Ark Genesis: Part 1 was the latest expansion pack to Studio Wildcard’s Ark: Survival Evolved. Ark Genesis was released on February 25th 2020 across PC (available on Steam), Xbox and PS4.
- Steam (£27.79)
- Microsoft store (£29.24 or £26.31 with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate)
- PlayStation Store (£29.99)
Ark Genesis Map
Genesis: Part 1 brings with it 5 unique mini maps (known as Simulations), including Bog, Arctic, Ocean, Volcanic, and Lunar.
A new feature called the HLNA Biome Teleportation menu allows players to teleport between simulations. Players can choose where to spawn at any time, keeping their inventory items and nearby tames with them.
Ark Genesis no longer has what we know as drops. Instead, there are Glitches located around the map. Here, players can earn information from HLNA as well as Hexagons, the new in-game currency.
Players can trade Hexagons through the HLNA menu to purchase resources or supply drops.
Ark Genesis Creatures & Items
Genesis: Part 1 brings with it, 9 new unique creatures:
- Astrocetus
- Bloodstalker
- Eel Minion
- Ferox
- Insect Swarm
- Megachelon
- Magmasaur
- Moeder, Master of the Ocean
- Parakeet Fish School
There are also a bunch of new items, as well as the items from the base game. Here’s a list of the new items you can expect to see in Ark Genesis: Part 1:
| Item Type | Item Name |
| Resource | High Quality Pollen |
| Resource | Golden Nugget |
| Resource | Shell Fragment |
| Consumable | Ambergris |
| Consumable | Bloodstalker Egg |
| Consumable | Magmasaur Egg |
| Consumable | Megachelon Egg |
| Trophies & Tributes | Alpha X-Triceratops Skull |
| Trophies & Tributes | Golden Striped Megalodon Tooth |
| Trophies & Tributes | Master Controller Trophy |
| Trophies & Tributes | Moeder Trophy |
| Trophies & Tributes | Moeder Flag |
| Trophies & Tributes | Reaper King Pheromone Gland |
| Trophies & Tributes | VR Boss Flag |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Code-Key |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Cruise Missile |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Fish Net |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Flaming Spear |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Mining Drill |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Tek Claws |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Tek Grenade Launcher |
| Weapons, Armour, & Tools | Tek Shoulder Cannon |
| Structures | Metal Ocean Platform |
| Structures | Pressure Plate |
| Structures | Tek Jump Pad |
| Structures | Tek Sensor |
| Structures | Unassembled TEK Hover Skiff |
| Structures | Wood Ocean Platform |
| Saddles | Astrocetus Tek Saddle |
| Saddles | Magmasaur Saddle |
| Saddles | Megachelon Platform Saddle |
| Cosmetics | Corrupted Avatar Boots Skin |
| Cosmetics | Corrupted Avatar Gloves Skin |
| Cosmetics | Corrupted Avatar Helmet Skin |
| Cosmetics | Corrupted Avatar Pants Skin |
| Cosmetics | Corrupted Avatar Shirt Skin |
| Cosmetics | Master Controller Helmet Skin |
| Cosmetics | Mini-HLNA Skin |
| Other | Lootcrate |
Check out our top Ark mods, as reviewed by us.
Ark Genesis: Part 1 Release
As we’ve come to expect with all Ark releases, things didn’t go completely smoothly. There were still some hiccups, initially with the Xbox servers.
Update:
— ARK: Survival Evolved (@survivetheark) February 26, 2020
– Steam: Genesis is live! Please restart your applications to download the patch.
– PS4: Genesis is available, but you will need to download the ‘Genesis Part 1’ addon which can be found in your Playstation Stores
– We are still working on Xbox and will update you asap.
In the early hours of this morning (February 28th), Studio Wildcard released a small patch update to fix some issues.
Our next server updates will include:
— ARK: Survival Evolved (@survivetheark) February 28, 2020
? Fixed a bug where weapon damage was not scaling properly
?Various crash fixes
These deployments will go live on all 3 platforms asap.#playARK
If you’re not sure whether you want to grab a copy of Ark Genesis: Part 1 yet, Ark is currently free to play on Steam until Monday morning.
Begin your quest for the ultimate survival with a FREE weekend. From now until Monday Morning, ARK will be free-to-play on Steam!
— ARK: Survival Evolved (@survivetheark) February 27, 2020
Grab your friends and embark on an epic adventure!https://t.co/FeOBrR5jH9#playARK pic.twitter.com/UeDh99Uopq
Ark Genesis Review
As of now, there are 8 DLCs for Ark: Survival Evolved. These are split into the following categories:
Ark Expansion Packs:
- Scorched Earth
- Aberration
- Extinction
- Genesis
Ark Expansion Maps:
- The Center
- Ragnarok
- Valguero
Ark Total Conversion:
- Primitive+
My personal favourite DLCs to date are Aberration, The Center, and Ragnarok. At times, I’ve felt Studio Wildcard has either presented a half-arsed job that we’ve been waiting years for, or they’ve taken the concept too far.
However, I’m excited for Genesis. Upon launching the game, you’ll find yourself in a virtual simulation, alongside a HLN-A AI companion. You’ll be presented with missions and challenges that require you to survive in your new environment.
HLN-A, who you’ll grow to love, has the ability to scan the virtual environment. HLN-A will offer you quests and aims to guide you through the simulations.
I haven’t played enough of Genesis yet to give you guys a solid review. However, I’m onto it and I’ll be returning shortly to give my thoughts and feedback on Ark’s latest expansion.
