Enhancements in ARK: Survival Evolved – 7 Prominent Upgrades

Article Key Points

Building mechanics in ARK: Survival Ascended have been vastly improved, enabling players to effortlessly construct distinctive and elaborate structures. The inclusion of new wall variations and extra snap-points on roofs enhances the overall building experience.

The game's water textures and physics have been revamped, creating a visually captivating and immersive ocean environment. The enhanced water and splash physics greatly enhance the overall graphics quality.

The abundant foliage in ARK: Survival Ascended generates an atmosphere of overgrown prehistoric nature, effectively elevating the game's ambiance. The additional animations when creatures and players interact with the surroundings enhance the gameplay experience by making it even more immersive.

The sudden release announcement of ARK: Survival Ascended in a gameplay trailer left many fans surprised and disappointed due to developer Wildcard's lack of effective communication. However, the game's impressive graphical and mechanical enhancements have managed to turn the initial negative reactions into a more positive outlook. Despite this, Studio Wildcard still needs to address a major issue - optimization - before fans can fully consider the release a success.

Meanwhile, fortunate players who are able to run the game can appreciate numerous significant improvements, including the abundance of lush foliage, stunning lighting, and significantly improved dinosaur behavior. Along with the replacement of annoying old sound effects and the promise of further revisions, it is clear that ARK: Survival Ascended is a significant upgrade to its predecessor.

7. New Building Blocks And Better Snap Points

Build Better, More Detailed Structures

Constructing buildings in ARK: Survival Evolved proved to be a chaotic endeavor for those adventurous individuals who ventured beyond the confines of simplistic square structures. Despite the game's potential, even with the assistance of popular mods like S+, the frustrating nature of finicky snap-points and unpredictable placements dampened the overall building experience.

ARK: Survival Ascended has revamped its building mechanics, making it easier for players to construct unique and intricate structures. Moreover, there has been a graphical upgrade for all buildings, along with the introduction of new wall types and additional snap-points on roofs. It's worth mentioning that ARK: Survival Ascended has thankfully reduced the number of engrams required to learn how to build certain elements like pipes and walls. This improvement allows for a more streamlined experience, consolidating structure variants into one convenient location.

6. Improved Water Textures And Splash Animations

Take To The Prehistoric Seas

The water textures and physics in ARK: Survival Ascended have been completely overhauled, resulting in a significant improvement to the game's overall graphics and ambiance. The addition of new water and splash physics has been well-received. The underwater scenes in ARK: Survival Ascended are also visually stunning, especially with the enhanced lighting, making the ocean scenery truly breathtaking compared to the previous version of the game.

5. Denser Foliage And New Flora Animations

These Trees Won't Chop Themselves

One of the standout aspects of ARK: Survival Ascended is its incredibly realistic foliage. In contrast to its predecessor, which often felt devoid of life even in the densest forests, ARK: Survival Ascended creates the impression of a prehistoric world teeming with lush vegetation. This immersive environment, although occasionally posing challenges in locating certain objects like corpses and bags, has become such a fundamental part of the game that it is difficult to imagine the series' initial installment without it.

Wildcard's team did a remarkable job enhancing the ambiance, particularly by introducing captivating animations that bring the environment to life when creatures and players interact. The subtlety of the foliage swaying as characters pass through it and the realistic animations when trees are felled greatly contribute to the immersive experience.

4. Hit Box Overhaul And Improved Hit Registration

Ichthyornis Can Finally Get The Bonk They Deserve

ARK: Survival Evolved had numerous frustrating elements that players had to accept and brush off, such as the problematic hitboxes and annoying hit registration commonly associated with smaller creatures, particularly fliers, which made certain dinosaurs in the game incredibly bothersome. The hit registration on arrows was so poor for dinosaurs like the Ichthyornis that players hosting unofficial servers often completely disabled its spawn.

ARK: Survival Ascended drastically improved hit boxes and hit registration, to the point where some tried-and-true traps no longer work hilariously. Despite this, the community as a whole rejoices in finally being able to handle the troublesome Ichthyornis that once plagued them in the early stages of the game. Additionally, the chances of getting stuck inside another dinosaur, especially Alpha Carnos, appear to be significantly reduced, hopefully minimizing casualties resulting from "tamed-dino-stuck-in-alpha-carno" situations.

3. Better Player Animations And Models

Dino Taming Never Looked So Good

Studio Wildcard has given animations like walking, running, swimming, and gathering a much-needed overhaul, showing their dedication to improving the game. Although the slow running that has become iconic in the series may have been enjoyable, the new walking animations in ARK: Survival Ascended bring a refreshing change.

The player models and physics in ARK: Survival Ascended have been greatly enhanced with new animations. This update brings a refreshing change to the previously stiff characters in ARK: Survival Evolved. Although there is still room for improvement, particularly with regards to the player faces, Studio Wildcard has made significant strides in improving the player models.

2. New Lighting Effects And Improved Bloom

Just Look At That Sunlight... Look Right At It

The lighting in ARK: Survival Ascended has been greatly enhanced, creating a more immersive atmosphere for players. There is no longer a need to worry about the distracting glare from sand and snow or adjusting video settings to reduce brightness. Wildcard has successfully revamped the lighting in ARK: Survival Ascended, possibly through updating the game's engine to Unreal Engine 5.

No longer will players be blinded by the intense sunlight as they fly towards the horizon. Instead, they will experience the softer and more pleasant tones of ARK: Survival Ascended. However, those who dare to gaze directly at the sun will still face its full and concentrated power.

1. Baby Dinosaurs And Dino Behaviour Adjustments

The Cutest Deadly Reptiles Around

The behavior of dinosaurs in ARK: Survival Evolved has undergone several tweaks over the years, but ARK: Survival Ascended has significantly enhanced their AI. Apart from showing improved intelligence in pathing and avoiding obstacles like trees and rocks, dinosaurs also exhibit the ability to actively evade certain traps, such as the widely-used ramp trap technique.

introduced a new level of realism by allowing passive dinosaurs to retaliate when attacked, adding depth to gameplay. Additionally, the improved artificial intelligence of dinosaurs in the game includes the introduction of wild baby dinosaurs, providing players with an adorable and unique way to tame them. The enhanced AI also ensures that parent dinosaurs, such as the Parasaur, are more inclined to protect their offspring.

Platform(s) PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series SReleased October 26, 2023Developer(s) Studio WildcardGenre(s) Survival, Open-WorldEngine Unreal Engine 5 See at Steam

Editor's P/S

As an enthusiastic fan of ARK: Survival Evolved, I am thrilled with the significant enhancements made in ARK: Survival Ascended. The developers have addressed many of the issues that plagued the original game, including the frustrating building mechanics, lackluster water visuals, and sparse foliage.

The new building system is a vast improvement over the old one. It is now much easier to construct complex and unique structures, and the addition of new wall variations and extra snap-points on roofs makes the process more enjoyable. The enhanced water textures and physics are also a welcome addition, creating a more realistic and immersive ocean environment. The denser foliage adds to the game's atmosphere and makes it feel more like a living, breathing world.

Overall, I am very impressed with ARK: Survival Ascended. The developers have made significant improvements to the game, and it is now a much more enjoyable experience. I can't wait to see what they do with the game in the future.