10 Biggest Differences Between Ark: Survival Ascended & Survival Evolved (2024)

Though Ark: Survival Ascended has the same core gameplay loop as Ark: Survival Evolved, there are some differences between the two titles. After all, though it has undergone a series of major updates and expansions since it was launched, Survival Evolved is now nearly a decade old, having been released in 2015. The multiplayer dinosaur survival game has remained wildly popular, and Ark: Survival Ascended updates the game to the much more powerful Unreal Engine 5 while including the expansions for Evolved, including Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, and more.

Many have wondered what the major differences between the two titles are. In terms of core gameplay, the games are almost identical, but there are a few QoL enhancements and enough major changes that make Ascended better than Evolved in a few key ways. Though it's still up for debate whether ASA is actually worth getting for those who already own Ark: Survival Evolved, ASA's recent inclusion into Xbox Game Pass gives subscribers a way to try the game without purchasing it outright.

15 New Creatures & DLC

Controversial Bob's Tall Tales

One of the most obvious differences is the introduction of two new creatures via the Scorched Earth update for Ark: Survival Ascended in the form of the Fasolasuchus and Oasisaur, with the latter coming under fire for being part of a paid DLC called Bob's Tall Tales. The reason for the upset is that most believed that ASA would include all of ASE content without considering the fact that a new DLC might be released for ASA.

News of a new DLC being added to the game, and costing $29.99 no less, created an understandable stir for those who felt caught off guard. The Oasisaur is a pretty powerful base dinosaur, leading to accusations that the new addition is pay-to-win.

14 Better Character Customization Options

You Can Still Create A Monstrosity

Overall, the character customization options in ASA are a big step up from ASE. Ark Survival Evolved included a character customizer with fairly limited options, leading to many characters looking the same. As a result, many in the community took to creating horrid beastly-looking creatures with tiny skinny arms or stunted short legs and massive bodies.

While it's still possible to create a monster in ASA (and many people do), the character creator was expanded, dividing each section's sliders into different tabs and giving more options to adjust throughout. While it's still not the most expansive character-creation engine out there, the number of things that can be adjusted gives players more options.

13 General QoL Improvements

ASA Is Less Frustrating To Play

There have been significant changes to overall gameplay mechanics that improve the quality of life generally when playing. New trackers, an improved UI, changes to baby dinos, and updates to creature abilities make certain aspects of ASA feel like a much more streamlined experience over ASE.

Additional changes and improvements to movement mechanics also make the game feel different in certain respects. Even though ASA still has its fair share of bugs, these overall improvements are much needed, and enhance the overall experience.

12 Ark: Survival Ascended Has Much Better Graphics

Ascended Uses Unreal Engine 5

Ark: Survival Evolved runs on a custom version of Unreal Engine 4.5, which seriously limits the game's graphics and immersion. While it's still more than possible to create absolutely legendary monstrosities in Ark: Survival Ascended via the game's custom character creator, virtually every aspect of the game's visuals has been improved.

Ark: Survival Ascended utilizes Unreal Engine 5, which makes textures, dinosaurs, and lighting look better. It's a huge step up from ASE and should give people an idea of what the upcoming Ark 2 will likely look like.

11 Creature Pathing Improvements

There's Still More Work To Be Done For Ark 2

Although ASA still has a long way to go in terms of creature behavior and AI, there is a noticeable improvement over the fairly abysmal creature and dinosaur AI in Ark: Survival Evolved. As the bad AI became part of ASE when it came to taming or capturing larger creatures, it certainly did a lot to break immersion.

Creature AI in ASA still acts in unexpected and sometimes confounding ways, but general pathing improvements enable the creatures to at least get around structures and obstructions. This is most noticeable when leading tamed creatures, as they are more likely to not get "lost" in the new version.

10 In-Game Mods List

Download New Dinos In The Main Menu

Many people enjoy the additional dinosaurs and other enhancements provided via mods, and Studio Wildcard took note of this by integrating a mod list directly into the game. In Ark: Survival Ascended, using mods is as easy as accessing a menu in the game rather than going through the Steam Workshop. This feature also enables people on Xbox and PlayStation consoles to utilize mods in their games.

This is a massive step-up and improvement to anyone who plays Ark on their console, as previously in Evolved mod support was limited to PC. Considering this is the main way to add new and unique creatures, it helps expand what the game has to offer.

9 More Customizable Camera

Zoom Has Been Added

While it is a minor feature, the fact that Ark: Survival Evolved has a fixed third-person camera limits visibility on the battlefield. This could cause serious issues in large conflicts, specifically when riding dinosaurs, as it limits the FOV for the character.

Ark: Survival Ascended now comes with a zoom feature that gives people a wider view of the battlefield and the world around them. This also extends beyond PvP or multiplayer play, with the new camera angles and the new photo mode, benefiting people who like to play solo or single-player Ark.

8 New Cave Systems & Loot Locations

Scorched Earth Updates

There have been a number of pretty significant changes to the Scorched Earth DLC in ASA, which change a few major things in big ways. Both Desert Loot Crates & Beacons have had their locations switched in the new title, making reliable loot locations available in ASE not available in the updated game.

In addition, new caves found in Scorched Earth add new areas to explore or build a fortified base in. With one located in the Wyvern trench area, and the other cave located in a watery oasis, both locations are unique and interesting enough to explore.

7 Streamlined Inventory Controls

New Item Hotbar & Fast Inventory

A new change that enables people to access their full inventory via the hotbar rather than manually entering the inventory screen is a much-welcomed changed in Ascended. People can now access several pages in their hotbar, which will help a lot with building, as different pieces can now be selected quickly.

Similarly, shoulder pet inventories can now be accessed much more easily using the radial menu. These small QoL changes might not seem like much, but they will cut down on the time spent in inventory screens.

6 Improved Map

Waypoints And Coordinates

The map in Ark: Survival Ascended has seen a few updates. In addition to being able to keep it open while running around, there are more intuitive map controls. It's now possible to enter the map menu inside the inventory, zoom in and zoom out, and add custom map markers and waypoints.

In ASE, the map was, at times, confounding and buggy, hampering the overall experience and making something as locating a base or items and gear frustrating. Ark: Survival Ascended updated map goes a long way in helping people identify important locations.

5 Changes With Building & Construction

Refunded Construction Materials

Something that many may have missed outside of those who enjoy building in Ark is a change to how resources are handled when supported structures are removed. Previously, the structures on top of the support would be destroyed, wasting all the resources put into building it.

With the new changes, resources are now put back into your inventory, making building feel a lot less risky overall. There are a few other minor QoL enhancements, too, like building pieces that snap to each other, making the overall experience a lot better.

4 Cross-Platform Play And Official Servers

Community Servers Are Also Enabled

Crossplay support for the new Ark: Survival Ascended means that people can now form tribes with each other across consoles, including PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. This, along with the introduction of official Ark servers, should streamline the experience for those just getting into the game and make it easier for people to play together regardless of their gaming setup.

Previously, this ability was limited, but now that it's proven possible, will likely be a feature in the upcoming Ark 2. The added effect of this is that multiplayer servers should be much more populated. While there are still issues with PC players hacking, these issues will hopefully be resolved by the launch of the second game.

3 Big Changes To Crafting

Wireless Crafting & Tracking Resources

One minor QoL change that will go a long way in helping to reduce the amount of time spent in the inventory is the addition of an option within the inventory screen to track necessary resources used in crafting.

Another massive change is an update to the Tek Dedicated Storage containers and the ability to craft items using the resources within them without manually taking them out. This wireless or remote crafting system will save a lot of time spent in the base.

2 Quickly Switching Between Ammo Types

Hold Reload For The Radial Menu

One of the more annoying mechanics in Ark: Survival Evolved was how the game handled switching between different ammo types. In Evolved, it's required to open the inventory, then click and drag the desired ammo into the required slot.

While carrying two weapons with different ammo was a way to circumvent this, the ability to just change the ammo via the game's radial menu is a huge improvement. It will help people reload new ammo on the go and make combat feel more streamlined.

1 Big Changes To Irrigation And Generators

Pipes & Cables No Longer Needed

Pipes and cables are two somewhat complex and rather annoying building mechanics required for irrigation and power equipment in Ark: Survival Evolved. Luckily for most, Ark: Survival Ascended does away with the feature completely, instead opting for a much more streamlined way to build more complex structures. Now, people only need a water intake pipe from a water source for irrigation. This will create a radius around their base that is irrigated.

Similarly, cables are no longer needed to power a base. Instead, a generator will act much like a water intake pipe, creating a radius around the generator, which is all that's required to power structures. While it doesn't seem all that groundbreaking, this change will enable the construction of much more elaborate structures with way less effort in Ark: Survival Ascended and will help newer players or those who never liked the building elements to experiment with different builds.

Source: ARK: Survival Ascended/YouTube, Crabbytron/YouTube (1,2)