ARK: Survival Ascended shows significant improvements despite the criticism of the initial optimization: improved construction capabilities, stunning water visuals, thicker foliage, improved hit registration, realistic player animations, stunning lighting effects and the appearance of adorable baby dinosaurs with altered behavior. The sudden announcement of the release of ARK: Survival Ascended in the game trailer surprised and disappointed many fans due to the lack of effective communication from the Wildcard developer. Meanwhile, players can appreciate many significant improvements, including an abundance of lush foliage, stunning lighting, and vastly improved dinosaur behavior. Along with replacing annoying old sound effects and promising further changes, it is obvious that ARK: Survival Ascended is a significant improvement over its predecessor.
7. New building blocks
Building buildings in ARK: Survival Evolved turned out to be a chaotic activity for those enterprising people who ventured beyond the simplified square structures. Despite the potential of the game, even with the help of popular mods such as S+, the depressing nature of finicky anchor points and unpredictable placements worsened the overall impression of the construction. In ARK: Survival Ascended, the construction mechanics have been updated, making it easier for players to build unique and intricate structures. In addition, the graphic design of all buildings has been improved, as well as new types of walls and additional anchor points on the roofs have been introduced. It is worth mentioning that in ARK: Survival Ascended, fortunately, the number of engrams needed to learn how to create certain elements, such as pipes and walls, has been reduced. This improvement provides a more streamlined experience by combining different structures in one convenient location.
6. Improved water textures and animations
The textures and physics of water in ARK: Survival Ascended have been completely redesigned, resulting in a significant improvement in the overall graphics and atmosphere of the game. The addition of new water physics and splashes was well received. The underwater scenes in ARK: Survival Ascended are also visually stunning, especially thanks to the improved lighting, which makes the ocean scenery truly breathtaking compared to the previous version of the game.
5. Thicker foliage And new flora animation
One of the outstanding aspects of ARK: Survival Ascended is the incredibly realistic vegetation. Unlike its predecessor, which often seemed lifeless even in the densest forests, ARK: Survival Ascended gives the impression of a prehistoric world teeming with lush vegetation. This exciting environment, although it sometimes creates problems when searching for certain objects such as corpses and bags, has become such a fundamental part of the game that it is difficult to imagine the initial part of the series without it. The Wildcard team has done a wonderful job of improving the atmosphere, in particular by introducing fascinating animations that bring the environment to life when creatures and players interact. The subtlety of the swaying foliage as the characters walk through it, and the realistic animation when chopping down trees greatly contribute to the immersion in the game.
4. And improved hit registration
ARK: Survival Evolved had a lot of unpleasant elements that players had to put up with and shrug off, such as problematic hitboxes and annoying hit registration, usually associated with small creatures, especially flyers, which made some dinosaurs in the game incredibly annoying. The registration of arrows hits was so low for dinosaurs like ichthyornis that players hosting unofficial servers often completely disabled his appearance. ARK: Survival Ascended has significantly improved hit boxes and hit registration, to the point that some proven traps no longer work as much fun. Despite this, the community as a whole is happy that it can finally cope with the annoying ichthyornis that once plagued them in the early stages of the game. In addition, the chances of getting stuck inside another dinosaur, especially Alpha Carnos, are significantly reduced, which, hopefully, will minimize losses as a result of "tamed" situations.
3. Improved animations and player models
Wildcard Studio has redesigned animations such as walking, running, swimming and collecting, demonstrating its commitment to improving the game. While the slow running that became iconic in the series may have been fun, the new walking animations in ARK: Survival Ascended make refreshing changes. The player models and physics in ARK: Survival Ascended have been greatly improved with new animations. This update brings refreshing changes to the previously tough characters in ARK: Survival Evolved. Although there is still room for improvement, especially in terms of player faces, Studio Wildcard has made significant progress in improving player models.
2. New lighting effects and improved blooming
The lighting in ARK: Survival Ascended has been greatly improved, creating a more immersive atmosphere for players. No more worrying about distracting glare from sand and snow or adjusting video settings to reduce brightness. Wildcard has successfully updated the lighting in ARK: Survival Ascended, possibly by updating the game engine to Unreal Engine 5. Players will no longer be blinded by the bright sunlight as they fly towards the horizon. Instead, they will feel the softer and more pleasant tones of ARK: Survival Ascended. However, those who dare to look directly at the sun will still face its full and concentrated power.
1. Baby dinosaurs and changes in dinosaur behavior
Over the years, the behavior of dinosaurs in ARK: Survival Evolved has undergone several changes, but ARK: Survival Ascended has significantly improved their artificial intelligence. In addition to demonstrating improved intelligence when navigating routes and avoiding obstacles such as trees and rocks, dinosaurs also demonstrate the ability to actively dodge certain traps, such as the widely used ramp trap technique. A new level of realism has been introduced, allowing passive dinosaurs to take revenge when attacked, which adds depth to the gameplay. In addition, 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. Improved artificial intelligence also ensures that parent dinosaurs such as the parasaurus are more likely to protect their offspring.