Look, I’m just going to come right out and say it โ ARK: Survival Ascended is one of my favourite games, and I am absolutely terrible at it. Not just a bit bad. Genuinely, consistently, spectacularly bad. And honestly? That’s exactly why I keep coming back.
What’s the Game Actually About?
For those who haven’t had the pleasure of being devoured by prehistoric wildlife, ARK: Survival Ascended is an open-world survival game packed with dinosaurs, strange technology, and a world that is very much trying to kill you at all times.
You wake up on a beach with nothing โ no tools, no weapons, no clue. You’re essentially wandering around in a loincloth trying to figure out how to punch a tree without dying. From there you craft basic tools โ a hammer, a pickaxe, a shovel โ gather berries, manage your hunger and thirst, and slowly, painfully, try to figure out how to tame the creatures roaming around you.
And they are everywhere. The environment is fully destructible and modifiable. The world feels alive. Trees, rocks, rivers โ all of it can be shaped, gathered, and used. But nothing in this world is neutral. Everything either wants to eat you, trample you, or simply watch you suffer.
What We Love About It
The single biggest thing that makes ARK so special is its learning curve. This game does not hold your hand. It does not whisper encouragement. It throws you into the deep end and watches what happens.
For players who tend to lose interest once a game gets too easy, ARK is a gift that keeps on giving. The replayability is enormous. The challenge never really goes away. You can pour hundreds of hours in and still find yourself in the jaws of a T-Rex, a Dilophosaurus, or โ embarrassingly โ a tiny Compy that had absolutely no business taking you down.
The taming mechanic is genuinely brilliant too. Learning to tame dinosaurs and other creatures opens up a whole new layer of gameplay. Once you get your head around it (if you survive long enough), it changes everything.
What We Hate About It
There’s a certain type of ARK player who will never let you forget how good they are. The kind who brags about their tame roster, their base fortifications, their server status. The leech-status crowd. You know the type.
For those of us who are still getting ambushed by Compies on day one, it can feel a bit demoralising โ until you realise that dying repeatedly and laughing about it is actually a completely valid way to play this game. It just takes a while to accept that.
The game’s performance has also been a known issue since launch. Built on Unreal Engine 5, it’s visually stunning, but it’s not light on your hardware. If your PC is struggling, the experience suffers. (More on that below.)
What’s Challenging About It
Everything. Genuinely, everything.
Hunger. Thirst. Being eaten. Building fast enough to have shelter before dark. Learning the taming mechanics. Understanding the tech tree. Figuring out which creatures are going to ignore you and which ones are going to sprint at you from 200 metres away.
The skill ceiling in ARK is enormous, and the floor? The floor has a hole in it that drops you straight into a T-Rex’s mouth. That’s the challenge. That’s also the fun.
About the Game
ARK: Survival Ascended is a full Unreal Engine 5 rebuild of the classic ARK: Survival Evolved, developed by <a href=”https://studiowildcard.com” target=”_blank”>Studio Wildcard</a> โ a Seattle-based studio founded in 2014 by Jeremy Stieglitz and Jesse Rapczak. It launched on Steam in October 2023 and sold over 600,000 units in its first two weeks.
๐ฎ Grab it on Steam ๐ข Studio Wildcard โ Developer Page
๐ป PC System Requirements
| Minimum | Recommended | |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10/11 | Windows 10/11 |
| CPU | Intel i7-6800K / AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | Intel i5-10600K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X |
| RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB |
| GPU | NVIDIA GTX 1080 / AMD RX 5600 XT | NVIDIA RTX 3080 / AMD RX 6800 |
| DirectX | Version 12 | Version 12 |
| Storage | 70 GB (SSD required) | 70 GB (SSD required) |
โ ๏ธ Note: An SSD is required โ not optional. This game will not run properly from a traditional hard drive.
As you can see, ARK: Survival Ascended is a demanding game โ particularly at recommended settings. If your current PC is struggling to keep up, it might be time for an upgrade.
๐ Check out our custom gaming PCs at Lithgeek โ built to handle everything from ARK to the most demanding titles on the market. Not sure what you need? Book an appointment with us and we’ll help you spec up the perfect build.
Similar Games You Might Enjoy
If ARK scratches that survival-meets-chaos itch for you, here are some others worth exploring:
- Rustย โ Brutal multiplayer survival. Even less mercy than ARK.
- Valheimย โ Norse mythology survival with crafting and exploration.
- Palworldย โ Creature taming survival with a wildly different vibe.
- The Forest / Sons of the Forestย โ Survival horror with base building.
- Conan Exilesย โ Open world survival set in the Conan universe.
- 7 Days to Dieย โ Survival crafting with zombie horde mechanics.