Best Gaming PCs for ARK: Survival Ascended

ARK: Survival Ascended has launched with a rocky start with many complaints about performance issues.
Since this is the type of game to get regular updates and content, these issues are being improved upon quickly.

Performance issues aside, this game is fantastic if you're in to similar games like Valhiem and the Forest series. It's well worth a shot, especially if you enjoyed the previous Ark title. 

It be can be played on Steam, PS5 and Xbox.

OS: Windows 10 
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 2600X, Intel Core i7-6800K
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 1080
Storage: 70 GB available SSD space

OS: Windows 10/11 
Processor: AMD Ryzen 5 3600X, Intel i5-10600K
Memory: 32 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 6800, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080
Storage: 70 GB available SSD space

• There are four main game modes in ARK: Survival Ascended: Survival, Creative, Hardcore, and Ascension.

• Survival mode is the default mode where you have to survive in a harsh environment, craft items, build structures, and fight enemies. You can play solo or with other players in online servers. You can also adjust the difficulty and settings of the game to your preference.

• Creative mode is a sandbox mode where you have unlimited resources, no threats, and can build anything you want. You can also spawn any creature or item in the game. This mode is ideal for testing, experimenting, or just having fun.

• Hardcore mode is a challenging mode where you have only one life. If you die, your character and everything you own will be permanently deleted. You can play solo or with other players in online servers, but there is no option to respawn or revive. This mode is for players who want a high-risk, high-reward experience.

• Ascension mode is a story-driven mode where you have to complete a series of missions and challenges to unlock the secrets of the ARK and ascend to a higher plane of existence. You can play solo or with other players in online servers, but you have to follow a linear progression and a set of rules. This mode is for players who want a narrative and cinematic experience.

The taming and breeding system in ARK: Survival Ascended is similar to the original ARK: Survival Evolved, but with some improvements and additions

• You can tame almost any creature in the game by either knocking it out and feeding it, or by passive taming it with food or items. You can also use traps, baits, and tranquilizers to make the process easier. Once tamed, you can ride, command, and customize your creatures. You can also assign them roles, such as guard, scout, or gatherer.

• You can breed your creatures by mating them with the same species and opposite gender. You can also use mutations, gene splicing, and cloning to create new and unique creatures. You can also hatch eggs, raise babies, and imprint them to increase their stats and loyalty. You can also trade your creatures with other players or sell them for resources.

The story and setting of ARK: Survival Ascended is a continuation and expansion of the original ARK: Survival Evolved, but with more depth and details.

• You are one of the survivors who wake up on a mysterious island called the ARK, which is a massive artificial habitat that contains various biomes and creatures from different eras of Earth's history, as well as some alien and fantasy elements. You have no memory of who you are or how you got there, but you have a strange implant in your arm that gives you access to a holographic interface and a voice guide called the Overseer.

• You soon discover that the ARK is not a paradise, but a prison and a testing ground, created by an ancient and advanced civilization called the Makers, who have a mysterious agenda and a sinister plan for humanity. You also learn that there are other ARKs in orbit around the Earth, each with different environments and challenges. You have to survive, explore, and uncover the secrets of the ARK and the Makers, while also dealing with other survivors, hostile creatures, and natural disasters.

• You also have the option to ascend to a higher level of existence, by completing a series of missions and challenges that will test your skills, knowledge, and morality. You will have to face the ultimate boss, the Mastermind, who is the leader of the Makers and the creator of the ARKs. You will have to decide the fate of yourself, humanity, and the ARKs