Ark Maps Ranked From Worst To Best In 2024

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Let me know what your thoughts are, and what you would have done differently

[@Petelfc88]

Funny how the centre always gets ranked at one of the worst but on private clusters it’s nearly always the highest pop.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

That’s a good point. I only ever play single player so I don’t get to experience that. However I have definitely heard lots of people say they have a cluster or a server and the center is either the home base or their starting area. Maybe it’s the high level tames? I don’t know lol. Bit you’re right some people definitely love it 😀

[@Petelfc88]

@@ChaosBearGaming its a good map for pvp, its a very compact map, - it has lots of places to build with out being the size of crystal isle for example. It’s probably the map with the most rat holes and It also has some of the best base spots in the whole game. I get the points you make, it is rather bland compared to other maps

[@ChaosBearGaming]

@@Petelfc88 I think base wise though is a huge point. And yeah traveling across the map in crystal isles is such a slog lol. It takes forever. I do appreciate the compact part of the center you mentioned for sure. I definitely lack that PvP mindset, so it’s good to hear same great things about it. Thanks for sharing that.

[@opinionatedjam]

I absolutely LOVE Fjordur!! I completely agree with your ranking :)

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Thank you and glad to hear your thoughts 😀

[@Stephain]

Crystal Isles is hands down my favourite map. It's breathtakingly beautiful and the number of diverse and distinct looking biomes is amazing. I love building big bases and Crystal Isles has so many great places to build. It has some of the best places to farm metal, polymer, honey, and black pearls and high level creature spawns. That can be a draw back if you are looking for a challenge, but if you are looking for a relaxing place on a cluster to set up a main base it's amazing for that. Plus crystal wyverns are so much nicer than the regular ones (in my opinion).

[@ChaosBearGaming]

It’s definitely one of the best looking maps for sure. Due to that and its expansiveness it certainly has loads of great base spots. I really like the wolf, saber as. Honey cave. They are all unique and fun to farm for high levels and resources.

[@Shrek_is_good_ogre]

Abberation number 1 for me its a good map for all the reasons u said but i Started playing ark when it was announced so nostalgia is affecting my opinion

[@ChaosBearGaming]

I can definitely see that happening. We are all guilty lol. Nostalgia is great, but I mean Ab is one of those maps to where even if you didn’t have nostalgia it’s just a great map, and hard not to like.

[@abstratogvm136]

I had played Ark previously in Ragnarok, it was cool until i got strong flyers, and as soon as i got wyverns, the fun died, i love wyverns but the way they are, they completely break the game. Aberration is much more balanced and interesting overall, a work of art not only in visuals, but mainly in the balance of progression, Rock Drakes are the perfect wyverns in the sense of balance

[@Shrek_is_good_ogre]

@@abstratogvm136 ragnorok number 2 nostalgia affecting my opinion again

[@ChaosBearGaming]

@@abstratogvm136 yeah aberrations since of progression is amazing. Easily the best. Wyverns are great. And that first egg run is amazing. But the moment you get one, you barely ever play Ark the same again. 😂 it’s all flying and less danger lol

[@PogoOnGTAO]

In my opinion Gen1 is the worst map. While the biomes were well done and the creatures were cool, I hate the idea of having to teleport between the biomes instead of being able to travel between them via a mount like on other maps, it just seems strange. Not only this, the missions are broken and literally impossible to complete solo on alpha which can make the map less enjoyable, even on single player settings. On multiplayer, the map is more worthy of a spot as well due to around 80% of the map being un-buildable due to mission zones, which was a pain in the ass on official. Overall, the map felt out of place and it was a weird concept. Because let’s be real, how do we go from Earth (extinction) to a simulation? I don’t typically follow the storyline, but here the map just felt like a last minute addition to what was meant to be the true ending, and it was simply thought of randomly and rushed out. That’s just my thoughts personally, but as an OG player since 2015, I just dislike the map completely.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

I completely agree with all the reasoning about gen 1. I did really like some of the creatures and the biomes. But things just didn’t flow well. Yeah I am not a fan of teleporting at all. That’s why I struggle to enjoy fjordur. But gen 1 definitely was worst with the teleporting. And the base building was certainly restrictive. Thanks for taking the time to leave your opinion 😀

[@munchmunchpanda3331]

I absolutely love scorched one of my top favorites. I just think it needed to be bigger and maybe more incentives to cross the dunes rather then them being the border of it. Like you have to cross the dunes to get to oasis areas all were the obs or Somthing like that. But abberation and scorched and extinction are definitely the best due to how dramatic they are in theme.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Yeah I can see that. Have the bathrooms be more gusrdians of the sacred oasis areas instead of just randomly chilling where they want 😂 that makes sense. Yeah the story maps definitely have great themes for sure. Great points.

[@matthewmarrello323]

Aberration will always be my favorite, can’t wait for it to come out in asa!

[@abstratogvm136]

I'm in love with the balance of aberration, who would have thought that not having flyers would make the game so much better, i'm almost becoming an anti flyer haha

[@ChaosBearGaming]

It’s amazing for sure. September can’t come soon enough 😀

[@ChaosBearGaming]

I believe the only Other map that was ASE that had no flyers was Gen 1, but that of course was a very different experience 😀 yeah fliers definitely change how we approach the game for sure 😂

[@rogermateuclua]

I personally think that aberration is the Top 1 but for other maps the ranks are good man

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Thank you for sharing. I believe Aberration is more enjoyable than fjordour for sure. I just felt like I had to recognize all the content Fjordour had, even if I don’t personally like it lol 😂

[@mikoto7693]

I can’t really make a fair assessment at this point because I’m so early in my Ark journey. I’ve only experienced three maps. The Island, Crystal Isle and Scorched Earth though I’m still working through that one. Next will probably be Fjordr since I’m choosing to do one official map then I follow it with a custom map one and the other. But I can’t really choose which one is my favourite because they’re so different. Overall I would say Crystal Isle because of the diversity of biomes and it was not too difficult. But the thing that really struck me as a predominantly solo player was how big and empty it felt. But that was because I was coming fresh from the Island and the size was a shock. And yet I can’t say that I dislike any of them so far. Although I lament the lack of water meaning my water tames have to stay in their cryopods for the whole time, I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t really enjoying my experience. I hope I encounter a Phoenix before I’m done. I’m prepared to tame but so far no luck.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

They definitely all have something great to offer. If you haven’t already, make sure to check out the wolf cave and the saber cave on crystal isles. You can just farm those and after a few hours have about a dozen high level tames. Then you can get the best stats and breed an amazing creature 😀 just watch out for the basilisks in the area. They are typically well hidden. Yeah the water can definitely be a bummer on scorched earth, but crystal isles will more than make up for the lack of water there. The elusive phoenix 🐦‍🔥 😂 a parasaur is your best friend as they can ping them even if they are invisible, prior to the heat wave starting. That way you are in the right place when the heat wave starts. Glad to hear you’re having a good time 😀 also get a crystal wyvern on crystal isles, they will make traversing that massive landscape much faster. There is 3 types. Blood, ember and tropical. Get the tropical one for travel. If you hover above the water they get an accelerated speed boost for a small duration. I believe it’s like 15-20 seconds. They are quite quick.

[@mikoto7693]

@@ChaosBearGaming Oh… wow that was quite a lot of information. Thank you! Admittedly I love the Crystal Wyverns as my absolute favourite creature. I went a little bit wild with catching them to get high level breeding pairs of each type since I can’t really pick a favourite-I definitely like dipping the wings of the Tropical one into water for the hydration buff! So… yeah I haven’t quite figured what all this mutation stuff is about yet. A tiny fraction of my tames apparently have a mutation but aside from colour I don’t really understand it. Like, how do I even know what stats are good when everyone tweaks their game differently? Maybe I’m just being thick. I’ve used the Saber cave to tame, breed and imprint some high level Sabertooths-I like them and raptors for caving. I really didn’t think that I’d like Scorched Earth just being a big desert but I’ve been very pleasantly surprised so far. 😁 I actually managed to steal a lightening Wyvern egg from the trench with my hide intact last night! I waited awhile for my moment then swooped down to my Ember Crystal Wyvern to snag it before I was noticed. I have it almost ready to hatch but I want some milk on hand before hatching it. I heard the Daeodon healing method can circumvent the need for milk but I don’t know if it’s true or not. I didn’t know about the Parasaur trick. It sounds better than taking to the sky and flying around when the Jerboa indicates a heatwave is coming and randomly flying around hoping to find a phoenix.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

@@mikoto7693 That’s awesome. Yeah the crystal wyverns are a blast and faster than the big ones. You can tell if the stats are strong by looking at the total points invested into the base stat of the creature. In ASA we can use the tek binoculars to do that, and mods. In ASE the best way would be to use the egg incubator from gen 2. When you put an egg in their it will Give you the total stats of the creature. This will include mutations but also tell you how many mutations you have. If you didn’t cleanly stack them then it could mess up the data here. (I would recommend watching a guide on this, as it can hard to understand without seeing the process in front of you as it’s explained lol. My understanding is that anything above 35 for the stat is decent. Above 40 is amazing. Basically just think that there is 7 stats in total and let’s say a max level of 150, so those 150 points get divided into all 7 categories. With movement speed being a wasted category. Also most people consider the food and oxygen stat wasted on the majority of the creatures. Once you get a mutation it will add 2 total levels to your creatures total level and to the stat it increased. Now this is all great, but does not help you with creatures like sabers as they don’t lay eggs… 😢😂 I am not sure if you are on pc and have mods that can help with swing those stats. or if you are on console.

[@kanap2239]

in my opinion gen 2 is best map to start on in it has good note run plenty of resources and easy to access loot by drops.but in most cases I agree with your ranking

[@ChaosBearGaming]

That makes sense. The Tek suit helps for sure and I always forget the loot is just as good on gen 2 As gen 1. Or at least close to it. Thanks for sharing that 😀

[@JonnaX]

aberration + bulbdog = win

[@ChaosBearGaming]

The light pets really are a great addition 😀

[@Bigchunk1234]

Definitely glad to see Ab placed so high.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Thank you. It’s well deserved for sure 👍

[@SoorajVarrier777]

The reason Valguero didnt have Reapers and Drakes in ASE was because Abberation is sold separately as a paid DLC. In ASA however, I don't think there will be any reason to remove them. So just curious, if Valguero gets Reapers and Drakes gets added to its Aberrant biome, how will affect its standing on your list?

[@ChaosBearGaming]

So I would say that’s a little hard to say because I don’t know what changes would happen to the other maps as well. But pretending they won’t get any changes. I would definitely put it a higher. Gliding down from the white cliffs with a rock drake sounds amazing. And then taking a reaper out against the wondering broodmother also sounds like a lot of fun. So there would definitely be more to do and more excitement for sure.

[@SoorajVarrier777]

@@ChaosBearGaming True!!

[@anthonyd55]

Loving the content bro 🙏🏽

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Also thank you, I really appreciate it 😀👍

[@Infernopop]

Somehow i would almost flip the ranking, but that's just me.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

I think everyone definitely has different experiences lol. What’s your favorite map and why? 😀 if you don’t mind sharing.

[@Infernopop]

@@ChaosBearGaming Probably The Island because it gave me the most fond memories. Second probably Valguero. Aberration would be last With crystal isles second to last.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Yeah the island is great. I don’t think it gets appreciated enough for all the memories and content that it has. I would take the island over a mystical Map any day lol. Val can certainly be fun. Love those deinos and the white cliffs for sure. That’s fair. Ab is certainly not for everyone and crystal isles lacks a lot of what makes things like the island special with the artifact placements.

[@philipphoffmann8929]

i never understood the hype for ragnarok. i understood why so many people played it, it had DLC content without having to pay for a DLC, which was a big deal for all the kids whose parents refused to pay extra, but it has been very boring to me. now to be fair, i was not into doing bosses and running caves back then, but it was just hella boring to me. maybe it was just too easy as well aberration is *BY FAR* my favorite map. it is beautiful, it offers a playstyle that i enjoy - maybe partially due to the lack of flyers, i believe having access to every spot right away takes away a lot of the fun could be a thing - and most importantly, it ain't too easy with raptors, ravagers and even basilisks being practically everywhere. when aberration released i started playing ark, and when extinction released i started playing officials starting from scratch on aberration and while i don't know my exact playtime across the platforms, it is a 5 digit count of hours and the vast majority of those have been on aberration, and they will be again once it drops on ascended. even took vacation for that release, altho i did make sure i have the option to cancel that and take it a bit later should they delay it again, knowing wildcard that's the smart move lol.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Ragnarok is not my favorite map either lol. Yes aberration is amazing. Only a small wait left. Well to your point.. hopefully 😂 it definitely gives something that no other map does. It’s a lot of People’s favorites for that tough challenge and progression. Yeah I have certainly made that mistake by taking time off too. Like I said it was a mistake….. 😂😂 It’s always a guessing game with wildcard.. 😂

[@GEK0dev]

Honestly… I strongly dislike fjodur, It is too stuffed, The grind is far too long and the pvp is absolutely awful, It just feels like it has things just to have them. I just wish the island bosses were not there, Would make it 100 times better, And the teleportation as you mentioned is too strange, It doesn’t feel very.. ark

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Yeah the progression is definitely a lot slower for sure. I agree. It’s a a cool idea, and has plenty of content, but it’s not for me 😂 excited for the release of AB on ASA, hoping it’s even better than ASEs version.

[@GEK0dev]

@@ChaosBearGaming Agreed, Cannot wait but I am also scared they could screw it up

[@ChaosBearGaming]

@@GEK0dev that is definitely a real possibility. Hoping for the best, preparing for the worst, but excited regardless lol

[@Betterthanyoustudios]

I think it is very telling that all of the paid maps are lower than most of the free maps.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Yeah I think that’s why Aberration stands out so much. Because even though it may not have as much to do as let’s say Fjordour, the progression (a true survival experience) is unbeatable. But the other story maps, outside of the island, don’t have as much content as the non story maps, or it wasn’t executed well. My opinion of course.

[@anthonyd55]

Wait why is the center so low 😂I love that map. Great PvP spots, The bosses are easy, one of the first mod maps, Biggest Ocean, Very explorable,

[@ChaosBearGaming]

I think in ASE I just felt like other maps did what it did better. But I think that’s because of its age. Also I only play single player so definitely a little bias there. I am curious to see how everything plays out once re released in ASA. Because new creatures, improved graphics, and the details really can change things. I think all 3 maps became a fresh experience in ASA. Thank you for sharing your thoughts with what could be different 😀

[@Infernopop]

love The Center to

[@cameroncullen7632]

I’d say center is my favourite map just has a lack of new creatures

[@ChaosBearGaming]

That’s totally fair. I always like hearing what others think, because there’s always the chance I change my mind or I can just appreciate the map more. Thanks for sharing 😀

[@Twizington]

I’m curious why you like center so much. Do you think it’s honestly just nostalgia? I didn’t play the center much and going back it’s wildly boring to me, just not much to it. Maybe I’m missing something, but I haven’t even played it hardly on ASA because it’s just so plain and boring.

[@ChaosBearGaming]

@@Twizington yeah I am not a fan, but some people swear by it, and that’s totally okay. I think that’s why a lot of People haven’t made the jump to ASA, because ASE has 12 maps and some people really like a specific map. With ASA only having 3, there is a lot less map diversity and some people would rather play their “favorite map” than a remastered game. I am sure the poor optimization doesn’t help either 😂

[@cameroncullen7632]

@@Twizington it is just pure nostalgia had my first proper base on that map first raids and probably the most fun

[@game_play_i]

fjordour is for me s+++++++++++++

[@ChaosBearGaming]

I struggled to like it in ASE, but i definitely want to give it another try 😀 it has so many great things

[@leobianconcini4805]

😃

[@ChaosBearGaming]

Thank you 😀