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Metro
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
The 13 best dinosaur video games ever made
Everyone loves dinosaurs, but with the new Jurassic World movie coming up why is it so hard to celebrated their awesomeness in video games? Dinosaurs are one of those childhood obsessions that you never really grow out of. And yet, there have been shockingly few dinosaur related video games, even after the explosive popularity of the Jurassic Park franchise in the 90s and its resurgence with the modern Jurassic World movies. Sure, there are plenty of games that have dinosaurs in them, usually as enemies, but they're rarely, if ever, the focus. There are even fewer that let you play as a dinosaur, despite it being such an obvious power fantasy for games to take advantage of (and why it's one of Super Mario Odyssey's best moments). So, with a new Jurassic Park movie – Jurassic World Rebirth – right around the corner, we've trawled through the last 40+ years of gaming to find and acknowledge the best games that are about, or at least heavily involve, dinosaurs. A lot of you reading this are likely too young to have heard of this game, since it was only ever made available for the ZX81 home computer in the early 80s, but not only does it feature a honking big dinosaur but it's one of the earliest first person games of any kind. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Designed here in good old Blighty, 3D Monster Maze drops you in a randomly generated maze that you must escape from, lest you be eaten by a prowling T-rex. It also predates the likes of Resident Evil and Alone In The Dark, as perhaps the first ever survival horror game, as ittinforms you of the dinosaur's position with brief statements like 'FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING' and 'REX HAS SEEN YOU.' Ark: Survival Evolved made a strong first impression when it revealed you could tame and ride dinosaurs, but it's also a solid survival game too. Waking up, barely clothed on an island populated by not just dinosaurs but other prehistoric beasties like mammoths and dodos, your attempts to survive are fraught with danger, especially at night, but well worth it once you start putting together your own menagerie of tame dinos. Although official servers have since shut down, there are custom servers to join if you want to play with others, but there's a single-player option too if you'd rather go it solo. Developer Studio Wildcard would rather you invest in the early access remaster, titled Ark: Survival Ascended, but the current consensus among fans is that the original remains the superior experience. Perhaps the closest thing the PC Engine (aka TurboGrafx-16) console had to a mascot, Bonk was a caveboy with a head bigger than Charlie Brown's, which was his main weapon for dealing with the enemy dinosaurs he fought on his adventures. While no Super Mario Bros., the Bonk games were consistently enjoyable 2D platformers and worth tracking down if you're a retro enthusiast. Its last entry was a mobile game in 2006, but if Konami is willing to revive something as niche as Survival Kids, a modern Bonk game doesn't seem too farfetched. Fun fact: the Bonk games were renamed to B.C. Kid (or sometimes PC Kid) when brought to Europe, since the word 'bonk' has very different connotations here in the UK. No true fan of dinosaurs would dare leave this PlayStation 1 classic off a list like this. While it is essentially Resident Evil but with dinosaurs, there's honestly nothing wrong with that, since it's just as scary and intense as its zombie counterparts. The sequel's a good time too, although it eschews the original's survivor horror elements for more arcade-like action. The less said about the third game the better, but there is a half decent lightgun spin-off too. Dino Crisis is playable nowadays either through the PlayStation Classics catalogue or GOG on PC. With any luck, Capcom will one day acquiesce to our demands for a remake. Chances are you've played this game at least once in your life. For any of you who may not be familiar with it, Dinosaur Game is a simple endless runner where you play as a T-rex; one designed to be playable on your Google Chrome browser, if your internet goes out. For such a basic game, it says a lot about its popularity that there's a dedicated app you can download from the Google Play store. Not to mention no less than four different websites that let you play it on different browsers and without needing to switch off your internet connection. It's arguably one of the most iconic dinosaur games out there and proof that sometimes simplicity is best. We're still not sure what was going through Capcom's head when it decided to make an entirely new dinosaur themed shooter when it already has Dino Crisis. Designed to jump on the online shooter bandwagon, Exoprimal is incredibly derivative, but also enjoyably goofy in all the right ways. It runs on old school Capcom vibes, as you pilot mech suits and unload your guns into the faces of swarms of rampaging dinos; a concept that should make it one of our favourite games ever – but in reality it's only kind of quite good. Capcom abandoned Exoprimal after only a year, but the servers are still up and the game can make for a fun afternoon session with the right group of dinosaur enthusiasts. Although we're still salty they never even added any Dino Crisis DLC. Lego Jurassic World (2015) – One of the weaker Lego games from Traveller's Tales, this is still a charming enough time and getting to play as the dinosaurs is a fun novelty even though it comes too late into the game. Goodbye Volcano High (2023) – This narrative adventure game isn't quite what we're looking for from a dinosaur game, but its story about a gang of anthropomorphised teen dinos dealing with their last days of high school, and an incoming extinction event, is compelling, and oddly relatable. Jurassic Park: Survival – Although it was cancelled in 2001, what was shown of Jurassic Park: Survival looked impressively ahead of its time, as far as sandbox adventure games went, and for years it was a holy grail of PC gamers looking for the next big advancement in gaming tech. There was no guarantee it would've been any good, but a separate game with the same name, by Saber Interactive, is in development, and will no doubt pay homage to it in at least some way. There have been a lot of Jurassic Park games over the years, although when it comes to direct adaptations of the movies, the 1993 SNES game, based on the first film, stands out as the best. One of the last big movie tie-ins by Ocean Software, this game is an interesting blend of a top-down adventure game and first person shooter. The 3D sections were similar to contemporary Wolfenstein 3D, making it one of the most technically advanced console games of the time. The lack of any save function and map makes it harder than it probably needs to be, but those have been addressed in the Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection, which was made for the film's 30th anniversary and includes several other decent retro games from the 90s. The first Jurassic World Evolution had a great foundation as a park management sim, where you get to run your own Jurassic Park and try to avoid the same disasters seen in the movies. But the 2021 sequel was a massive improvement in every way, easily cementing itself as the best Jurassic Park game ever made. The campaign is frustratingly short, but its complex gameplay and Chaos Theory mode – that offers fun what-if scenarios for the various films – more than make sup for it. Anything that can make us feel nostalgic for even the bad movies is doing something right. Hopefully Jurassic World Evolution 3 supplants it when it launches later this year. It's looking promising, based on our hands-off preview, which highlighted adorable baby dinosaurs and greatly expanded customisation tools. The Monster Hunter games may not feature dinosaurs per se, but… come on. A lot of the monsters are essentially dinosaurs, albeit often more fantastical and capable of doing things like breath fire or conduct electricity. Monster Hunter Wilds is a perfect jumping on point for those looking for a new action game to sink hours into, but the last couple of entries – Monster Hunter World and Monster Hunter Rise – are also excellent and still have active player bases for the all-important co-op options. We wonder how many people are even aware the Turok games are based on a comic book. Regardless, the first two Turok games on the N64 were fun first person shooters and some of the console's best-looking games. The dinosaur hunter part is increasingly downplayed even in the first sequel, with invading aliens and other nonsense taking over instead, but the games are still entertaining time capsules, either through the modern remasters or the Nintendo Classics online service on Switch and Switch 2. More Trending A brand new Turok titled Turok: Origins is currently in development and while it's set to be a third person game, its brief showing at The Game Awards 2024 had us feeling optimistic. With most of the games on this list being made for adult audiences craving dinosaur related violence, there are very few options for the younger crowd. Fortunately, Nintendo just so happens to have a cute and cuddly dinosaur-like mascot for such players. Yoshi's Woolly World and its successor, Yoshi's Crafted World, are both competent2D platformers that are too simple for seasoned gamers but perfect entry points for kids, especially given their charming visuals. Although he doesn't particularly look like a dinosaur, Super Mario World specifically states that Yoshi (and Yoshi – the name of the species is the same as the character) live in Dinosaur Land. Birdo is also officially a dinosaur, although only Yoshi has a scientific name: Yoshisaur Munchakoopas. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: New dinosaur horror game skips PC version because of 'vulgar' mods MORE: The Lego sets for Jurassic World Rebirth are thankfully spoiler free MORE: 70,000,000-year-old dinosaur could unlock key cancer discoveries
Time of India
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
ARK: Survival Ascended skill tree explained
Image via Studio Wildcard ARK: Survival Ascended, Studio Wildcard, not only gave us a visual upgrade but also led to some big gameplay changes, too. One of the most thrilling is the completely overhauled skill tree system. Whether you are a seasoned ARK player or new to the game, you'll notice that this game isn't just about pumping points into weight or stamina anymore. The new skill tree adds more strategies, more diversity, and many more ways to make your survival on your own. In this guide, we will walk you through how it works and how you can make the most of it. How the skill tree works in ARK Survival Ascended The skill tree in ARK: Survival Ascended represents an organized method to unlock your abilities and upgrade them. To release those points in your simple stats, now you can have multiple trees and forks altering the development of your character. Key features you need to know: Tiered unlocks: You start fresh at the base and work your way up, unlocking certain skills and abilities that will open up new ones above them, creating a natural progression. Specializations: Whether players prefer to fight, build, tame, or just survive the elements, there is a tree for that. Skill points: Each time you level up, you'll earn points that can be spent on skills. The choices you make can define your strengths. Perks and buffs: Some upgrades boost your damage or crafting speed. While others make you tougher, let you tame faster, or carry more. Example skill tree paths: Combat Path Increased melee damage Faster weapon reload times Improved armor durability Crafting path Quicker crafting speed Reduced resource requirements Access to the advanced recipe blueprint Taming path Faster taming speed Better creature control Extended creature buffs Survival path Enhanced environmental resistance Carry more weight Manage hunger and thirst more efficiently. At a certain time, players can reset their skill points at the cost of rare in-game items and, as such, experiment with a variety of builds without any lasting implications. One such addition that is positively received is the use of skill trees, as ARK: Survival Ascended introduces this feature, which provides variety and a few alternatives to players when developing their characters. Since it gives the player the ability to customize their abilities to the maximum allowance using a comprehensive, progressive system, it invites a range of play experiences and increases replay value. Combat or survival, whatever you work on, it is important to know and maximize your skill tree to survive in the hostile environment of ARK. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Time of India
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How to find and tame Drakeling in ARK Survival Ascended?
(Image via Studio Wildcard) ARK: Survival Ascended's Ragnarok expansion has brought pint-sized and fiery evolution, Drakeling. The adorable shoulder dragons are more than just some cute companions. They come with some serious passive buffs and even unique combat abilities Drakeling, making them the coveted allies. To tame them, however, is like an adventure in itself. Just be prepared for a unique bonding ritual that includes firelight and even proving one's worth. Here is how you can find and tame Drakeling. How to locate and tame Drakeling in ARK Survival Ascended ? To find Drakeling means to explore the diverse landscapes of Ragnarok. 4 seasonal variants exist, and each of them is tied to some specific Drakeling location biomes. If you want Summer Drakeling, you must head to scorching canyons that are near coordinates 20x40. For Autumn Drakeling, choose edges of frozen zones that lurk right below the ice, around 50x50. Note: 20x40 means 20 Latitude and 40 Longitude. The same is applicable for every coordinate. Venture to snowy highlands for Winter Drakeling. The Spring variant is a fresh discovery for many explorers. Some diligent searches within lush grasslands can pay off right. Just make sure to keep your eyes peeled and don't provoke the creatures. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like She Had No Idea Why Boyfriend Wanted Her To Shower Twice Daily, Until She Met His Mom BimBamBam Read More Undo The vibrant flyers do blend surprisingly well. So, knowing where to look and maintaining patience are important keys here. THE DRAKELING IS SO CUTE | ARK Drakeling FULL Guide - Where to Find, How to Tame, & Abilities To tame Drakeling, players need to be aware of the two-stage unique dance. At first, approach quite cautiously as you hold the lit torch. Intrigued by flame, Drakelings would land on your shoulder. It will trigger a real test. Prompt appearance demands you gain specific XP (crafting, harvesting, or even killing creatures) within a tight time limit. To succeed, you must feed Superior Kibble immediately from the last hotbar slot. It grants a chunk of taming progress. If you fail, Drakeling will flee. Repeat the demanding cycle by completing XP tasks or feeding kibble till the taming bar is full. It is challenging and yet incredibly rewarding once the bond is formed. Why are Drakelings worth it? Once they are tamed, Drakeling becomes a versatile powerhouse. Perched on the player's shoulder, it offers passive buffs like the double XP bursts or even negating fall damage. Every seasonal type offers some unique advantage, too, giving a boost to stats like movement speed, loot quality, or melee damage when in their home biome. Equip Drakeling directly and unleash the bite attacks or some powerful short-range breath weapons within combat. They could even beam special buffs to the allies. Also, storing and transferring XP to other tames can help unlock Dragon Hoard Keys. All of these reveal hidden treasure chests that are packed with some superior loot. Their utility is quite immense for either of the survivors. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
Scottish Sun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
PlayStation owners warned NOT to play free game over ‘wiped saves' as players reveal they've deleted it from consoles
But there's another freebie getting rave reviews from players GAME OVER PlayStation owners warned NOT to play free game over 'wiped saves' as players reveal they've deleted it from consoles Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) PLAYSTATION fans are urging gamers to avoid a free title they say is glitchy – and not even worth playing. The irate gamers have blasted the popular game, with one frustrated player moaning "I should have listened" before installing it. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 Some players are disappointed with May 2025 PS Plus freebie Ark: Survival Ascended Credit: Sony PlayStation / Studio Wildcard Ark: Survival Ascended is one of the free games available to play with PlayStation Plus this month. That means PS Plus subscribers can enjoy the title without paying a penny extra. But some gamers say they're having trouble with the action-adventure survival title on PlayStation consoles. One player posting to Reddit said that they spent hours playing the game – only to lose all of their progress, as spotted by ComicBook. "I love crafting survival games, so I was very excited when this was announced to be on PS Plus," the user explained. "I played it for about five hours. Save and close out, take a break. "When I come back to it? Save file is gone completely. "I looked all over forums for answers and it just seems like this is something that happens on console." Other games responded to the post with similar concerns. One said: "Genuinely stay away from this game. You might think there is something good about it, but I can assure you there is nothing." Get an inside look at the new PS5 30th anniversary edition Another wrote: "I played Ark on my PS5 for about half an hour. Afterwards my PS5 screen started flickering, even outside the game. "Only powering down the console, waiting, and restarting fixed it." One added: "I can't even get it to start right. It's really glitchy for me right from the main menu. I said screw that and deleted it." And another said: "Well-known issue since launch." 3 PlayStation gamers get free titles every month through PS Plus Credit: Sony PlayStation Ark: Survival Ascended is a remaster of 2015's Ark: Survival Evolved, and sees players trying to survive a world inhabited with dinosaurs, monsters, and other players too. The original game was first released as an early access title on PC, but eventually landed on Xbox, Windows, iPhone and Android, and PlayStation consoles too. The Ascended remaster is out on Windows PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PlayStation 5 (now more expensive after a recent UK console price hike). The Sun has asked game-maker Studio Wildcard for comment and will update this story with any response. BALATRO BONANZA Gamers are much more positive about another May entry to PS Plus: Balatro. PS PLUS PRICES – HOW MUCH IS IT? Here's how much you'll pay, and the perks you'll get with each tier... PlayStation Plus Essential Monthly: £6.99 / $9.99 Monthly games Online multiplayer Exclusive discounts Exclusive content Cloud storage Share Play PlayStation Plus Extra Monthly: £10.99 / $14.99 Monthly games Online multiplayer Exclusive discounts Exclusive content Cloud storage Share Play Game catalogue Ubisoft+ Classics PlayStation Plus Premium Monthly: £13.49 / $17.99 Monthly games Online multiplayer Exclusive discounts Exclusive content Cloud storage Share Play Game catalogue Ubisoft+ Classics Classics Catalogue Game trials PS5 Cloud Streaming Sony Pictures Catalogue Picture Credit: Sony PlayStation This poker-themed deck-building game has earned rave reviews since it launched in 2024. And it currently holds an Overwhelmingly Positive score on Steam based on more than 93,000 reviews. The game is also available for free via PS Plus this month, and players are loving it. One PlayStation owner said: "Balatro on PlayStation was my first time. I absolutely love it not going to lie. If it wasn't for other major games taking up my time I'd be playing it 24/7." 3 Balatro is one of the biggest gaming hits of the last year Credit: Balatro / Playstack Another wrote: "This month has only one good game. Balatro." And one added: "Balatro should be the main game of the month."
The Irish Sun
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
PlayStation owners warned NOT to play free game over ‘wiped saves' as players reveal they've deleted it from consoles
PLAYSTATION fans are urging gamers to avoid a free title they say is glitchy – and not even worth playing. The irate gamers have blasted the popular game, with one frustrated player moaning "I should have listened" before installing it. 3 Some players are disappointed with May 2025 PS Plus freebie Ark: Survival Ascended Credit: Sony PlayStation / Studio Wildcard Ark: Survival Ascended is one of the free games available to play with PlayStation Plus this month. That means But some gamers say they're having trouble with the action-adventure survival title on PlayStation consoles. One player posting to Reddit said that they spent hours playing the game – only to lose all of their progress, as spotted by Read more on PlayStation "I love crafting survival games, so I was very excited when this was announced to be on PS Plus," the user explained. "I played it for about five hours. Save and close out, take a break. "When I come back to it? Save file is gone completely. "I looked all over forums for answers and it just seems like this is something that happens on console." Most read in Gaming Other games responded to the post with similar concerns. One said: "Genuinely stay away from this game. You might think there is something good about it, but I can assure you there is nothing." Get an inside look at the new PS5 30th anniversary edition Another wrote: "I played Ark on my PS5 for about half an hour. Afterwards my PS5 screen started flickering, even outside the game. "Only powering down the console, waiting, and restarting fixed it." One added: "I can't even get it to start right. It's really glitchy for me right from the main menu. I said screw that and deleted it." And another said: "Well-known issue since launch." 3 PlayStation gamers get free titles every month through PS Plus Credit: Sony PlayStation Ark: Survival Ascended is a remaster of 2015's Ark: Survival Evolved, and sees players trying to survive a world inhabited with dinosaurs, monsters, and other players too. The original game was first released as an early access title on PC, but eventually landed on Xbox, Windows, The Sun has asked game-maker Studio Wildcard for comment and will update this story with any response. BALATRO BONANZA Gamers are much more positive about another May entry to PS Plus: Balatro. PS PLUS PRICES – HOW MUCH IS IT? Here's how much you'll pay, and the perks you'll get with each tier... PlayStation Plus Essential Monthly: £6.99 / $9.99 Monthly games Online multiplayer Exclusive discounts Exclusive content Cloud storage Share Play PlayStation Plus Extra Monthly: £10.99 / $14.99 Monthly games Online multiplayer Exclusive discounts Exclusive content Cloud storage Share Play Game catalogue Ubisoft+ Classics PlayStation Plus Premium Monthly: £13.49 / $17.99 Monthly games Online multiplayer Exclusive discounts Exclusive content Cloud storage Share Play Game catalogue Ubisoft+ Classics Classics Catalogue Game trials PS5 Cloud Streaming Sony Pictures Catalogue Picture Credit: Sony PlayStation This poker-themed deck-building game has earned rave reviews since it launched in 2024. And it currently holds an Overwhelmingly Positive score on Steam based on more than 93,000 reviews. The game is also available for free via PS Plus this month, and players are loving it. One PlayStation owner said: "Balatro on PlayStation was my first time. I absolutely love it not going to lie. If it wasn't for other major games taking up my time I'd be playing it 24/7." 3 Balatro is one of the biggest gaming hits of the last year Credit: Balatro / Playstack Another wrote: "This month has only one good game. Balatro." And one added: "Balatro should be the main game of the month."
