Highlights

  • ARK: Survival Ascended launches with impressive Unreal Engine 5 graphics, giving the game a fresh and exciting new look for dedicated fans.
  • The game includes advanced graphics features like realistic lighting and reflections, dynamic water, and interactive foliage, creating an immersive world.
  • Quality-of-life improvements, new structures, and creatures aim to rejuvenate the ARK franchise and provide an exciting experience for new and returning players.

ARK: Survival Ascended has taken its fans by surprise with its PC launch, showcasing remarkable Unreal Engine 5 graphics. This highly anticipated game builds upon the elements that made ARK: Survival Evolved one of the best survival games and promises a fresh new look with exciting features for its dedicated fan base.

ARK: Survival Evolved gained immense popularity in the world of survival multiplayer games, thanks to its captivating mix of open-world exploration, base-building, creature-taming, and multiplayer action. Earlier this year, Studio Wildcard originally announced a remake of the game using Unreal Engine 5, with an expected release in August 2023. However, ARK: Survival Ascended experienced a slight delay, with the development team announcing its launch for October.

RELATED: Ark Developers Backtrack on Controversial Decision

ARK: Survival Ascended's early access version became available for PC on October 25, and its graphics are nothing short of impressive. The game represents a significant overhaul of the original, as it has been entirely reimagined from the ground up using Unreal Engine 5, a powerhouse in modern game development technology. Players can anticipate an exciting experience with improved graphics and content. Furthermore, the game is set to arrive on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in November.

The early access launch includes all of ARK's worlds, making it a comprehensive package for fans of the series. Studio Wildcard has incorporated advanced graphics features, such as fully dynamic Global Illumination for realistic lighting and reflections, which allows light to interact with surfaces realistically. Additionally, advanced mesh streaming ensures extreme detail by handling hundreds of millions of triangles. Players will notice new physics systems, including dynamic water and fully interactive physical foliage, which breathe life into the game's environments and create an immersive world, as demonstrated in the launch trailer.

ARK: Survival Ascended also introduces quality-of-life improvements in various areas, including redesigned user interfaces, dynamic navigation for creature pathfinding, wild baby creatures, a photo mode, and new structures and creatures. These enhancements aim to continue the experience that made Ark: Survival Evolved one of the best dinosaur games. The integration of Unreal Engine 5 and a wealth of new content additions aims to rejuvenate the ARK franchise and provide an exciting experience for both new and returning players.

This surprise release opens up possibilities for the future of the ARK franchise, potentially heralding a new era of ARK gameplay. Ark: Survival Evolved was known for rewarding player creativity, and both veterans and newcomers may anticipate exploring visually stunning landscapes, capturing and taming creatures, and surviving in a reimagined world filled with potential and adventure in the remake.

ARK: Survival Ascended is now available in Early Access on PC and will be released for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S in November.

MORE: Best Maps In ARK: Survival Evolved (2023)