Cartoons based on popular video games is as old as, well, video games themselves. Anyone remember the Captain N, Pole Position, Super Mario Bros., or Zelda cartoons in the ’80s? Did I just date myself way too much? In any case, while the concept of an animated adaptation isn’t a recent invention, it does seem like there’s a whole lot more effort and talent poured into modern entries to make them as grown-up and respectable as possible.
For example, check out the four-minute trailer for the upcoming ARK: The Animated Series. Based on the popular survival game, this 2023 show focuses on a group of humans (with the voice talents of Michelle Yeoh, Gerard Butler, Russel Crowe, and David Tennant) dropped into a primeval realm populated with long-extinct beasties.
And if that’s not exciting enough, Studio Wildcard also announced that it’s launched ARK: Survival of the Fittest on Steam. This battle royale-slash-real-time-strategy game pits 60 players (and their dinos) against each other. While the studio is charging players for the new game, it was quick to note that Survival of the Fittest is still a “prototype” and not fully complete.
