Ark: Survival Evolved Reviews

Ark: Survival Evolved is ranked in the 17th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
72 / 100
Sep 7, 2017

A bloated, grindy mess, but so packed with options that a better game is hidden inside it.

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Eurogamer
Top Critic
No Recommendation / Blank
Sep 1, 2017

This ambitious survival game emerges from Early Access fully featured but just as in danger of toppling in on itself as ever before.

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T.J. Hafer
Top Critic
7.7 / 10.0
Sep 1, 2017

When I'm having a good time in ARK, I'm having a really good time. The problem is that those moments are usually one part to every nine parts menial grinding and crafting - especially at the later tech tiers. Having to repeat so much work after failing an attempt at a boss feels far too punishing, and some really dumb dinosaurs can take a lot of the challenge and sense of danger out of the many primal locations. Even with all of those quirks, however, I'm still hungry to play more after the 60 hours I've spent so far. There aren't a lot of survival games that have legitimately held my attention that long.

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GameSpot
Top Critic
6 / 10
Sep 13, 2017

Unforgiving difficulty and atmosphere are the main characteristics of dino-survival sim Ark: Survival Evolved.

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Sep 2, 2017

Studio Wildcard has built a game that feels like a rough framework for players creating their own experiences, rather than a whole, cohesive experience in and of itself. There's a lot hear to see and do: gathering, crafting a wide variety of items, taming animals, and building tribes. But it's hidden behind an elder game that teaches players nothing and a mid-game of maintenance and tedium. But there's promise here underneath the cruft and rough edges. That promise just isn't full realized yet.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 15, 2017

But apart from all this, aside from all the little flaws and the feeling of tedium that permeated large portions of my experience with ARK: Survival Evolved, I can't fault the game for what it is, which is one of the best in its genre -- even if after playing it, like Willard after his mission from Apocalypse Now, I'll never want another. If any of this sounds good to you and the prospect of a straight climb up a wall full of spikes to experience the multiplayer is not intimidating, add a couple of points onto my final score; you will probably find a lot to love here.

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75 / 100
Aug 30, 2017

ARK: Survival Evolved is a videogame with tons of posibilities where we'll fall in love with its splendorous aesthetics, its content and its particularly atractive thematic. It's sad, though, that our most important enemy in a world plagued with dinosaurs may be its disastrous optimization.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

4 / 10
Dec 18, 2018

Even as an Ark aficionado, it's difficult not to slump in disappointment as you play the Switch rendition of what can be a fantastic title. The touch screen may allow for better control functionality as far as the other consoles go but ugly visuals and general instability don't really make up for it. Ark: Survival Evolved is and will remain one of those titles that shines brightest on PC and only there can it gain the appreciation it truly deserves.

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7 / 10.0
Sep 13, 2017

It's incredibly ambitious, but without spending hours upon hours building a safe haven to protect you from the brutality of PvP, the single player feels a bit redundant without anyone to play with.

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Unscored
Sep 13, 2017

While ARK can be a lot of fun – grabbing another player off of a raptor with an Argentavis feels bloody brilliant – it's rarely worth the hours of tedium. If you can spare the 100 or so hours it takes to get your teeth into it then I'd recommend you spend them elsewhere.

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70 / 100
Nov 17, 2022

ARK: Ultimate Survivor Edition had a suspect launch, but with the commitment and care of the developers, they have rallied back and the game makes for a fun time with friends or by yourself. The Island and Scorched Earth will test your survival instincts for sure. With the addition of the lovely ARK Dinosaur Discovery game you can download from the eShop for the kiddos and the new maps having a timeline in the future, you and your family will have plenty of things to do for the near future.

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70 / 100
Sep 19, 2017

If you have friends, Ark: Survival Evolved is a fun survival game, with options such as PvP or PvE servers to make every player happy. If you primarily play alone, however, this game will require a heavy set of grinding and repetition, turning off any players hoping to just get a taste of some dinosaur action.

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40 / 100
Dec 6, 2018

Ark: Survival Evolved is an open-world survival game where you're fighting against the elements and the dinosaurs around you. There are some nice concepts implemented, but framerate and performance issues drag the game down. Unless these are somehow fixed, you might be better off steering clear.

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M3
Top Critic
7 / 10
Oct 7, 2017

A clumsy control scheme aside, the console version of Ark: Survival Evolved is a recommendation, especially if you going to play together with your friends.

Review in Swedish | Read full review

Sep 7, 2017

Amazing things are possible in the ARK — the gun-wielding soldier set high atop the most badass predator of all time comes to mind — but the experience is clouded by the best ones being locked behind excessive grinding, boring farming and the need for a large group.

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65 / 100
Sep 7, 2017

In its best moments, Ark is the dream of every Dino fan. But bugs and the grindy game principle often spoil the fun.

Review in German | Read full review

7 / 10.0
Sep 8, 2017

Ark: Survival Evolved is far from being complete, what with its many bugs and a feature bloat that doesn't always hit the nail on the head. And yet, it's still an addictive grind that proves that life can find a way.

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7.5 / 10.0
Sep 4, 2017

Ark: Survival Evolved has a bunch of interesting ideas. But by attempting to be a jack-of-all-trades, it doesn't really feel like it has mastered any particular element. This doesn't mean there isn't fun to be had in the ARK; if you enjoy the brutal survival mechanics on offer here, then you will likely spend many dozens, if not hundreds, of hours in the quite lengthy grind as you conquer the primitive world. For many people, however, the time required to really enjoy what's shown on the cover art may prove too insurmountable.

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6 / 10
Sep 8, 2017

Ark Survival Evolved is a good survival game with awesome mechanics, but it's also a technical disaster (lag, freezes, connection issues...). Such a shame!

Review in French | Read full review

3.5 / 5.0
Sep 4, 2017

When you finally get over the initially steep learning curve and find fellow like-minded players that you can group up with, ARK: Survival Evolved becomes a truly enjoyable sandbox game where anything goes. But not even the impressive dinosaurs and cool tech can cover up just how repetitive the game really is, and how you're forced to sink in hours and hours of grinding before you can finally start to get to the ‘good' stuff.

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