5 Games You Should Play Before Ark II

While we wait for Ark II's, official release date, we thought a good way to bide our time was with the five games you should play before it. Now it's a given if you're excited for Ark II, the most notable game to play before it is, Ark: Survival Evolved. You won't find another game that does sandbox survival and dinosaurs as similar and as good as it has. It's what made the game so popular and is currently fueling the hype for Ark II. However, if you've had just about enough time in Ark: Survival Evolved and want to expand your horizon to other games like it, we got you covered.

Even if you haven't played the original game and are looking forward to experiencing it for the first time in Ark II, these games will adequately prepare you. They're all about fighting for survival, base building, and finding friends and foes along the way. The main variation is that, rather than dealing with dinosaurs, these games incorporate another threat that makes their survival so appealing. In our eyes, these are the five best games you should play before Ark II.

5. The Forest

Surviving in The Forest is one issue, but cannibal tribal people are another. Well, you'll be fighting and dealing with both of these issues in The Forest. The game begins by having you crash-land in the middle of nowhere in a plane, leaving you as the sole survivor. This effectively starts you from the beginning, as you must gather food, craft weapons, and find shelter while uncovering the mysteries of the tribal people that are continuously out to devour you.

However, you'll usually only encounter them at night, when they're rushing through the forest, ready to frighten and eventually attack you if you're not prepared. The Forest unquestionably fits under the horror survival genre, but the good news is that it's multiplayer, so you don't have to go through it alone. As part of its survival gameplay, the game contains parts of base construction, crafting, adventure, and mystery. The games continuously atmospheric and frightening, and will undoubtedly keep you on edge as you fight to survive.

4. Grounded

Have you ever wondered if you could survive as a person the size of an insect? That answers probably a no, however, it is a cool idea and the premise of Grounded. Playing as a very tiny person, even smaller than a piece of grass, you must survive and return to your normal size. However one issue, the machine to do so is broken. On top of that, you are living in a bug-eat-bug world, and you're undoubtedly the smallest of the bunch. As a result, you're the best option for a snack.

That is why, in order to live, you must establish a home base, amass weapons and equipment, and fend off the millions of hazards that may await you in someone's garden, which is far more than you may expect. However, you don't have to do this alone as the game supports up to four players. This is definitely a top choice for games to play before Ark II, as the game shares similar suits in base-building, crafting, and the overall survival components. The game is available now, and it's a good time to get into to it before its full release in September.

3. Conan Exiles

Conan Exiles is an online multiplayer survival game, with epic proportions to that of dinosaurs. However, in Conan Exiles God's, beasts, and monsters would be a more fitting way to describe its threat. Set in the lands of Conan the Barbarian, the map itself is massive and entirely explorable. Which lets you build your shack, house, or even fortress wherever you may like. Which you'll eventually need because the world is filled with threats that come in all shapes and sizes.

With in-game bosses, dungeons, and temples that uncover the game's lore, there is a lot to do in Conan Exiles. The world really is your oyster, depending on how good you are at surviving. But in terms of survival, Conan Exiles is easily offering the most with its exploration, base-building, crafting, and overall variety. Especially the variety of people and monsters you fight, which you can mount by the way. The game holds so many crossovers with Ark: Survival Evolved, it's unquestionably a game you should play before Ark II.

2. DayZ

If you've ever wondered how you'd do in a zombie apocalypse, you can find out with DayZ. The original game was a mod for Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead, however, its popularity actually helped it evolve into its own standalone game. We won't lie, when the game was first released three years ago, it had its issues. However, with a little time and a lot of updates, DayZ is now the most realistic zombie survival game on the market.

Players are constantly out to get your supplies, Zombies are out to kill you, and if those don't do it, the rough and bleak conditions of the open world will most likely take you. That's why you need to prepare in every possible way, from getting food, water, medicine, proper clothing, and even heat packs if the snow starts to fall. The game also recently got base-building, which is now a key component of its survival gameplay. Just remember, in DayZ the only rule is to survive, by any means necessary.

1. Rust

Rust is a nearly identical game to Ark: Survival Evolved, the only exception is there are no dinosaurs. Set in a post-radioactive environment, your only task is to best fortify yourself against the other bandits roaming the land. And just like Ark, you do this from the ground up, by gathering materials and starting with a tiny shack for a base. However play your cards right, and that shack can turn into a massive impenetrable fortress for you and your team.

In a very similar fashion to Ark, raiding is a huge component in Rust. Squads generally have turf battles with one another over control of a region, which provides for some spectacular fighting as well as wonderful role-playing. You'll also find the community to be comparable as a lot of players swap between Rust and Ark: Survival Evolved, and are playing both games for the many similarities they share. When it comes to the best games to play before Ark 2, our go-to suggestion would be Rust.

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? Are there other games you know that should be played before Ark II? Let us know in the comments below or over on our socials here!