ARK: Survival Evolved takes you back to a time where dinosaurs ruled the world to see if you can dominate the land. ARK is for Windows and Mac on Steam. They also have versions available for Linux, Xbox One, and PS4. The game is an action-adventure. It comes out June 2016, but there is earlier access for Xbox One, Windows, Mac, and Linux. The game can be played online on servers. Playing on the servers you may experience lag, slow connections, and DDoS attacks. To prevent from these I would recommend a VPN. A VPN will allow you to change your IP address to any other location that you choose. If you pick a location close to the server you play on then you will get less lag and faster connections. Since it is not your IP you are less likely to get DDoS attacked. If you want to play with a friend overseas, but you can’t because the server does not support your country you can use a VPN to get around that geographical restriction. Along with this a VPN will help you get past firewalls so you can play ARK: Survival Evolved at work or school.
| Rank | VPN Service | Rating | Server Locations | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 9.8 | 160 |  |
| 2 |  | 9.4 | 87 | |
| 3 |  | 9.2 | 95 | |
How to Use a VPN to Play ARK: Survival Evolved (PC)
I’ll use ExpressVPN for the example of how to use a VPN service to play ARK online. First you’ll want to download the app. ExpressVPN offers free client software for Windows, Mac and Linux. In addition to free apps for iOS and Android.
Now that you’ve had a chance to download and install the software it’s time to connect. Launch the ExpressVPN client and select a server location. We’ll walk you through step by step using their Windows client.
Since a lot of gamers like to connect to servers in the US, we used that country for our guide. ExpressVPN has a large network of servers located all over the world.- We recommend you select Lightway UDP for the best experience. For online gaming, we use either Lightway (PC) or OpenVPN UDP (mobile) because its faster than TCP. They also support IKEv2 and L2TP. We still recommend Lightway UDP for the best mix of speed and privacy protection.
- Click the big round connect button. After a few seconds, you’ll see the area around the button turn green. There will also be a message letting you know the “VPN is ON”
- You now have an IP address in the USA, as far as anyone can tell online. As such, you can reach any site as if you were sitting there. The same would be true if you connected to a server in the UK or anywhere else in the world.
It is just that easy to do. Now that you have an IP address from an ExpressVPN server in the US, you can game, browse the Internet or watch shows as if you were actually there. Connecting to a server in the UK would give you full access to geo blocked sites there as well. The same is true from any country.
As you can probably tell by now a good VPN opens access to content around the world. If you live outside the United States the service can help you access popular services like Netflix, Hulu, and Spotify. You still need an account for services like Netflix but the VPN will help you watch US television shows and movies on Netflix as if you were sitting in the United States or any other region you would like to access.
How to Use a VPN to Play ARK: Survival Evolved (Xbox One and PS4)
Once again I’ll use ExpressVPN for the example of how to use a VPN service to play ARK on your game console. They are my favorite VPN for gaming because ExpressVPN manages a very large network which makes the service a great choice for gamers.
The first step to getting set up with ExpressVPN is normally to download the client software for your system. ExpressVPN offers free client software for Windows, Mac and Linux. In addition to free apps for iOS and Android. Obviously that won’t work for PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo consoles since they lack the native support for VPN. Luckily, there is still a way to encrypt your gaming traffic and send it through a VPN. The answer is running the VPN through your router. Note: if you don’t need encryption you can use the ExpressVPN MediaStramer (Smart DNS) feature without the need to configure your router. It supports a wide range of gaming consoles.
Depending on what brand and model of router you use, it might support third party VPN services. If so you can get the necessary information from your VPN provider to set up a connection through your router. In general, routers with DD-WRT or Tomato firmware support more features than they would with the factory firmware installed. ExpressVPN customers can use their router app to simplify the process. The ExpressVPN router app offers support for a number of Asus, Linksys, and Netgear routers. They also have manual set up guides for DD-WRT, Tomato, D-Link, and TP-Link devices.
ARK Game Highlights
ARK: Survival Evolved starts you off as a naked male or female, scared on a land inhabited by prehistoric dinosaurs and animals. You will have to collect items to craft clothing, tools, and weapons. You will have to hunt and farm for your food. You will have to fight all kinds of dinosaurs and other animals. Remember to study them hard so you can learn their weaknesses and strengths so you can effectively hunt your prey. The animals you can find in the early release include:
- Angler
- Araneo
- Ankylosaurus
- Argentavis
- Beelzebufo
- Brontosaurus
- Carbonemys
- Carnotaurus
- Coelacanth
- Compsognathus
- Dilophosaur
- Dimorphodon
- Direwolf
- Dodo
- Doedicurus
- Giganotosaurus
- Gigantopithecus
- Ichthyosaurus
- Kairuku
- Mammoth
- Megaloceros
- Megalodon
- Meganeura
- Mesopithecus
- Mosasaurus
- Onyc
- Oviraptor
- Pachycephalosaurus
- Paraceratherium
- Parasaur
- Phiomia
- Piranha
- Plesiosaur
- Pterandon
- Pulmonoscorpius
- Quetzalcoatlus
- Raptor
- Rex
- Sabertooth
- Sarcosuchus
- Spinosaurus
- Stegosaurus
- Titanoboa
- Titanomyrma
- Triceratops
- Tilobite
The animals that are going to be added to ARK include:
- Achatina
- Allosaurus
- Arthropluera
- Baryonyx
- Cnidaria
- Dimetrodon
- Diplocaulus
- Diplodocus
- Direbear
- Dung Beetle
- Dunklesteus
- Electrophorus
- Euryterid
- Gallimimus
- Giant Beaver
- Hesperornis
- Hyaenodon
- Ichthyornis
- Iguanadon
- Kaprosuchus
- Leedsichthys
- Liopleurodon
- Lystrosaurus
- Manta
- Megalania
- Megatherium
- Microraptor
- Pachyrhinosaurus
- Pegomastax
- Procoptodon
- Terror Bird
- Therizinosaurus
- Thylacoleo
- Troodon
- Tusoteuthis
- Woolly Rhino
Each animal and dinosaur has different eating habits, weaknesses, hostility, danger, and strengths. Each animal will be in one of the multiple biomes. Use these to your advantage. You can tame some of these animals to be pets. Each dinosaur likes a different type of pet food or kibble. Some animals can be ridden with the proper gear after being tamed. These animals will give the ability to travel quicker. Along with this you can breed them to get new species or make them stronger. One example of what you can get while mix breeds is a Dodorex (Rex mixed with a Dodo).
There are six different ways to play this game. They include:
- Offline: Played alone.
- PvP: Online mode that has tribes, groups you can make with your friends where you can share animals and work together. Tribes can fight, players can fight, and dinosaurs that are tamed can be killed. Overall it is a fun multiplayer that can be played solo or with friends.
- PvE: Online mode that allows you to have tribes, but no tribes can fight. Players can’t kill tribe tamed animals and players can’t fight each other. It is basically player versus the environment.
- Hardcore: It is PvE or PvP, but when your character dies you have to start back up from square one with a new one.
- Primitive: It is PvE or PvP, but no modern advancement (guns, metal armor, tools, and fabricator) are available except saddles
- Survival of the Fittest: This online mode is like no other. You will be alone trying to survive. The last man on the server still living at the end of the game is the victor. You have no tribes, but you can kill others. Overall it is every man and woman for themselves.
As for weapons that can be used you have an assortment. You have two main types; ranged and melee weapons. You can also equip different tools and shields. Along with the main categories come different traps, emplacements, firearms, attachments, and explosives. All of the items include:
Tools:
- Stone Hatchets
- Metal Hatchets
- Stone Pickaxes
- Metal Pickaxes
- Torches
- Metal Sickles
Melee:
- Spears
- Pikes
- Wooden Clubs
- Metal Swords
Shields:
- Wood shields
- Metal shields
- Riot shields
Ranged:
- Slingshots
- Wooden Bows
- Crossbows
- Compound Bow
Firearms:
- Simple Pistols
- Longneck Rifles
- Shotguns
- Fabricated Pistols
- Pump-Action Shotguns
- Assault Rifles
- Fabricated Sniper Rifles
Attachments:
- Flashlights
- Holo-Scopes
- Lasers
- Scopes
- Silencers
Explosives:
- Grenades
- Improvised explosive devices
- C4 Charges
- Rocket Launchers
- Homing Water Mines
Emplacements:
- Auto Turrents
- Ballista Turrents
- Catapult Turrents
- Minigun Turrents
- Plant Species Xs
- Rocket Turrents
Traps:
- Smoke Grenades
- Poison Grenades
- Trip Wire Alarm Traps
- Trip Wire Narcotics Traps
- Bear Traps
- Large Bear Traps
ARK: Survival Evolved is an online action-adventure game. You and your friends can play in various modes. Breed dinosaurs, cook, farm, survive, explore, ride animals, tame beast, and do whatever you would like. Overall ARK is a game that I think you and your friends will enjoy.
Once again I recommend using a VPN service to play ARK: Survival Evolved. A VPN will give you an IP address from the server location you choose. It will also improve performance by improving your ping and protect you from DDoS attacks. It will also let you get past geographical restrictions and the firewalls at school or work.
Enjoy all the excitement as you play ARK: Survival Evolved online. Please share this post with your friends so they can enjoy gaming from anywhere in the world with a VPN. Follow us @VPNFan for the latest deals and guides.