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ARK: Survival Ascended
Game
(released 1 year ago)
Studio Wildcard
Instinct Games
Grove Street Games
Snail Games USA
Studio Wildcard
TL;DR

It is a next-generation dinosaur survival game built with Unreal Engine 5 that challenges players to thrive in a vibrant world filled with prehistoric creatures. Players can tame, breed, and fight dinosaurs while managing their survival needs. It’s basically Jurassic Park meets Minecraft, but with more existential dread.

View on Steam

Genres:
Base Building
Open World
Sandbox
Tags:
Action
Survival
RPG
Open World
Sci-fi
Adventure
Sandbox
Base Building
Building
PvP
Multiplayer
Inventory Management
Early Access
Character Customization
Singleplayer
PvE
Massively Multiplayer
Crafting
Dinosaurs
Fantasy
Likely Inspirations:
ARK: Survival Evolved
Minecraft
No Man's Sky
Rust
The Forest
Steam Review Analysis – Total (updated May 11, 2025, 5:24 PM)
Disclaimer: This analysis is independently conducted and is not affiliated with Valve or Steam.
Review Summary - 75,088
59%
Mixed

44320

30768

0% Primarily Play on Deck

Playtime Statistics
Playtime Overview
Estimated Playthrough Time

104.58 hrs

Min Playtime
0.08 hrs
15th Percentile
14.25 hrs
Median Playtime
98.30 hrs
85th Percentile
591.65 hrs
Max Playtime
10795.97 hrs
Conclusion

The reviews for ARK: Survival Ascended reveal a predominantly negative sentiment, with players expressing significant frustration over poor optimization, bugs, and perceived pay-to-win elements. However, there are also positive notes regarding the gameplay experience and graphics quality, indicating that while the game has potential, it currently suffers from critical issues that need addressing.

Strongly Positive
Positive
Gameplay Experience

Despite the issues, many players still find the core gameplay experience enjoyable, especially in terms of survival mechanics and exploration.

~4%
Challenging Gameplay

The game is noted for its challenging survival elements, which some players find rewarding despite the frustrations.

~2%
Content and Features

Players appreciate the new features and content additions, although some feel they should have been included in the base game.

~2%
Neutral / Mixed Opinions
Graphics Quality

While some players appreciate the improved graphics, others feel that the visual enhancements do not compensate for the game's performance issues.

~4%
Negative
Strongly Negative
Poor Optimization

Many players report that the game runs poorly on various hardware configurations, leading to frequent frame drops and crashes.

~13%
Bugs and Glitches

Players frequently mention encountering numerous bugs and glitches that disrupt gameplay and diminish the overall experience.

~8%
Pay-to-Win Elements

The introduction of paid content and DLCs has led to frustration among players who feel that the game is becoming pay-to-win.

~4%
Community Support

Players express disappointment over the lack of support from developers regarding bugs and issues, leading to a feeling of neglect.

~2%
Value for Money

Many players feel that the game's price does not reflect its quality, especially given the performance issues and bugs.

~2%
Multiplayer Issues

Several reviews highlight problems with the multiplayer experience, including lag and connectivity issues.

~1%
This analysis is powered by OpenAI’s language models and may occasionally contain inaccuracies. For the most precise details, please consult the reviews directly on the official Steam store page.

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ARK: Survival Ascended Analysis on Niklas Notes