ARK has been one of my favourite games lately, putting more hours than I should into it. Being an early access game, it has suffered from more negative feedback than it probably should have, sometimes deserved, but mostly purely because it is early access. Wildcard Studios has been doing their best to communicate with the community, and keep the updates flowing. Sadly, the Tek Tier that was supposed to come out has been delayed.

But luckily the latest patch has added a lot of new fun, including the glorious Raptor Claus, ready to bring gifts to all the good (and bad) children. Raptor Claus will appear somewhat randomly throughout the next few weeks, and can be followed around the map to be given items, coal, or sometimes a high level dino that might attack you, or could possibly be tamed. Fun for the whole family!

The patch has also added two new cave systems – but not just any caves. The new cave systems are underwater, filled with even more dangers than before, including sharks, plesiosaurs, mosasaurs, and giant squids. But these caves are necessary for those wanting to compete in end game content as they will have artifacts located inside of them. These artifacts are required to enter the boss arenas, and the boss arenas will need to be fought when Tek Tier comes out in order to progress into the futuristic equipment.

As with most patches, patch 253 adds more dinosaurs.

• Cnidaria (Giant Jellyfish)
• Pegomastax (Small berry eating dino)
• Therizino (Large herbivore with massive claws)
• Troodon (Mini Raptor)
• Tusoteuthis (Giant Squid)

Five new dinosaurs is a great addition to the game, as everyone always loves having new dinosaurs to tame. They add more depth and immersion, something that makes the game feel much more enjoyable for everyone involved. The Giant Squid is something many people have been waiting for since it was announced. This giant ocean dweller is larger than a Mosasaur, and much more dangerous – being able to release a cloud of ink to escape if it needs to, not that it needs to when it can grab a hold of almost any creature and slowly drown them as it pulls them closer to its mouth. It might be slow, but it is strong and it will make the deep depths of the ocean a much more scary place to be.

Patch 253 also added Cameras to ARK, allowing players to take photos of anything they want. This is a nifty little feature for everyone, especially those that prefer PvE or Role Playing. The photos you take can be “printed” onto canvas sheets, which you can then hang from the walls of your base.

Don’t forget to check out the ARK VR that is coming soon, and don’t forget to comment below! Let us know what your favourite creature within ARK is, or what creature your’e waiting for.