ARK: Survival Ascended - Buyer's Guide

Survive on a mysterious island with Unreal Engine 5 technology, harness ancient beasts for power, and join thousands of players in ARK: Survival Ascended. Read the verdict: a must-avoid game due to numerous issues and poor optimization.
Fan-art of ARK: Survival Ascended

Step into a revolutionary dinosaur survival experience, where you’ll embark on an unforgettable adventure on a mysterious island. Unleash your inner explorer, gather resources, and harness the power of the ancient beasts to dominate the food chain. With Unreal Engine 5’s cutting-edge technology, ARK: Survival Ascended transports you to a vibrant world of vibrant colors, dynamic water effects, and realistic physics. Join thousands of players across platforms, forge alliances, and conquer the island in true beast-like fashion.

Should I play ARK: Survival Ascended in 2024?

The good

  • Nostalgia Factor: Fans of ARK: Survival Evolved who have migrated to the new game as a community enjoy spending time together and playing the game.
  • Visual Enhancements: The game visually looks better compared to its predecessor, despite performance issues.
  • Dinosaur Love: The game still features dinosaurs, which is a significant draw for many players.

The bad

  • Performance Issues: Numerous players report significant performance problems, including frequent crashes, poor frame rates, and graphical glitches.
  • Content and Value: The game has been criticized for lack of new and interesting content, feeling like a poorly executed rehash of the original.
  • High Costs: Many players are upset about the high costs, including expensive DLCs and microtransactions for individual dinosaurs.
  • Buggy Experience: Bugs and glitches are rampant, with issues like falling through the map, disconnects, and server sync problems.
  • Massive Updates: The game requires massive data downloads, causing headaches for those with data caps or limited storage.

Verdict

Should you still buy or play ARK: Survival Ascended in 2024? Based on the reviews, it’s a tough call. While long-time fans of ARK: Survival Evolved might find some joy in the shared community experience and improved visuals, the game is plagued with performance issues, high costs, and a lack of fresh content. If you loved the original and are willing to overlook its flaws, you might still find some dino-sized fun here. For everyone else, it’s best to proceed with caution or perhaps dig up a more polished adventure. 🦖💸



Visit the game's website Get the game on Steam

In-game Screenshot

Screenshot of ARK: Survival Ascended

Top image is not real in-game screenshots. Fan-art made by Gamer.se. Some game metadata is coming from RAWG