Ark: Survival Evolvedlaunched back in 2015, bringing us to a fantastical world of dinosaurs and technology. In 2023, we now see the launch ofArk: Survival Ascended. At first glance, this may seem like a sequel, but it’s actually a remake of the 2015 game, taking players back to The Island.
While remaking the game, a few things changed. Here, we are going to look at all the differences between Ark: Survival Evolved and Ark: Survival Ascended. For the most part, the games are similar; if you are a veteran player, you should have no problem getting the hang of things.
9Early Access
In its current state, Ark: Survival Evolved is fully released. After becoming available for early access in 2015, the game saw its official launch in 2017. Since then, the game has spread to other consoles, such as the Nintendo Switch.
Ark: Survival Ascended, on the other hand, is still in early access. This means that the game is still going through development; you may see bugs or experience crashes due to the game being in early access. Upon its official release though, Studio Wildcard plans to have all of the content listed below.
The last five pieces of content were originally DLC for Ark: Survival Evolved.
8Map Availability
Above, we mentioned that Ark: Survival Ascended is still in early access. Because of this, there is only one map in the game. While there are plans to add more, you can still only visit The Island.
Ark: Survival Evolved has a whopping 12 maps for you to explore, including The Island. This provides a bit more variation, especially if you are already familiar with The Island.
7Price
We also see a difference in price between the two games. The base game of Ark: Survival Evolved costs $14.99 USD on Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox. On the Nintendo Switch, this is increased slightly to $19.99 USD.
Of course, you may also buy the Ultimate Survivor Edition on each platform, which increases the prices and comes with five expansion packs mentioned above. Ark: Survival Ascended does not have any DLC to purchase, making it a one-time purchase. With the DLC planned to come out, this means that you are playing the base game as well as future content.
Currently, the game is available for $44.99 USD. While it’s nice to have all the content bundled together, you won’t be able to just buy the base game if you aren’t looking to spend this much money.
6Leveled Movement Speed Skills
This may be a minor change, but player and creature speed is no longer leveled. In Ark: Survival Evolved, your movement speed skill could increase, causing differences in player speed. Sometimes, another player could outrun you to reach a resource or engage in combat.
In Ark: Survival Ascended, the movement speed skill is off by default, but if you miss it, you can turn the skill on. This is done from the settings menu when you are first setting up a server. This option provides a bit more server customization in Ak: Survival Ascended.
5Baby Dinosaurs
Breeding and taming in Ark: Survival Evolved could end up being a tough process. Thankfully, in Ark: Survival Ascended, we have baby dinosaurs. These are small little dinos that are wild, meaning that you can simply claim them.
This doesn’t involve any taming or forced unconsciousness; simplyapproach the baby dinosaur and claim it! If there is a parent nearby, you may need to defeat them first, but you may also find the baby by itself.
4Photo Mode
Photo mode is a great addition to nearly every video game, providing you with the option to take photos of the world around you. Ark: Survival Evolved didn’t have an easy-to-use photo mode but thankfully, you’re able to find this in Ark: Survival Ascended.
From the settings menu in the game, you can toggle photo mode, which gives you control of a detached camera. In this mode, you can change the camera settings, as well as the time of day.
3Improved AI Pathfinding
In Ark games, pathfinding refers to how creatures traverse through the world, reaching points of interest. With improved AI pathfinding, creatures will move more naturally in Ark: Survival Ascended.
For example, if a tree is in the way of a tamed dinosaur that is following you, they will simply go around the tree. Wild dinosaurs will also move around objects to reach their destination, which at times, means you.
2Building Placement & Snapping
To enable easier building, snap points are a must. Unfortunately, these snap points were a bit tricky to use in Ark: Survival Evolved, especially if you were trying to make a unique base. Thankfully, building has become easier in Ark: Survival Ascended.
Snapping pieces together is easier, allowing you to quickly make a grand house that isn’t a cube. Within the unlockable engrams, you may also find new building items to fully customize your abode.
1Improved Graphics
One of the biggest differences between Ark: Survival Evolved and Ark: Survival Ascended is the improved graphics. By ‘improved’, we mean a complete overhaul. Ark: Survival Ascended is being developed with the latest version of Unreal Engine 5, while Ark: Survival Evolved was developed with Unreal Engine 4.
Overall, this means that pretty much everything looks and feels better. The water looks real, the animations are smoother, and the lighting feels warm and natural. With these graphical improvements, this means that thesystem requirements have increased.
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