ARK Survival Ascended is generally more enjoyable when played as part of a group, yet it does offer a mode that can be experienced independently (even if it's not as captivating). Here is a detailed exploration of the single player mode within ARK Survival Ascended.
ARK Survival Ascended - Single player, explained
To be upfront, ARK Survival Ascended (ASA) does not feature a story mode in the traditional sense. While you are able to play the game completely by yourself, it is a solo venture that still depends on most of the multiplayer conventions of the standard game. Dinosaurs take a long time to tame by yourself, and bigger ones are very difficult to kill alone. Resource gathering, too, is tailored to group cooperation due to the sheer amount you're going to need to craft structures and items. However, there is a silver lining for solo players.
Related: Does ARK Survival Ascended (ASA) have Split Screen Multiplayer Mode?
ASA has incredible customization of the moment-to-moment gameplay, which allows for a solo playthrough to actually be viable. There are numerous options available that allow you to fully tailor the game toward a single player (enough to offset the issues I just mentioned). When creating a playthrough, you're given many tabs to click through and bars to scroll all so you can adjust every important facet of the gameplay to your liking.
Do you like the time it takes to tame a dinosaur? Make it instant. Want to level up extremely quickly? Increase the experience acquisition rate. Hate how slow harvesting materials is? Boost the amount you gain per gather. These options are just a few of what's on offer here.
Does Ark Survival Ascended have a story?
ASA doesn't feature a fleshed-out storyline for you to follow. The game does have a story, but it is not made obvious nor is it the focus of the game. Nothing will ever just be told to you, and you're never given any agency to seek out the story. Instead, it's told through the environment, and this can be seen the moment you load up a playthrough: a strange diamond device is implanted in your wrist right at the beginning, immediately asking the player to consider why that is through natural curiosity. This is the method ASA, and by extension, Ark Survival Evolved uses to tell the game's story. Personally, I don't recommend really trying to follow it as, again, it is far from the focus of the game.
For more quality guides and useful information on Ark Survival Ascended, check out How to light a campfire in ARK Survival Ascended (ASA) right here on Pro Game Guides.
Darrus is a creative-minded individual with a passion for all things gaming. As a seasoned Game Guide writer that has been writing for the past 10+ years, and an active Narrative Designer for 5, he charges headfirst into the line of fire, taking on anything the industry has to offer him. The RPG genre is his home base.