ARK: Survival of the Fittest
- August 29, 2017
- Instinct Games
- 15h median play time
Get on Steam"ARK: Survival of the Fittest" is a multiplayer online survival arena game, where participants are stranded on an island and must fight to be the last person standing. The game features a range of dinosaurs and other creatures that can be tamed and used in battles. Players must gather resources, craft items, and form alliances to increase their chances of survival.
Mac OS
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Linux
PlayStation
Reviews
- The game offers a unique battle royale experience with dinosaurs, reminiscent of the Hunger Games.
- Fast-paced gameplay allows for quick matches, making it a fun option for players looking for shorter gaming sessions.
- The graphics and overall concept are well-received, providing an engaging environment for players.
- The player base is extremely low, making it difficult to find matches, often resulting in long wait times.
- The game suffers from performance issues and bugs, leading to crashes and lag, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Many players feel that the game has been abandoned by the developers, with little to no updates or support since its release.
- gameplay49 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 63 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Ark: Survival of the Fittest" has received mixed reviews, with players noting a steep learning curve that can lead to frustration, particularly due to perceived imbalances and overpowered mechanics. Many feel that the recent changes have stripped away the unique elements that defined the original game, resulting in a less strategic and more simplified experience that resembles a generic battle royale. While some appreciate the fast-paced action and visuals, others lament the loss of crafting and survival mechanics, leading to a gameplay experience that feels disconnected from the original "Ark" formula.
“Addictive gameplay, more so after the 2023 revamp.”
“I think it is a fun fast-paced battle royale game with a bunch of different mechanics.”
“Loved the gameplay; it has a lot of potential.”
“It's terrible, it strips away every mechanic that made SOTF unique.”
“This new SOTF is another game completely which some might prefer, and that's okay, but personally it no longer serves as a free demo of Ark. The new UI and gameplay mechanics are clunky and don't work very well, so I can't recommend it.”
“The gameplay is severely worsened.”
- graphics38 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many players praising the stunning visuals and artistic design, particularly in comparison to similar titles. However, several users report performance issues, noting that the game demands a high-end PC to fully appreciate the graphics, often requiring lower settings for smoother gameplay. Overall, while the graphics are generally well-received, they can hinder the experience for those with less powerful hardware.
“Amazing graphics, love the idea of PvP battles in Ark. I hope to see more content and some new added creatures special only to Survival of the Fittest!”
“Great game, stunning graphics, and with three screens, it comes to life nicely.”
“One of the best graphics I've ever seen!”
“Why were the default graphics absolute potato?”
“The game has a terrible framerate unless you lower your graphics settings a lot.”
“If you got the game for the graphics, you're in the wrong place.”
- optimization24 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is widely criticized, with many users reporting persistent performance issues, bugs, and low frame rates even on high-end systems. Despite its potential and enjoyable gameplay, the lack of updates and effective optimization has led to frustration among players, particularly in an early access context. Overall, significant improvements are needed for the game to run smoothly and be taken seriously in competitive settings.
“It does need some optimization and bug fixes, but still amazingly fun if you like arena-based games.”
“While the optimization could be a little better, it still keeps me entertained.”
“With a few optimization patches and tweaks, this game would be quite fun and intense.”
“Empty lobbies and still has the same old optimization problems as the main game.”
“Company, badly optimized, same bugs for years. This game is an absolute scam and you shouldn't play it even if you had it for free.”
“Not updated, extremely bad optimization.”
- music21 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over the changes to the original soundtrack, particularly the main menu music, which is described as obnoxious and cringe-worthy. While some appreciate the in-game soundtrack and find it enjoyable, the overwhelming sentiment is that the menu music detracts from the overall experience, leading to frustration among players who spend significant time in the menus.
“Btw, I like how the nerd-out song actually gets in the game.”
“Soundtrack 10/10.”
“Really one amazing game fun to play love how they changed the intro music to the game.”
“That music... cringe.”
“Ok, funny story: I haven't actually played the game because I can't stand the godawful music in the start menu and I can't find a way to turn it off.”
“Also, the main menu pop music is really obnoxious, especially when you spend most of your time waiting in the menus.”
- stability19 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 performance issues that significantly hinder gameplay. Many players experience frequent crashes, lag spikes, and unresponsive behavior, making the game feel poorly optimized and frustrating to play. While some acknowledge improvements over time, the overall consensus is that the game remains a buggy experience that may deter potential players.
“As usual, Wildcard accidentally released a buggy version when one of their programmers fell asleep at the keyboard and hit the 'upload game to Steam now' button.”
“Ark simply will not run on my Mac Air (2017); every time I launch it, it glitches and gets stuck, and if I ever successfully try to create a game.”
“Random lag spikes, freezes, and constant terror of crashing and minimizing.”
- humor14 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- -14 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely appreciated, with players finding it funny and entertaining, particularly in interactions with others and during gameplay. Many reviews highlight the amusing nature of the lobbies and player interactions, although some express frustration with aspects like the music. Overall, the game's humor contributes positively to the player experience, even amidst its declining player base.
“The lobbies are hilariously obnoxious.”
“This game is so funny :d”
“It's funny and you learn to PvP.”
“The jokes fall flat and feel forced.”
“I expected more clever humor, but it just didn't land.”
“The attempts at comedy are cringeworthy and miss the mark.”
- story9 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 56 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story is minimal, with some players noting a lack of narrative depth, while others humorously express their frustration with the game's music rather than its plot. The survival aspect is emphasized, as players must navigate a hostile environment filled with threats from both the environment and other players. Overall, the story is largely overshadowed by gameplay mechanics and player interactions.
“Not only are you playing a survival game, and need to worry about food, water, and a hostile environment, but you are dropped in there with many other players, all of whom have the mission of killing you.”
“☑ no story”
“The end of my story”
“End of story”
- grinding8 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the fast-paced nature and less tedious elements compared to the main game, others find the need to grind extensively for progression, such as unlocking guns and ranking up, detracts from the overall enjoyment. The lack of traditional farming or crafting mechanics leads to a focus on taming and combat, which some players feel requires excessive time investment to succeed.
“There's no farming, crafting, leveling, or player versus player combat; instead, everyone just tames big hordes of dinosaurs, and whoever has the most wins every fight.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“To unlock guns, you must spend a majority of the match grinding.”
“It's still a really cool game, but I want the main focus of the game to be the PvP; unfortunately, to win, you have to do mostly grinding.”
