I write a lot about augmented reality. Usually, my stance is – look at what incredible things we will be able to do… The drawback is that we need developers to then take that technology and make it into something great. The technology is new, so I have to give developers credit, and not rush their progress. That said, I’m an impatient person and I cannot wait until they bring us something truly incredible. The wait is finally over. It’s amazing what developers have been able to create when it comes to mobile games. This week, the hit game ARK Survival Evolve has arrived on iOS and the best part – it’s free to play.
If you’re not familiar with the game it’s been around for quite a while now for PC. It recently expanded to consoles as well. Like I’ve been saying for a while now, mobile gaming is where developers should be focusing their time. Which is why the studio behind ARK Survival Evolve has brought this same game experience to mobile. It includes all of the building, crafting and dinosaur taming as the original. It even features online multi-player and cross-play with iOS, so you can form a tribe with your friends. In order for this to work properly, you’re going to need the technology to support it. Which means you’ll need one of the following: iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, iPhone X, iPad Mini 4, iPad 5th Gen, iPad 6th Gen, iPad Air 2, and all iPad Pros.
Fornite has been the talk of the town for many months now, and the fact that it became available on mobile earlier this year, made it even more popular. Which is why it’s no surprise that ARK is making this leap as well. How does ARK work? After creating your character (with a fairly robust character creation system), you’ll be dropped into ARK, where you will learn how to gather materials, craft items, and survive in a hostile world. As you make your way through ARK’s tutorial, you’ll level up and learn new skills, and even though this is a free-to-play game (whereas the console and PC version is a premium product), it feels more like a complete game than 99% of free mobile games.
And now, why does it work?
Based on the genre-defining adventure from PC and consoles, ARK: Survival Evolved challenges you to survive and thrive on a mysterious island, where you start out alone and unarmed. Gather resources and craft tools to build shelter and hunt. Expand your domain while capturing and taming dinosaurs to do your bidding. Make new friends online, form tribes, and build mighty structures to defend against man and mega-predators alike!
ARK: Survival Evolved is free to play on mobile devices, and like I said it will cost you if you want to play on other platforms. In-game app purchases run as high as $9.99, which is a little steep, but if you like the game, you might think its worth it. You can also opt for a yearly “Primal Pass”, which will cost you $34.99. If you buy that, you’ll get access to better servers and slots on the free servers. You can download the game right now for free on the App Store.