ARK Park
- March 21, 2018
- Snail Games
- 14h median play time
Ark Park has the ability to make us feel small in what could be a dangerous world of dinosaurs. The moments are there, you just have to find them.
"ARK Park" is a virtual reality adventure game set in the world of "ARK: Survival Evolved." Explore an open world filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, interact with them, and solve puzzles to progress. Play with up to six players for cooperative gameplay, or ride and tame dinosaurs to build your own park. Richly detailed environments and a variety of activities make for an immersive experience.
Reviews
- The graphics are visually appealing, showcasing impressive dinosaur models and environments.
- The game offers a unique VR experience, allowing players to interact with dinosaurs and explore small areas.
- Some players found the game enjoyable for younger audiences, providing a fun introduction to VR and dinosaurs.
- The gameplay is limited and feels more like a tech demo than a full game, with small, confined areas and repetitive tasks.
- Many players experienced issues with controls, including poor responsiveness and frustrating movement mechanics.
- The game is considered overpriced for the amount of content it offers, leading to disappointment among fans of the ARK franchise.
- graphics51 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the visuals as "excellent" and "stunning," particularly in the depiction of holographic dinosaurs, while others criticize them as "blurry," "atrocious," and reminiscent of outdated technology. Many users express disappointment that the in-game graphics do not match the quality shown in promotional materials, leading to a perception of a lack of polish and immersion. Overall, while there are moments of visual appeal, the inconsistency in quality and performance detracts from the overall experience for a significant number of players.
“The graphics are good, the prehistoric creatures are fun and not so terribly inaccurate as to be cringe-worthy, and the controls and locomotion are good.”
“The animated holographic dinos can be picked up and inspected in detail; their wriggling and kicking is artfully executed, as are the other exhibition pieces.”
“But the visuals are just stunning; the gameplay is fine too.”
“I thought something was wrong with my headset because I was playing at max graphics, yet the game seemed fake, blurry around the edges, and was overall not a good experience.”
“Graphics were atrocious - super blurry and unrendered.”
“The first thing you'll notice when you start the game is that the graphics are quite lacking compared to what was shown in the trailer.”
- gameplay24 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been widely criticized for being extremely limited and unengaging, with many players expressing disappointment over the inclusion of crafting and fighting mechanics that detract from the exploration experience they expected. Reviewers noted that the game feels oversold and underdelivered, with misleading trailers and a lack of meaningful content, leading to a general sense of boredom and frustration. While some appreciated the visuals, the overall consensus is that the gameplay fails to meet expectations, making it not worth the investment.
“As far as gameplay, so far it is a mix of exploration, material collection to build tools/weapons, and scanning new lifeforms.”
“But the visuals are just stunning, the gameplay is fine too.”
“This game had so much potential; but when it comes to actual gameplay, the potential completely fizzles out.”
“The gameplay is extremely limited (a forgivable offense in current VR if the rest of the experience makes up for it....it doesn't), the textures are meh at best, the screens/trailers are extremely misleading (both visually and gameplay-wise), less than consistent frames, and just a general sense of disappointment.”
“This game had so much potential; but when it comes to actual gameplay the potential completely fizzles out.”
“They should not be asking Arizona Sunshine prices without Arizona Sunshine quality gameplay.”
- stability9 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with users reporting numerous bugs, glitches, and sound issues that hinder gameplay, including problems completing the tutorial and overlapping audio cues. While some players acknowledge the game's potential and visual appeal, many find it unplayable due to control issues and heavy CPU usage, particularly on older systems. Overall, the consensus is that the game suffers from significant stability problems that detract from the experience.
“It is very buggy; I cannot complete the tutorial because the dragonfly gets in the way, so I basically had to figure out how to play on my own.”
“Also, there were some glitches. I would move to a location and a voice would begin to tell me interesting facts about a dinosaur, but at the same time, my guide robot would be like, 'Hey, let’s go over here, come on,' and the two voices overlapping each other made it hard to hear the fun facts.”
“It does seem to be pretty heavy on CPU usage, with decent load times, especially the first time you start the game up. Sometimes it glitches for a second after you start a new environment, but then seems to run smoothly even on high resolution. I don't think I'd want to try and run this game on my old slower computer though; it would likely run very badly. It also seemed to have some loading bugs where it froze and there was no sound, but that seemed to resolve with a few reboots, and I haven't seen it happen again.”
- story7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The story of the game is criticized for being weak and lacking depth, with a simplistic premise of interacting peacefully with dinosaurs on a designated planet. Players report that the narrative fails to engage, and technical issues further detract from the experience, leaving them feeling lost and unable to progress. Overall, the potential for a compelling storyline is overshadowed by gameplay and graphical shortcomings.
“I mean the storyline is you've traveled to a planet, specifically set up so people can peacefully interact with dinosaurs without killing or being killed.”
“Sure, the actual gameplay is a little weak, there is very little plot and the majority of areas are not even battle areas.”
“(note: I've seen Robinsons mentioned and I think this had the potential to be better (especially in storyline and overall content), but when I played it, it suffered from controls and glitches that were so bad that it was unplayable and the graphics weren't very sharp.”
“Sure, the actual gameplay is a little weak; there is very little plot and the majority of areas are not even battle areas.”
“Bad story.”
“I've seen Robinsons mentioned, and I think this had the potential to be better (especially in storyline and overall content), but when I played it, it suffered from controls and glitches that were so bad that it was unplayable.”
- optimization6 mentions
- 83 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is mixed; while some users report smooth performance on higher-end systems, others experience stuttering and require significant settings adjustments to achieve playable frame rates, particularly on lower-end hardware. CPU usage is noted to be high, leading to occasional loading bugs and glitches, though these issues may resolve with reboots. Overall, the game performs well on capable machines but may struggle on older or less powerful setups.
“These aren't the best graphics I've ever seen in VR or even the best dinosaurs, however, they still look pretty good and the game runs smoothly on my GTX 1060.”
“It does seem to be pretty heavy on CPU usage, with decent load times, especially the first time you start the game. Sometimes it glitches for a second after you start a new environment, but then it runs smoothly even on high resolution. I wouldn't want to try running this game on my old slower computer though; it would likely run very badly. (Check the requirements before you buy it.)”
“Very well optimized...”
“The game suffers from constant stuttering, making it nearly unplayable.”
“Performance issues lead to frequent frame drops, disrupting the overall experience.”
“The optimization is so poor that even high-end systems struggle to maintain a stable frame rate.”
- replayability5 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game has been criticized for its lack of replayability, with users noting that once completed, there is little incentive to return, as there is minimal content and no additional challenges. Many players expressed that the experience is enjoyable for a short time but lacks depth for repeated playthroughs. Future updates may improve this aspect, but currently, it offers little to engage players after the initial experience.
“If the game is updated with new things in the future and more replayability is added, I will consider playing this game more.”
“It's a fun VR experience for a few hours, but there's no real replayability.”
“It has very little content and no replay value; once you finish the game the first time, there's nothing left to explore.”
“The developers never figured out what type of game they wanted to make, and there is absolutely zero replayability.”
“There's hardly any replayability in it; once you finish all the battle levels, there's nothing else really to do, and you won't exactly be itching to play them again.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its masterful composition, drawing inspiration from iconic scores like John Williams' work in "Jurassic Park" and incorporating elements reminiscent of Universal Studios' Jaws ride. Reviewers highlight the immersive quality of the soundtrack, which enhances the overall experience alongside well-executed sound effects and background music.
“Every effort has been put into this piece; the music touches on John Williams' score from Jurassic Park (presumably not enough to breach license), and the monorail ride is taken straight from Universal Studios' Jaws ride. All the pieces are masterfully put together to create an awesome sequence.”
“3D level pictures, immersive music, fluent tutorials, and exciting battles!”
“The background music is well done.”
“Every effort has been put into this piece, the music touches on John Williams' score from Jurassic Park (presumably not enough to breach license), and the monorail ride is taken straight from Universal Studios' Jaws ride. All the pieces are masterfully put together to create an awesome sequence.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game is heavily criticized, with users labeling it as a blatant cash grab that detracts from the overall experience. Many feel that improvements in controls and graphics could have elevated the game, but the focus on profit undermines its potential.
“It would be a breathtaking experience if the controls were done better, graphics were more fine-tuned, and if it wasn't a quick cash grab.”
“It is a cash grab.”
“This is very much a cash grab.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, particularly in tasks like material collection, egg hatching, and dinosaur raising. Once the initial exploration is complete, many feel there is little new content to engage with, leading to a sense of monotony.
“After only collecting materials for crafting once, it already feels tedious.”
“The egg hatching and dinosaur raising is also very tedious and boring.”
“At the moment, everything becomes a bit grindy with nothing new to do once you've explored everything.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as unintentionally amusing, with players finding the game's absurdity and perceived lack of quality to be funny. The contrast between the excitement of VR technology and the game's shortcomings adds to the comedic effect, leading to confusion and laughter among users.
“The idea that people liked this and don't work for the company is hilarious.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's experience design for evoking a sense of wonder and enjoyment, akin to that of a tourist exploring a vibrant dinosaur world.
“The game's experience design made me feel a tourist's enjoyment of the dinosaur world.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is highly praised, with users noting that it is well-executed and effectively enhances the overall experience.
“The atmosphere is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
“Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
“The game's atmosphere is rich and layered, making every moment feel alive and engaging.”
Critic Reviews
Ark Park PS4 VR Review
Ark Park has the ability to make us feel small in what could be a dangerous world of dinosaurs. The moments are there, you just have to find them.
56%ARK Park Review - PS4
An unevenly executed mish-mash of ARK's cornerstone components, ARK Park shows some promise but is ultimately too flawed and poorly constructed to be recommended to anyone but wide-eyed, dino-hungry youngsters.
50%ARK Park Spreads Itself Too Thin
I used to be absolutely fascinated by dinosaurs when I was a child.
50%