Studio Wildcard argue that Survival Ascended will help them tomaster (the Unreal Engine 5) and test our most risky technical innovations in real conditions.” An almost reassuring speech when you know the many technical setbacks ofArk. It’s just unfortunate (and inexplicable if we except the greed) that players pay the price. On PC and Xbox Series, the reissue will therefore be sold for €50 in the ARK Respawned Bundle, which also includes Ark 2, as well as a month of its closed beta next year. On PS5, the bousin can still be obtained separately, at the price of 40€. And for that price, what do we have, my good lady? The starting island, the battle royale mode Survival of the Fittest, the non-canonical maps… and that’s it.
Maybe dinosaurs deserved to go extinct after all
Studio Wildcard pushes the vice so far as to re-invoice the DLCs ofArk : Survival Evolved :
- €19.99 for the Explorer Pass, which includes Scorched Earth, Aberration (Q4 2023), and Extinction (Q1 2024);
- €19.99 for the Genesis pass, which includes Genesis Part 1 (Q1 2024) and Genesis Part 2 (Q2 2024).
You’re not dreaming, if you have already acquired all the DLCs of Ark first of the name, you will have to spit out at least 80 euros to have the illustrious privilege… of continuing to play what you already have. Destiny had invented perishable extensions, Studio Wildcard innovates with the economy loop. Note that they had promis that the remaster would be completely free.
Come on, for that price, what do you find in Ark : Survival Ascended ? A plethora of visual enhancements thanks to the Nanite and Lumen systems of the Unreal Engine 5, able to simulate the environment much more realistically than before. Vegetation and water, in particular, will take a big polish.
More interesting, multiplayer and cross-platform modding. The modding will be co-managed by the platform Overwolf. The objective is to achieve total content parity between the Steam version and its console versions: any mod created on PC will be playable on PS5 and Xbox Series. On the model of other UGC platforms like Roblox, creators will be able to solicit Wildcard and Overlord to be validated as a premium mod and, if they wish, make their work pay. Profits will be shared on a 50/50 basis. Wildcard claims to work hand in hand with stalwart modders in the community to ensure that all tools are up to date upon release and that existing mods can be transferred without too much difficulty.
At the exit of Survival Ascended at the end of August 2023, the official servers of Survival Evolved will be disconnected. It will always be possible to roam there solo, or on private servers. While you will be able to export final save data to preserve your progress, a few features will be cut in battle. You’ll have to give up split-screen co-op, procedural map generation, and Primitive+ mode.
But Ark 2, in all this?
Survival Ascended is therefore a particularly audacious financial patch to fuel the development ofArk 2. Still very discreet, the long-awaited sequel will make a 180 degree turn, rejecting the fun uchronic aberrations of its elder to focus on a raw, pseudo-realistic and immersive experience. Wildcard admits that “the evolutions may not appeal to everyone (notably Souls-like combat, primitive-only weapons, strictly third-person mechanics – and a “very serious” tone).“This program sticks quite well to the tone of the first trailers, where Vin Diesel puffs out his chest to protect THE FAMILY.
Ark 2 will be released in 2024 on PC and Xbox Series. A closed beta will be held early next year.
