Just How Colossal is Lost Island Compared to Other Top ARK Maps?

As a hardcore ARK survivor and content creator, I was beyond hyped to drop into the long awaited Lost Island DLC map. And I can definitively say – wow, they weren‘t kidding about the "lost" part! At a staggering 150 square kilometers, Lost Island ranks as one of the most massively scaled ARK maps I‘ve ever explored.

To put into perspective just how gigantic Lost Island‘s sprawling world is, let‘s size it up against some of ARK‘s other heavy hitting maps:

As you can see above, Lost Island blows early staple maps like The Island completely out of the water. We‘re talking over 2.5X more land mass than The Island.

What impressed me even more is Lost Island stands toe-to-toe with beloved ARK giant Ragnarok in terms of continuous non-ocean land mass. Though some players argue Lost Island still edges out Ragnarok in terms sheer land size. Not to mention Lost Island‘s land space is arguably used even more efficiently.

Let‘s explore why…

Lost Island‘s Design Uniquely Capitalizes on its Colossal Scale

Rather than one giant land mass, Lost Island intelligently divides its 150 sq kms between THREE absolutely massive main islands. These islands house multiple huge, highly diverse biomes each. We‘re talking everything from vibrant tropical zones, to frigid snow-capped mountains, sulfurous volcanic crags, and creepy dark swamps.

Surrounding and separating these mega-islands lies Lost Island‘s other massive map component – the ocean. Over 50% of the total 150 sq km is underwater, hiding complex cave systems, shipwrecks, ruins, and threats like giant squid. There are also smaller resource-packed mini islands peppering the seas.

This smart separation creates the feeling of an epic ocean-faring adventure among Lost Island‘s islands as you sail between land masses. It also enables building vibrant clustered community bases rather than one giant mega-base. Each island feels like it could be its own 100+ hour map!

The island design philosophy maximizes the map‘s gigantic footprint into highly replayable, impactful gameplay. As ARK content creator Anthomnia perfectly put it:

"I really think this is going to be one of those maps you can play over and over again. The size is just crazy."

And based on the gushing praise for Lost Island‘s layout I‘m seeing from the ARK community, I‘m not alone in this assessment!

How Lost Island Packs More Into Its Size Than Other Giant Maps

Now you may be wondering – outside of smart layout, what does Lost Island‘s leviathan size actually allow you to DO from a gameplay perspective compared to slightly smaller maps like Crystal Isles?

Well quite a bit actually! The expanded canvas of 150 sq km facilitates:

• Over 80 unique mini-biomes – from active volcanos to glow mushroom forests. Allowing for incredibly diverse creature and resource variety.

• Sprawling multi-layered underground maze cave systems that take hours to fully navigate and loot.

• Enormous overworld boss arena spaces that dwarf bosses to epic proportions. Makes battles feel truly larger than life.

• A tangled inland redwood forest so vast it takes 15 minutes sprinting nonstop to cross. You could genuinely get lost for days.

• Plenty of open spaces perfect for giant mega-projects like colosseums. Bring your wildest build ideas to life!

And keep in mind, while Crystal Isles technically matches Lost Island‘s 150 sq km label, over a third of its map is open oceans and floating islands. Lost Island still delivers significantly more continuous land mass to fill to the brim with content.

Simply put – no other ARK map transports you to such a fully-fleshed, thriving and logically laid out fantasy world. The team behind Lost Island clearly created it as an enthusiast love letter to the game. And we haven‘t even talked about the 100+ new creatures exclusive to the map!

But this staggering amount of content does come with one major drawback…

Good Luck "Finding Your Way" in This Sprawling Lost World!

With so many biomes, landmarks, ruins, and vast traversal spaces – Lost Island earns its namesake by enabling players to become utterly, hopelessly lost like no other ARK map!

Let me tell you – after over 1000 hours played in ARK, I still regularly find myself losing all sense of direction and location on this map. Especially when deep underground or on lengthy ocean voyages. Gone is the days of instantly pinpointing your location based on distinct landscape!

And that‘s exactly what makes exploring Lost Island such an magical experience compared to other ARK worlds. It amazes me that even after sinking 100+ hours into this map, I have no doubt countless hidden corners remain for me to stumble upon and make my own.

So if you crave that awe-inspiring sense of wonder and adventure only a true sprawling lost world can provide – look no further than ARK‘s aptly named new jewel, Lost Island. Just be sure to pack those Explorer Notes – you‘re gonna need ‘em!

Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments, and happy exploring survivors!