You know the drill: bash rocks and trees, build crafting tables, hunt down rare resources and, slowly, acquire better and better gear. Rust trades in smart AI enemies for even smarter, crueller, human ones by dropping you in a vast multiplayer server with nothing but a rock and a torch. There’s only one group more evil than The Forest’s gangs of cannibals: other players.
Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, PC, Mac Some players will, inevitably, just be out to ruin your day, but as a newbie you’re bound to find a more experienced player willing to take you under their wing and let you ride on their Pteranodon. You can play solo, but just like in The Forest, it shines when you team up with friends to complete your goals. Most can kill you in a few swipes but if you’re able to tame them, they’ll make island life much easier, helping you gather tons of food in minutes and protect your base from raiders (a T-Rex might just be the world’s best bodyguard). ARK’s world is as enticing as The Forest because of all the dinosaurs that roam its lands. But once you’ve set up a stable food and water supply, you’ll have broader ambitions. You awake on the beaches of a distant island with one goal: survival. Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PS4, PS5, PC, Mac, Nintendo SwitchĪRK will be too grindy for some players, but it’s worth checking out if you enjoyed gathering resources and crafting gear in The Forest.
