Ark: Survival Ascended’s New The Center Map Compared To The Island & Scorched Earth (2024)

Ark: Survival Ascended has released its third DLC map, The Center, which poses new challenges compared to the previous maps. Ascended has continued to release its past DLC for the upgraded game. Luckily, all these DLCs are free upon purchase of the game, though Studio Wildcard had added paid DLC as well. Though Ascended has had a rough reputation due to its high spec requirements, many of its improvements have accomplished the goal of being an upgrade.

Scorched Earth added the smallest map in the franchise but one of the most difficult or at least annoying. Water is extremely hard to come by, and the intense heat that floods the map makes it a constant requirement. This made Scorched Earth arguably the least popular DLC, as the survival aspects made a playthrough too tedious. However, this map did introduce some of the coolest creatures in the franchise, so even it had some bright spots.

The Center Map Size Comparison

The Biggest Experience To Date In ASA

When compared to the six base DLC maps of Ark, The Center is the third largest, and bigger than Scorched Earth and The Island. Based on developer input and player calculations, The Island comes out at around 40 sq. kilometers, with The Center being almost double the size at 70 sq. kilometers. The Desert map of Scorched Earth has, so far, not had an exact size narrowed down, but has been known to be much smaller than The Island's 40 sq. kilometers.

The Center is also the most diverse map in the game, having almost every type of biome for players to explore. This includes a large set of underwater and cave systems that house some of the map's most dangerous creatures. This multiple-island map is also tricky to navigate before getting a flying mount, as the area is separated by water by narrow land bridges.

The Center is similar to The Island with a mix of biomes, while sharing nothing with Scorched Earth's Desert. For some, it luckily does not have any unique survival effects, but the vast cave systems give exploration options. It is also one of the best maps when it comes to creating underwater tame fleets and bases. In this regard, The Center provides experiences that The Island and Scorched Earth cannot in PvE and PvP.

The Dinosaurs Found In The Center

A Flourishing Ecosystem

Due to the multitude of biomes, The Center has arguably the widest variety of Dinosaurs on any Ark map. This includes every dinosaur that can be found on The Island, as well as a few new and voted-in additions. One of these includes the Jurassic submarine creature Shastasaurus. This aquatic tame can be converted into a great transportation and long-range offensive option but is severely weakened by its close-range limitations.

The Center has also introduced a controversial new creature in the Pyromane. This fiery feline has a lot of offensive and crafting abilities for players but is its own standalone purchase. Though it is for a relatively cheap $5, the act of selling non-cosmetic content could set a bad precedent for a game that has a heavily involved PvP community. Regardless, the Pyromane is an amazing new addition to the Ark series.

The one drawback of The Center is how, outside the two new additions listed above, it lacks any unique creatures. Especially so when compared to Scorched Earth, which has Wyverns, Rock Elementals, and multiple fun prehistoric insects. Though this diverse map lacks any unique powerhouses, the challenge, and experience it provides more than makeup for this drawback.

The Center's Unique Boss Fight

A Battle On Two Fronts

A huge positive for The Center is its challenging and unique boss fight. This boss fight can be found on the maps arena, and will spawn two bosses at once in the Broodmother Lysrix and Megapithicus. Though neither of these bosses are new, experiencing both of them at once is a massive endeavor. Both bosses will also periodically spawn high-level minions that will try to overwhelm players. Speed is also a crucial factor, as after 25 minutes, the arena will destroy everything inside it.

The best way to take on these two, besides having a large and developed army of tamed dinosaurs, is spacing. Though it will be tricky, trying to kill one boss at a time will be the safest way to progress. However, both bosses can be attacked at once by two separate groups of multiple players if many tames are brought into the arena. Overall, though The Center's arena boss fight does not add new bosses, it incorporates new challenges that make it a fresh encounter.

Which Ark: Survival Ascended Map Should You Play

An Overall Refreshing Upgrade

Of all the maps currently in Ascended, The Center is easily the most balanced experience to match a challenging experience. In a way, this new map can be seen as an upgraded version and the next step after The Island. The biomes and dinosaurs all match up, but The Center has a more challenging environment. These include the caves and oceans that play a much larger role than what can be seen on The Island. Overall, it is the perfect map for those who want more challenge than the base game but want to avoid the tedious annoyances of Scorched Earth.

Though The Center may not feel like it adds as much as its predecessor, it is arguably the best addition to Ascended yet. The mix of everything this map does right has kept it popular even as more creative maps have entered the franchise, and the new additions for Ascended provide a small refresh for its return. That is why Ark: Survival Ascended's The Center compares so well to its predecessor, Scorched Earth, and the base games' The Island.

Ark: Survival Ascended

Platform(s)

PC , PS5 , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

October 26, 2023

Developer(s)

Studio Wildcard

Publisher(s)

Studio Wildcard

Genre(s)

Survival , Open-World

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Blood, Crude Humor, Game Experience May Change During Online Play, Use of Alcohol, Violence