Many players criticized the remaster of ARK: Survival Evolved when Studio Wildcard first announced it. However, MeinMMO author Dariusz Müller believes that especially players on the PS5 will benefit from it.
Studio Wildcard announced with ARK: Survival Ascended a remaster for the survival hit ARK Survival Evolved, which was viewed very controversially by many fans. However, I believe that especially console players should be excited about the remaster, as it will significantly enhance the gaming experience on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
The remaster of ARK is set to include not only an upgrade to Unreal Engine 5 but also crossplay. However, the highlight is a feature that has also been announced for the successor ARK 2, which will not be released on PS5: cross-platform modding.
Cross-platform modding allows console players to play ARK with mods for the first time. These are currently only usable on PC via Steam and add new dinos, maps, or gameplay overhauls to the game.
The remaster “ARK Survival Ascended” is particularly interesting for PS5 players because ARK 2 is not supposed to be released on the current Sony console. Xbox players will receive another game with the sequel that supports the use of mods.
It feels like I’m playing a new game
I personally played ARK for over 1,000 hours on the PS4 and had to forgo mods there. When I switched to PC, it felt like I was playing a new game. The mods provided me with countless new content and QOL improvements that I could only dream of as a console player.
Especially with the maps, PC players are currently not bound to the release through Wildcard. Popular maps like Fjördur, Crystle Isles, or Valguero were playable as mods long before the official ARK release.
Furthermore, the maps were often slightly adjusted with the official release, which many fans saw negatively. For example, Wildcard removed certain creatures from the maps during the official release or altered the most popular farming spots.
In addition, modders created numerous creatures for ARK: Survival Evolved, such as dinos and mythical beings that are not included in the normal game. Popular examples include giant snails, the Star-Pegasus, and the Indominus Rex known from the movie “Jurassic World.”
My personal highlight: Mods that improve building
My personal highlight among the various mods was everything that benefited me in building my base.
There are mods that improve the building system and allow stacking foundations and leveling out uneven ground. There are also mods that add new building styles or elements, allowing me to create a Viking village or a dwarf city.
In addition, there are numerous decorative items and devices that help me in the production of resources or materials.
Some of these devices are designed to work faster than the normal ARK machinery, while others simply fit better with the chosen building style – after all, a chemistry lab table doesn’t visually belong in a medieval castle.
QoL improvements and luxury changes
The last major bonus provided by mods are “Quality of Life” improvements and new content designed to make the gaming experience as pleasant as possible. Some do lower the difficulty level of the game, but those who do not want that can always opt out. You don’t have to use a mod if you don’t want to. For everyone else, these tools are true luxury changes.
A popular example is the “Awesom SpyGlass”, a telescope that displays the health bar, stunning progress, level, and gender of a tamed as well as a wild dino from quite a distance.
There is also an auction house that allows trading with players from other servers, as well as an upgrade station that lets you upgrade your weapons and tools if you have sufficient resources.
The list of helpful mods is endless – a mod for finding your creatures, a mod for better storing items, and much more. And even if you want to make things harder in ARK, you will surely find something.
Mods have massively enhanced my gaming experience in ARK and provided me with new motivation to play the survival title again. If the community mod support for the remaster is even remotely as good as it was for ARK: Survival Evolved, then I firmly believe that the remaster and the implementation of mods will significantly improve the gameplay on PS5.
While I am a big fan of mods in ARK, I do not want to simplify the gaming experience fundamentally. For instance, I’m not a fan of flying creatures:
ARK becomes way too easy with flying creatures – That’s why the sequel must omit them
