Recent reviews by Yarro

Great story, great gameplay, great movement. 10/10 game.

Let me preface this by saying, I love Ark and I have no doubt that 2 or 3 years in the future this may clock nearly half as many hours as ASE has in my library. Not, mind you, because I hate it, but because most of my ASA experience will be in Single Player, while ASE has been mostly multiplayer.

Now. Onto the Review.

Firstly lets talk about graphics. I personally don't put much stock into it, I love how Morrowind looks as much as I love how Skyrim looks, but to call this a graphics upgrade to me feels....not entirely true. There are more polygons and it looks shinier, but actually playing with these graphics gives me a headache. The landscapes feel fuzzy and indistinct, and even after laps around the Island I still can't quite pin where I am. Farming trees is difficult because the model stays around for a few seconds too long, so I end up trying to harvest a tree that's not even there. Otherwise, the graphics are okay.

The remake of the Island is absolutely wonderful. I love seeing familiar places and how they've changed, if they have at all. The Western Coast feels like home, the footpaw is forested, and the oceans are simply indescribable. While the game may be lacking itself, seeing a full ocean always brought a smile to my face.
The shuffled spawns on the Island are also a welcome change. The creatures that show up in new places make sense, and seeing wild babies is always a delight.

Right now, in 2024, the best thing that ASA has done is made me appreciate ASE. I think, until more of the game is available and more bugs are sorted out, you'll find me in the Island I played on in 2016.