ARK: Survival Evolved[1] was dropped on to the Xbox One in December after spending several months as a Steam Early Access. The console user interface is a straight port from the PC version of the game, which can be clunky at times with the controller. There are a number of shortcuts available, just not very well-documented at this point.
Going into the options will display many of the basic control items, but there are some nuances that are not shown. This guide will hopefully allow ARK: Survival Evolved Xbox One players to skip some of the frustrations when first dealing with the game and learning the ins and outs.
Other ARK Guides:
ARK: Survival Evolved Inventory Shortcuts
Managing inventories like this with the Xbox one controller can be a pain without shortcuts. [Image via ARK: Survival Evolved]X Button: When walking next to any animal or item (Storage Box, Camp Fire, Water Tap, etc) that has an inventory, pressing the X button on the Xbox One controller will immediately bring up the inventory screen. This can be quicker than going through the radial menu that comes up with the Y button that a player is prompted with. When inside the inventory screen, pressing the X button on a stack of item will cause one to split off from it.
A Button: The A button is incredibly useful and makes moving items around the inventory screen faster. While opening up the inventory screen on an animal or item, the following actions are available.
- Double-tap A – Moves a single item from a stack between the two inventories.
- Hold A – Move the entire stack between the two inventories.
While viewing the inventory screen for your character only, the following actions occur.
- Double-tap A on Armor – Equips or unequips Armor from the appropriate slot.
- Double-tap A on a Weapon/Tool – Places the Weapon/Tool in the first available Hot Bar slot or removes it from the Hot Bar slot.
While viewing the crafting menu, the following actions occur.
- Double-tap A – Crafts an item.
Right Trigger: Uses a consumable item such as food in the inventory menu and readies non-consumable items such as a Wood Wall for placement. This also works on an item in an unconscious dinosaur's inventory while taming. This is needed to force feed Narcoberries, Narcotics, and the like.
When the Right Trigger is used in the crafting menu, it crafts the item highlighted.
Y Button: Repairs the highlighted tool or weapon. The resource cost of repair should be displayed.
Menu/Start Button: Lights or turns off the fire when in the inventory for Camp Fires, Forges, etc.
ARK: Survival Evolved Gameplay Shortcuts
The control layout screen in ARK: Survival Evolved only tells part of the story. [Image via ARK: Survival Evolved]Equip Fists: Left Bumper plus up on D-pad equips the player's fists. Can also be done by pressing the same d-pad direction as the current item being held. Crouch/Prone: Clicking the right thumbstick once puts the character in a crouch position. Holding the right thumbstick in the clicked position and then releasing puts the character in a prone position laying on the ground.
In-Game Text Chat: Left Bumper plus View/Back button brings up the ability to type in the in-game chat.
Emotes/Whistling: Hold the B button to bring up the radial menu for emotes and whistling.
Using a Spear: Hold LT to ready the spear to throw. Releasing LT will throw the spear. You can cancel the throw by pulling RT or pressing RB.
Using a Bow and Arrow: Pulling RT will draw the arrow and releasing RT will fire the arrow. Hold LT to aim better, but move slower. Firing a drawn arrow can be cancelled by pressing RB.
Drinking Water: Walk up to a water source and press the Y button to drink water. Diving into water will also fill your thirst.
Map: Hold the View/Back button to bring up the radial menu to select the map. You can mark locations on the map with longitude and latitude. This becomes more useful later in the game when you craft a GPS device.
Help I've Got A Dino On My Shoulder!: Double tap the Y button to get any tamed small dinosaurs such as the Dimorphodon or Mesopithecus (monkey) to hop off your shoulder.
ARK: Survival Evolved Dinosaur Controls
Dino Attacking: RT is the primary attack for all dinosaurs. LT is for the secondary attack on some animals. For example:
- Argentavis – Picks up smaller animals with its claws.
- Beelzebufo – Inflicts Torpor on creatures. Can knock a human unconscious in a single hit. Also turns dead Meganeura and Titanomyrma into Cementing Paste.
- Dire Wolf – Howl.
- Doedicurus – Roll attack in a straight line.
- Gigantopithecus – Throws the player forward.
- Pachy – Charge attack.
- T-Rex – Roar.
Dino Swimming: Press the left joystick to raise a dino in the water. Press the right joystick to lower the dinosaur.
ARK: Survival Evolved Graphics Options
If you are having issues with the Xbox One not displaying UI elements on the TV screen, go into the options screen. Highlight the "UI Scale" option and use the right thumbstick to adjust until the UI elements are displayed.
Other worthwhile options to adjust include turning off Motion Blur and Camera View Bob. That should make movement slightly easier and less nauseating at times.
Have any Xbox One tips or tricks you'd like to share for ARK: Survival Evolved? Put them in the comments below.
[Image via ARK: Survival Evolved]
References
- ^ ARK: Survival Evolved (www.playark.com)
