The survival MMO Atlas is receiving heavy criticism, yet many players still invest hundreds of hours into it. The survival expert Sascha took a look at the new game from the creators of ARK. After 13 hours, he understood what is so appealing about Atlas.
Atlas is a new pirate survival MMO from Grapeshot Games, a subsidiary of Wildcard. Therefore, Atlas is the latest title from the creators of ARK Survival Evolved. The game made headlines right after its release for many negative reasons.
There were multiple delays for the early access launch, complaints about poor performance, and numerous bugs. On Steam, only 30% of 16,426 players rated Atlas positively. (As of January 3, 2019, 3:00 PM)
According to Steam Charts, however, there are on average over 39,000 players. So, Atlas must be doing something right. To find out, I had to see the game for myself, so I set sail.
A wrong decision can ruin everything
The first decision in Atlas is crucial and can massively impact your gaming experience.
The server choice: By this I mean not the choice between PVP or PVE, but the right choice of spawn. Each spawn server accommodates up to 150 players and they are dispersed throughout the game world. Especially at the start, you should choose a server that includes “Freeport” in its name. These are the safe islands with ports where no PVP is allowed. Perfect to learn the basics of the game.
I chose a Freeport with as few players as possible. That’s not so easy, as most are already full and only a few have spots left. After character creation, I spawned directly in the harbor. <<You are cold>> was the message thrown at me immediately. No wonder, my pirate is completely naked except for a linen pair of pants.
The first steps
Similarities to ARK are notable: While I am virtually overwhelmed by all the hints and tips, I remember ARK. The menu navigation and the first scenes of Atlas look very similar to ARK. Why would the controls be different?
So I run off blindly, diligently collecting the first resources like stones, fibers, and wood and try to craft my first tools. My countless hours in ARK are paying off here, even though I gave up on the dino title a long time ago due to its sci-fi setting.
Fast, frustrating death: But there is a problem. The biting cold. Even by the comforting campfire, my pirate freezes to death and it quickly happens that I die. After respawning, I lost all my items, but at least not my learned skills. After dying multiple times without making significant progress, I recognized my mistake. I spawned too far north.
The first hours were pure waste of time and nearly brought me to my knees. I blame no one for not wanting to touch Atlas again after that.
But I wanted to give Atlas another chance. I found a new Freeport where I could spawn. The golden mean had just a few spots free, and when I arrived there, it was neither too warm nor too cold for my character. Perfect to start properly now.
Without motivation, grinding is hell
Everything for the great sea voyage: In Atlas, gathering resources and leveling up the character is a lengthy process. Anyone who has played on the official ARK servers will be familiar with this.
The grind for materials and experience points can quickly become frustrating. However, with the right motivation, I did find it quite enjoyable.
And I’m not alone in this. Most players I encountered were all busy gathering resources as if there was no tomorrow. Hours of chopping wood, mowing thousands of bushes, and smashing hundreds of stones, but for what?
To get off this one island and sail the sea with their own raft. Because what is a pirate without a ship?
A sea voyage, that is fun and really cool
The feeling on the raft or a larger ship is fantastic. I can literally feel the danger that comes from the deep and rough sea. I sailed my little raft out to the open sea. Always following the wind, in search of treasure. I found the necessary treasure map earlier in a bottle on the beach.
Excitement on the open sea: Whether it’s large sharks or ghost ships on the horizon, the feeling that my raft could be destroyed at any moment gave me an adrenaline rush.
I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Also, the dives to catch fish with the spear were exciting. But I already loved that in other survival games like Raft or Stranded Deep. The danger of the open sea stirs a certain fear in me, making it even more thrilling.
Navigation using the compass needs to be learned. Because without a destination, one can quickly get lost.
Fast death due to open PVP: Heading to the next island is not a bad plan. But outside the Freeport, it is PVP territory on a PVP server, and the players on the next island were not very friendly.
A whole stretch of beach filled with shipyards, large galleons, and higher-level players is a sight to behold. But after the first encounter, I was immediately shot down and my raft sunk.
Restart in the Freeport.
That’s why I enjoy Atlas after 13 hours
After 13 hours, Atlas showed me that it is more than just an “ARK re-skin”, as it is often referred to.
Reason 1: The naval gameplay. The shipbuilding and mechanics set the title apart despite its similarities in the menu navigation and grind gameplay from ARK. They provide me with lasting enjoyment.
I was initially skeptical about whether I would even enjoy the title, as I already dislike ARK. However, since it is the sci-fi setting that bores me in the dino game, I decided to give Atlas a chance and was not disappointed.
Reason 2: The pirate setting. I enjoy building my own raft and later a full ship. The idea of sailing the terrifying sea with my friends, encountering dangers, and finding treasures fascinates me and drives me to keep playing.
If you enjoyed gathering resources, building bases, and taming animals in ARK, you will also find enjoyment in Atlas. At least if you can do without the dinos.
You should stay away from Atlas if … you as a fan of the pirate setting expect to jump into action quickly, as you see in the trailers. Then prepare for a harsh disappointment.
You need to invest many hours into the game to achieve even a fraction of something. I’ve heard of groups needing over 40 hours to build a large ship.
However, private servers with adjusted settings can already help with this.
I’m looking forward to many more hours on the open sea. The performance has steadily improved in recent days, and Grapeshot Games is diligently working on further patches.
I’m excited to see what the future holds for ATLAS and will definitely keep an eye on the title.
What do you think, why is Atlas played by so many?
