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Ark: Survival Evolved tech gallery

Screenshots by Eurogamer staff, Contributor

Updated on 19 January 2016

Image quality isn’t one of Ark's strong points. Currently the game renders in a native resolution around the 1088x612 mark, possibly a little higher. Visuals appear soft, while edges across foliage and distant geometry look rough.

Surfaces tend to either appear quite flat, or look rather stylised. However, under low lighting conditions where HDR effects are prominent, we see surfaces take on a more realistic appearance.

Swamplands and dark forest areas stand out in Ark. Here we see how rolling fog and dim lighting conditions add atmosphere to these locations throughout the game.

Wide-ranging vistas and long draw distances are present in Ark, but these don't contain the level of detail seen on other current-gen open world titles. Object density is significantly reduced on distant scenery, with just the key details rendered.

Dinosaur rendering is a high point in Ark, although these elements still need work. We see a fair amount of detail but surface shaders appear rather basic, giving the dinosaurs more of a rubbery or plastic-like look.

The ecosystem in Ark allows for predatory animals to injure and kill as they explore the tropical wilderness. Attacks lead to visible wounds, which vary from mild scratches to bloody gashes, created via the use of normal maps and texture changes.

Dynamic lighting leads to some moody scenes in Ark, such as this view of the beach during sunset. However, lighting can also appear flat and quite harsh under brighter daylight conditions.

High dynamic range lighting and bloom are heavily deployed in Ark during certain conditions. In this shot, these effects help to enhance the intensity of the midday sun, although the level of bloom is rather overwhelming at times.

Lights shafts form a key part of the lighting model in Ark. Here we see the effect cast by two different sources: the lighter coloured beams are produced by the sun, while the green streams of light originate from the strange alien tower.

Depth of field and chromatic aberration are used to enhance the look of underwater scenes. Here, these effects are deployed so that long distance visibility is limited, while the environment takes on a smooth distorted appearance.

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