Ark: Survival Ascended's Power Rangers Crossover Is A Huge Missed Opportunity

Summary

For as exciting as it could have been,Ark: Survival Ascended’sPower Rangerscrossover feels strangely underwhelming. While implementing the old DLCs fromArk: Survival Evolved, the revampedAscendedhas created small new updates and collaborations to keep the game feeling fresh. This is presumably to continue buying time while the sequel,Ark 2, continues development.Ark 2has been continuously delayed, and even though it is expected to launch at the end of 2024, has no concrete release date.

Some new additions toAscendedinclude modded creatures like the Ceratosaurus or Xiphactinus. These were incredibly popular modded dinosaurs and were brought into the upgrade for the sake of variety and quality-of-life. Another addition includes thenew controversial Pyromanefrom theFantastic TamesDLC. These standalone purchases have worried some players about bad microtransaction methods that could carry over to the sequel. The latest paid mod forArk, though, which brings the Power Rangers into the fold, feels like quite the missed opportunity.

With over 140 creatures in the game, choosing the best dinosaurs in Ark: Survival Ascended is not an easy task.

Ark: Survival Ascended’s Power Rangers Collab Feels Lacking

Minimal Cosmetic Changes

Thishuge crossover forArk: Survival Ascendedwas initially teased on the officialArk: Survival AscendedX (formerly Twitter) account to much excitement. However, initial impressions of this new collab are underwhelming given the potential it could have had.TheMighty Morphin Power Rangerscosmetic DLC can be purchased for $10but includes an arguably lackluster amount of content. Buying this pack includes:

Though what does get added is certainly polished and exceptional work, more could have been added. In this regard,this cosmetic pack, though on the cheaper side, feels more like a bland, nostalgia-fueled offering than a crossover that actually capitalizes on its great concept. This has continued thedisturbing trend of controversial microtransactions inArk. Though it is understandable no immediate changes were made since the Pyromane and this crossover were released so close to each other, the thought process behind them could be worrying.

Another worry from the trailer is how slow and clunky the Dinozords look. Both of these issues could have explanations, as perhaps they were forced to move slowly for the sake of showcasing the trailer. Also, the clunky appearance could just be to further the robotic feel of these creatures, as they are completely different entities when compared toArk’s Tek dinosaurs. However, if they actually are this slow and overly clunky in the game,this collab has a high chance of backfiring quickly.

How Could The Ark X Power Rangers Crossover Have Been Better?

Capturing The Power Rangers Power Fantasy

Though it seems like this collab is sticking to theMighty Morphinstory, it still could have been expanded in other ways.The most obvious way is with more Zords– taking others from the beloved universe and transferring them intoArkwould not have been a huge issue even if they weren’t fromMighty Morphin. Even completely original designs, with legal permission, would have been a cool concept to bring fresh experiences to both franchises.

If both sides wanted to stay with Dinozords that are in the franchise,bothDino ThunderandDino Chargehad new options that could make this pack feel larger. Obviously, this may come with a slightly higher price, but even if this pack was $20, but gave 20+ new skins for dinosaurs along with the goodies for players, it would likely cause more excitement and feel like a worthwhile purchase.

Another option, though this would take the most work, would be tocreate a boss that was the original Megazordthat the five Dinozords in the collab combined into. This would be tricky on both a location/mechanical scale, but would arguably be one of the best and most memorable encounters inArk. Allowing players to use a Megazord would be chaotically fun, but perhaps too much work for a small cosmetic pack. Regardless, even a single boss fight of this scale would make the $10 purchase feel like a bargain.

Overall, the Ark x Power Rangers DLC is fine for what it is. The price is acceptable, but the content feels lacking. This is only worsened by the recent moves made by the developer that have raised concern forArk’s future with purchasable content. It is unlikely this pack gets anything added, but perhaps since one collab has happened, a second could be made down the line that adds more content to help balance things out. As things stand now,Ark: Survival Ascended’s latest crossover feels underwhelming considering the scale and potential.

Sources:Ark: Survival Ascended/X,Ark: Survival Ascended/YouTube