The New Experiences of Ark: Genesis Part 1
Hi there, survivors!
Craig from Studio Wildcard here, and I’m super excited to be talking about Ark: Genesis Part 1, our newest expansion to Ark: Survival Evolved. We’re adding a whole bunch of new gameplay elements, and giving each survivor their own personal companion: AI construct HLN-A.
We’re always exploring different ways to convey the story of the Ark universe and we think HLN-A is a great step in a new direction. The fantastically talented Amber Lee Connors reprises her role (sort of) as Helena and brings her wonderful charisma and snark to the role. She acts as a vessel for us to deliver story more directly to the player and as the catalyst for the all-new mission system. HLN-A stays with survivors every step of the way, helping them explore the new biomes and guiding them through missions with cheeky hints.
Speaking of missions, these are new ways for survivors to experience the Ark universe. In addition to the traditional Ark gameplay, missions give players a way to experience Ark in a more directed and objective-focused way. No spoilers on what those missions are, though. You’ll find them in the Genesis simulation.
Ok, one spoiler… my personal favorites are probably the races. They may not be the truest test of a survivor’s Ark skills, but the dev team’s races got pretty heated whenever we played them, and there were more than a few rematches demanded.
It’s not just the gameplay that we’re pushing the boundaries on. The creatures found in the Genesis simulation are like nothing survivors have seen before. I have a soft spot for the Spooder, I mean BogStrider… I mean Bloodstalker. We have like 30 names for it (good luck finding out how to unlock them!). Most of the new creatures bring something crazy and new to the game, from the Bloodstalker’s ability to webswing across terrain to the Space Whale’s warp jump.
All these abilities will help survivors explore the crazy new environments in Ark: Genesis Part 1. Because the Genesis simulation is supposed to prepare survivors for the most extreme possibilities, each biome is incredibly different from the others, and requires considerable preparation. The Arctic and Swamp biomes ease players into this, and the Volcanic and Ocean biomes really start testing survivors. By the time survivors make it to the Lunar environment, they must deal with radiation, lower gravity, and an almost complete lack of food and water!
As much as I’d love to talk about where the Ark story is going, I have a bad habit of dropping spoilers. Nobody wants that, but what I can say is that once you finally get to the end of ARK: Genesis – Part 1, you won’t be able to wait for the next chapter!
ARK: Genesis Season Pass
Studio Wildcard