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Since there is real effort involved, players sometimes wonder where they should focus their attention. With so many maps offering very diverse terrain and experiences, they want to know which maps are truly worth investing time into. This is a list of the very best ARK: Survival Evolved maps that are worth sinking time into, and which will provide truly memorable gaming experiences.
Please note some of the map details may include basic info about what unique features can be found on each map, so be careful if trying to avoid all forms of spoilers.
6 Scorched Earth
All ARK maps require effort to simply survive, but Scorched Earth really pushes the experience further by forcing players to survive in what is largely an arid desert wasteland. The initial steps will simply require adapting to this desert environment in order to stay alive. As exploration takes players further afield, there is a wonderful and varied world including towering mountains, canyons and an oasis biome. All of these are packed with beautiful detail such as mysterious ruins and a really elaborate network of ancient caves.
Mastering this environment also means mastering its inhabitants. The Morellatops is a camel-like creature, a pack animal that will be essential for transporting goods around the desert. Once tamed it will even allow players to drink water from its hump. Be careful when hunting for eggs from the fearsome Wyvern, as the hunter can quickly become the hunted. There is also a particularly lethal boss in the form of the Manticore. It will take a lot of careful planning before any gamer will be in a position to take it on. Scorched Earth is a superb addition to ARK’s map list, and a worthy consideration for any gamer looking to start a new map.
5 Valguero
While not one of the largest maps on the list, Valguero certainly makes up for it with sheer beauty and diversity. Observant explorers will be able to notice rainbows, night-time auroras and shooting stars. There are lots of different terrains making for an ever-changing experience. Unique features include the ominous Skeleton Gorge, as well as the Lost Temple, which opens the path into some very challenging underground caverns.
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An interesting touch is the Aberration Trench, which allows players to get content that is normally found on the Aberration map. There is also a location to hunt for certain Wyvern eggs in the hopes of breeding a powerful tamed version. A new dinosaur introduced in Valguero is the Deinonychus. A ruthless killer and relentlessly aggressive, it can’t be tamed, but its eggs can be snatched and hatched to create a powerful rideable creature. With fast speed, great climbing ability and deadly shredding attack it can be a lot of fun and very useful in many land-based environments.
4 Aberration
While many maps in ARK feature lush and verdant environs, Aberration takes gamers to a much darker and more overtly dangerous world. The surface is toxic and laden with deadly radiation, meaning much of the gameplay takes place in one of the interesting new underground biomes, each of which are bursting with their own unique character. From fertile underground forests to glowing bio-luminescent regions and the deep, dark and dangerous molten areas, home to terrifying creatures never seen before.
While not giving away too many details, be sure to keep one of the new light-emitting tameable pets on hand when venturing further down. Chilling creatures lurk in the dark, ready to attack when the light is no more. Be very scared! While it may be tempting to prepare for these deep cave crawls by reading a guide or wiki, some of the most memorable experiences come from simply find out for yourself the truth of what really lies beneath. Take a torch and prepare for the ride of a lifetime.
3 Crystal Isles
At 150 square kilometers, this is one of the largest maps available to ARK players. Every one of the maps in the top three are simply stunning to look at. The layout of the map is in the form of countless different islands, some vast, some tiny, and a dizzying number of different biomes and environments covering them. Jungles, snowy tundras, pristine white shores, vast canyons and even a large volcanic area.
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One of the most notable features is the Apotheosis, a network of floating islands that really capture the imagination. Not only are they breathtakingly beautiful, but they serve as the perfect location to build a base in the skies. First in your new high-flying dino pen should be the new dino added with this map, the Tropeognathus. It is a pterosaur that already has decent flying and attack abilities, but can also be equipped with a saddle that has its own jet and gun turret. Crystal Isles is one of preferred maps for most ARK players.
2 Ragnarok
This map has so much content that it is very hard to sum it all up. It was clearly created by people who love the game, meaning careful thought, planning and design has gone into every single area. It is a fan favorite for base-building as there are simply so many inspiring places to build sweeping bases. From the beaches of Viking Bay which have their own built-in storage caves to the towering plateaus, to ocean platforms, to ruins that can be re-purposed. The map is designed with building in mind, and allows players to let their imagination run wild.
The surface world reveals a huge variety of biomes, including a live volcano, a Wyvern trench, broad deserts, epic mountains and lush forests, each one with their own unique and wonderful points of beauty and interest. Deeper exploration reveals challenging extra environments that are even more taxing such as underground water trenches, sea monsters and vast dungeon networks. Ragnarok is truly an unmissable ARK map, and thoroughly deserves its place in the top two maps.
1 Lost Island
The awe-inspiring Lost Island is one of the very biggest maps with over 150 square kilometers of explorable area. This map seems to have observed every ingredient that worked well in previous ARK maps and combined all the winning elements into one gigantic, breathtaking world, along with a whole host of unique content as gamers have come to expect. The biggest joys are pushing beyond the obvious and scaling the highest mountains, plumbing the deepest depths of the cave networks, venturing deep into the swamps and oceans in search of the greatest challenges and biggest rewards.
There are 3 new dinosaurs, each of which serves a very real and meaningful purpose. One of these is the Amargasaurus, a sauropod that puts up a tremendous fight and is not to be underestimated. Once tamed it is a great option as an environmentally protective travel mount as well a good harasser in battle. It is just one of the many superb elements that coalesce to make Lost Island the number one map choice for ARK gamers.
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