ARK 2: New trailer reveals postponed release period

What we see in the new trailer for the prehistoric survival adventure Ark 2 is nothing concrete. The information about a postponed release should still be interesting enough.

Ark 2: But no more release this year – but Vin Diesel in the trailer

The disappointment that we won’t be able to look forward to Ark 2 until next year undoubtedly brought with it the presentation of a new trailer, presented at Studio Wildcard’s Xbox & Bethesda Showcase. At the same time, this does not convey such bad prospects at first. In the primeval setting, which is again extremely detailed, we encounter a barbaric Vin Diesel, who roams the vastness of the world on a T-Rex. We have to thank the graphics of the modern Unreal Engine 5, which impressively stages even the smallest muscles of the action star.

In Ark 2, as the player, we slip into this steel body in which, in the role of the tribal warrior Santiago, we not only have to ensure our own survival, but also that of our daughter Meeka, who we also see in the trailer. However, we don’t follow a dull storyline, but have the opportunity to make our own decisions.

New features and gameplay elements announced

In the showcase, the developers speak of some fundamental innovations in terms of game mechanics in Ark 2. From now on, the player will only be able to move in the third-person view, for which both the controls and the movements of the players and creatures have been completely redesigned. Based on genre pioneers like Assassin’s Creed or Breath of the Wild, they want to enable us to explore the world of Ark 2 as freely as possible.

The combat system is expected to bring a breath of fresh air to the franchise with a new emphasis on knee-jerk dodging and attacking, in the spirit of the Souls games. Heavy attacks with giant dinosaurs are meant to feel just as heavy and intense as you can imagine.

The so-called world event system is also new. With this one hopes to loosen up the otherwise sometimes dull world and to free it from a too static game feeling. Dynamic scenarios such as gatherings at water points or searching for prey provide the necessary variety. And the build system, i.e. a huge part for which the first part of Ark already stood, should now have been expanded and individualized even more.

Mods should provide even more variety

While mods are a staple for many PC titles these days when it comes to squeezing out the last spark of fun from a game you’ve played for hundreds of hours, the developers are billing the new feature of fully stackable user-created mods as a game changer Apart from that, the title takes an important step in the right direction, because the official mod support also makes it easier for non-PC players to use it.

The first part of Ark was already provided with mods on the computer where it was possible. The developers are hoping for endless fun, because with the help of mods in Ark 2 it is no longer just possible to make minor changes to the game. Whether cards, creatures, weapons, objects or even game mechanics, such as the third-person perspective, can be freely adapted to the player’s wishes.

Thanks to the powerful Unreal 5 engine, there should be no more limits to our imagination and the player-generated content should constantly bring a breath of fresh air to Ark 2, which will be released next year as part of Xbox Game Pass for Xbox and PC.