The next ARK: Survival Evolved expansion Genesis will be released in just a few days on February 25. We will tell you what you should know before purchasing.
With Genesis Part 1, one of the last expansions for the dinosaur survival hit ARK: Survival Evolved will be released on February 25. In this article, we tell you what’s new, when the release is, what’s included in the price, how performance looks now, and who should consider buying it.
1. The biggest innovations in ARK Genesis
With Genesis Part 1, ARK receives new items, biomes, dinos, and much more. Some features have already been introduced by the developers at Wildcard, while we will learn about other innovations only at release. The new companion drone HLNA is said to bring a previously unexplained mission design into the game, making the overall player experience feel less repetitive.
- 7 new dinos: We have already introduced you to the 5 coolest ones. Many of the already known dinos will receive new possible skins with Genesis.
- Fresh Earth: Genesis takes place on Earth like Extinction, but after the plague. All ARKs have landed on Earth, so expect a variety of different biomes.
- The Moon: The Moon is also one of the new biomes and can be visited.
- Story continues: The crazy ARK story continues with Genesis. The drone HLNA brings a new mission design into the game to advance the story further.
- New TEK gear: Highly developed weapons that expand your existing TEK arsenal. This includes shoulder cannons, grenade launchers, and a TEK rocket launcher.
- New building components: Alarm systems, ocean platforms, jump pads, pressure plates.
More facts about Genesis:
- Great focus on water.
- “Moeder” is the first underwater boss in ARK.
- First DLC with mission design.
- New boss category, similar to the titans in Extinction.
- Monthly, the Genesis Chronicles will be released, content packs with skins and new explorer notes.
2. When does Genesis start?
After Wildcard has postponed the release several times, it is now set to take place on February 25, 2020. Asian regions will have to wait until March due to translation work.
When can you play? ARK Genesis is expected to go online on February 25. Although a specific time is still pending, servers are expected to start around 7:00 PM.
Is there a preload? Those wishing for a preload will likely be disappointed. There was also no option to download content in advance with the last DLC Extinction.
Owners of private servers will also have to wait until the server operators unlock Genesis.
The release of Extinction did not go particularly well, and the first hours and days were associated with downtimes, bugs, and waiting times. Whether Wildcard has a better handle on the release of Genesis remains to be seen.
3. What’s included in the season pass
ARK Genesis is the first expansion to be released in two parts. Part 1 will arrive on February 25, while Part 2 will be released at the end of the year. Currently, Genesis cannot be purchased separately. Thus, the season pass is the only way to access the expansion.
- What’s included: The season pass includes Genesis Part 1 and Part 2. Whether additional content will be added is not yet known.
- This is the price: For €29.99 on Steam and €34.99 in the Xbox and PlayStation Store, you essentially get two expansions.
Where you can buy it:
4. How’s the performance?
ARK: Survival Evolved has never been known for its performance. The early access launch in mid-2015 was anything but good. The FPS were in the gutter, the game crashed often, and even monster rigs couldn’t tame ARK. But how does it look today?
This is how ARK plays today: In the last 5 years, the developers at Wildcard have integrated countless performance improvements. And it actually runs better.
With a GeForce GTX 1070, 32 GB RAM, an i5-8600K, and a 4K resolution, ARK currently runs at around 40-50 FPS. At 1080p, I can at least get close to 60 with my setup.
That’s nothing groundbreaking and still too low for many players, but ARK can be played reasonably well like this. FPS will not go any higher either, because even with an RTX 2070 and appropriate components, players on reddit report a maximum of 70 FPS.
The game is also plagued by sudden crashes, freezes, and errors with the Unreal Engine. Not every player is affected, and a reinstallation can fix these issues. However, to still have these problems after over 2 years since release is a shame in itself.
5. Who should consider buying?
Even in 2020, ARK is played by thousands of players at the same time. The official servers are well filled, and several private servers with their mods invite exploration. ARK is not going to get boring anytime soon, and Genesis will not change that. Quite the opposite, the DLC will bring many players back to ARK. But who is the expansion suitable for?
The purchase is worthwhile for:
- ARK fans who want to know how the incredible journey continues.
- Sandbox fans who haven’t had a look at ARK before. With Genesis, you’ll find an interesting expansion that doesn’t require you to have played the previous parts.
- Players who need a goal and are not fans of “I can do whatever I want” games. They will get an additional incentive to take a look at the title with the mission design.
Stay away if:
- You expect flawless performance.
- Sandbox games are not your thing.
- You can’t handle the entire concept of ARK.
- You are not interested in science fiction. ARK is set in a sci-fi setting – if that’s not for you, stay away from Genesis.
Alternatively, you can still play various mods that eliminate all the technical stuff from the game.
