Dinosaurs Prehistoric Survivors

What compelled me to try this game was the life cycle progression. At first I was disappointed that the game mode that features this - Arcade - only allows you to play as a Triceratops or Tyrannosaurus. However, due to the relative simplicity of the combat I no longer think this. There would not be a great degree of difference in game play. The other game modes did not capture my interest so this review will focus on Arcade. The progression is interestingly multi-faceted for a game of this type. First, the main leveling. You gain XP from consuming resources, killing other dinosaurs, and completing "Missions". Missions are simple and can be randomized at-will to find an objective that you can complete easily. Examples include traveling to a specific region during either the day or not, killing x number of x dinosaurs, consuming x resources, etc. Taking the time to cycle the mission to something that you are nearby already will drastically hasten your dinosaur's leveling. New levels unlock traditional skill points that can be invested in tiered options based on your growth stage. Most skills have a positive and negative effect with the positive being the stronger element by varying margins. Thankfully you can re-spec by expending XP. NOTE: the increased poison and bleed chance do not seem to function as intended, avoid these skills. Apart from the skills you can also attain abilities. On the map there are areas (Anomalies) marked that can be accessed at certain levels. Two each for levels 3 and 6 and one at level 8. These anomalies either have a special resource that must be consumed (a plant or carcass) or a high-level dinosaur to defeat. Once completed, a new ability is unlocked. These are mostly useful but do not set your expectations terribly high. The triceratops gets a charge ability but it is not a charge attack but rather a forward sprint. I primarily used this ability to traverse the map more quickly instead of in combat (quite useful in this context). The locations of the anomalies are erased from the map once you are the appropriate level so take a mental note in preparation. Lastly and most interestingly, there are traits. Traits are effects that you gain from repeating specific actions and are without question the most impactful progression. Consuming resources with a higher toxicity level will improve your toxic tolerance (somewhat), fighting certain types of dinosaurs (herbivore, carnivore, armored, etc.) will improve your damage against those same types, performing actions during the day or night will yield benefits, and a decent host of others. I believe that this is the core of the "survival" game play and the other two systems above fall more into the "RPG" format. Overall the game is fairly basic but that makes it convenient to jump into for short sessions on a whim. I mostly played with my young daughter watching (there is no blood in Arcade) and she quite enjoyed the experience. Having reached "Victory" for both dinosaurs with less than 10 hours of game time, I'd say that this is a simple title that provides a decent amount of satisfaction for those who like this type of game.