When Ark Park was first revealed back in 2016, we were told it would be an educational experience allowing players “the opportunity to truly appreciate and understand dinosaurs in their natural habitat.” That seemed odd at the time, given that the title is a spinoff of Ark: Survival Evolved, a game that’s very much about survival and killing. A new trailer for Ark Park shows that the game will be something much different than initially expected.
It’s unclear if the scope of the game has simply changed since we last played it earlier this year, or if this was a cunning plan all along. Whatever the case, it seems Ark Park’s curriculum will feature a healthy dose of killing ferocious fire-breathing dinosaurs and giant scorpions with high tech weaponry. That’s a slight shift from what was originally pitched as a place to learn about the majesty of dinosaurs.
When we first played the game, there wasn’t a gun in sight. The game focused heavily on showcasing detailed dinosaur models. Road to VR’s Scott Hayden succinctly compared to to “Jurassic Park before things went wrong.”
But the game’s latest trailer reveals that in good old Jurassic Park fashion, things will go wrong, in all the right ways. You’ll find yourself dispatching vicious prehistoric beasts like an action hero, and it appears to game will include multiplayer so that you’ll be able to enjoy the combat with friends.
The turn is probably for the better, as it’s much more sensibly aligned with the Ark brand, and now things make a little more sense as to why the game’s ‘educational’ value seemed so dubious.
Ark Park is due out this year, though a specific release date hasn’t been announced.