's are... pitch black. We got caught in the woods past sundown. Footsteps; the rustling of leaves could be heard, but nothing seen. We couldn't see further than a couple feet in front of us thanks to torchlight. It creates a sense of suspense and dread I find thrilling.

Unlike the first game that didn't allow us to separate ourselves from other players-- ARK has a multitude of settings and adjustments. Not only do we get to play alone like we want-- we could adjust ALL the games settings; from resource spawn rates, to XP gain, to player damage.

All over the world are these "Explorers Notes" to discover. They contain lore and hints, as to exactly what is happening in this dinosaur filled land. There is no story presented directly to you in ARK-- it doesn't mean something isn't going on here. ;)

The world is colossal, and there is *more than one*. The game's original map, "The Island", is one of SEVEN total maps in the game at this point; with more on the way as part of the games upcoming GENESIS expansion. 4 of the current 7 maps are free; the other 3 are paid DLC.

The screenshots I've included are from all of them; I feel this enamored and I've yet to see the other 6 maps. I've only played on The Island; there is *loads* of content here.

And if you WANT PvP, and to play with others? Ark also offers that, in all it's chaotic glory.

I've seen some complain about the optimization; how smooth the game is. I can't speak to playing on a heavily populated server; but playing with just my wife & I on our own server we run has been quiet smooth. On an Xbox One S, and mid-range PC. I'm happy with its performance!

I can't wait to explore more. I can't wait to spend more time on The Island, and the other maps as well. This game is beautiful and it's really, REALLY resonating with me. I'm thankful I was able to fill the void left by the other game.

Thank you, @survivetheark.