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ARK: Survival Evolved adds penguins and angler fish

ark_penguins

ARK: Survival Evolved continues to, uh, evolve through Early Access with regular updates. The latest has brought two new creatures to its shores and seas in the form of the Kairuku nightmare penguin and Melanocetus giant anglerfish. While the latter is more than happy to bite your face off in the icey depths, Kairuku are closer to farm animal than threat.

ARK is one of the most popular PC games of the year.

This is the first time a video game has expressly told me to beat “blubber-rich infants” to death to harvest them for armour components, but I suppose it was inevitable eventually. That’s the penguin fellows, who exist mostly for this purpose, as well as dotting the landscape with adorable pockets of warmth.

The anglerfish has more practical uses. If you can tame one, it’ll give you a ridable under-sea light until it decides you’re not the master you cracked up to be and/or dies horribly. Alternatively, kill them off and take their luminescent globes/stalks to make home lights with. That’ll show those sea creatures who’s boss.

Also in this update is a form of diplomacy between tribes, large group of players, that allows them toformallygo to war for specific amounts of time. It should mean more PvP and less unconfrontational harrassment while players are offline. Defend yourself with the new catapult and gattling gun too.