ARK: Survival Ascended

ARK: Survival Ascended is a remastered version of the highly popular survival game ARK: Survival Evolved from 2017. It was developed by Studio Wildcard, the same studio as the original.

Curiously, the game only includes the remasters of ARK: Survival Evolved and ARK: Survival of the Fittest, as well as a number of "non-canon" maps. The content introduced in the expansions ARK: Scorched Earth, ARK: Aberration, ARK: Extinction and ARK: Genesis, on the other hand, must be purchased separately.

Plot

ARK: Survival Ascended is set in a world overrun by dinosaurs. The playable character's objective is to survive in this inhospitable environment. He must face both the prehistoric reptiles and hostile humans.

Mechanics

ARK: Survival Ascended makes use of the first-person (FPP) and third-person (TPP) perspective. The game features a vast, freely traversible open world. Since our main goal is to survive, throughout the game we must gather resources used to craft weapons, clothes and tools, as well as build a hideaway we can be just a bit safer at. As we progress through the game we acquire better equipment and develop our character, letting us face greater threats.

Speaking of threats - the roaming dinosaurs include smaller specimens not posing much danger, as well as much more powerful creatures like tyrannosaurs, an encounter with which can easily end very badly. Fighting them may be worth the risk, though, as some specimens can be tamed and mounted.

Game modes

ARK: Survival Ascended is playable in singleplayer and multiplayer. The latter includes co-op and competition. Since ARK: Survival of the Fittest has been integrated into the game, it features a battle royale mode, in which players are divided into warring tribes, the last one standing winning the match.

It also introduced cross-platform multiplayer, letting PC and console players play together.

Technical aspects

ARK: Survival Ascended stands out from ARK: Survival Evolved thanks to its thoroughly refreshed visuals. The game runs on the Unreal Engine 5 and takes full advantage of its capabilities, using ray tracing as well as Nanite and Lumen technologies. The game also supports fan modifications; curiously, mods designed on the PC can also be used by console players. The list of new features is rounded out by interface improvements and gameplay balance fixes.