Colorful and whimsical, PixARK by Snail Games is an exploration-survival game set in a vibrant world of dinosaurs, cave men, and monsters. Your character must carve out a living in this rather unique environment by collecting supplies, crafting tools and weapons, and training creatures into pets. Although in many ways PixARK is your typical Minecraft-esque game, it also possesses enough originality to stand out as an especially enjoyable virtual experience.
One of the most distinguishing characteristics of this game is the physical world itself. The time period is unclear, as the characters resemble cave people and dinosaurs roam everywhere, but at the same time, the “spawning stations” where the characters respawn look like huge, futuristic alien motherships. PixARK also blends together dinosaurs, humans, and fantastical creatures, some of which caught me completely by surprise. For instance, one time I fell through a hole in the ground to an underground tunnel, and I was immediately attacked and killed by zombie-like skeleton creatures! These unexpected encounters add fun twists of excitement in the game and keep it from becoming too repetitive or tiresome. Finally, the world is comprised of several different biomes, from jungles and grasslands to the tundra or snowy regions. Every time you respawn, you do so at a randomized location, and this similarly shakes things up enough to keep you interested and engaged.
Another strength of PixARK is its social aspect. Rather than embarking on an isolated adventure, you are also allowed to choose from a variety of online servers with multiple other players. Some are fuller than others, and I would definitely recommend playing at peak game times (late evening) if you want to get the most out of the multiplayer server experience. In the game, there is also a special feature called “tribe governance”—anyone, including yourself, can create a tribe of players who work together to survive and hunt in teams. I was unable to find any tribes on my server, but I would imagine that a tribe would introduce a whole new dynamic of teamwork, compromise, and collaboration.
There are a few elements of the game that could be improved: namely, that there is no main purpose to fulfill or goal to achieve, that is besides survive. I understand that the majority of gameplay is simply exploring, but even the directions for how to craft tools or hunt for food were largely absent. This is the most confusing at the very start of the game, when you do not even know the basic controls; I had to resort to sliding across the entire keyboard to figure out how to open inventory and perform basic movements. However, you can learn how to do all these things eventually on your own, and the challenge of figuring everything out independently can be stimulating.
In conclusion, PixARK is for the gamer who enjoys the familiarity of a typical exploration-survival world building game, yet also revels in novel experiences and unique settings. Combined with fresh graphics and popping visuals, this game can serve as the perfect diversion.
Here is the PixARK Early Access Trailer:
PixARK is available for PC via Steam Early Access for $24.99.
From the moment I first played Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy on the original Xbox, I have always had an avid curiosity and enthusiasm for video games. I admire their ability to immerse us in completely different worlds, and I am always eager to see how they integrate the newest breakthroughs in digital technology to make virtual reality feel real. I am currently a senior at UC Berkeley, but when I'm not studying I always make time to play Xbox One with my younger brother.
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