What The Ark 2 Trailer Really Means For The Series
The 2020 Game Awards have been a host to tons of exciting video game news and announcements. For fans of Ark: Survival Evolved, a new game is on its way. However, from the looks of it, the sequel will mark a major departure from its predecessor.
The reveal trailer for Ark 2 opens up with exotic plant (and animal) life rendered in stunning detail. Soon after, the viewer is greeted by the incredibly life-like face of a child. Of course, the biggest surprise is when the face and body of a recognizable action star arrives, and the camera tilts up to reveal that the action star is none other than Vin Diesel.
The two join a group that is presumably some prehistoric family unit. From there they continue their travels, only to be surrounded by vicious purple/gray war creatures. Naturally, Vin Diesel's character (Santiago, according to an official announcement on Twitter) takes center stage in fending off the attackers, only to be interrupted by a T-Rex.
Narrowly escaping the dinosaur attack, Santiago and the child make it into a cave filled with cave paintings and a mysterious glowing technological artifact that appears to react to objects embedded in their wrists. There's an implied familiarity as Santiago approaches the artifact, which contains a screen that appears to display a profile on him. The ending of the trailer not only reveals the title of the game, but suggests a grand adventure ahead.
Ark: Survival Evolved was a survival sandbox-style game with some rather questionable logic. What may also be questionable is the sudden jump to what looks to be a more narrative-focused adventure. Some fans are excited, though plenty have their fair share of complaints.
One Twitter user complained about the fact that Ark 2 was announced while the first game still needs fixing, making it look like the first installment is getting abandoned. Another person asked what the future of Ark 1 would be with the arrival of a sequel, fearing that years of hard work would go down the drain. Yet another user called it "the absolute worst thing you could have announced."
Indeed, how will this new shift in focus affect the series moving forward? With a recognizable star like Vin Diesel taking the lead, it seems inevitable that future installments may follow this character's journey. If that is the case, fans may wonder how long the character of Santiago will run the show. Only time will tell.
In the meantime, gamers will simply have to wait to see what's in store for the future of the Ark series.