Info about ARK: Survival Evolved:

Official game description:
ARK: Survival Ascended!
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Respawn into a new dinosaur survival experience beyond your wildest dreams… as ARK is reimagined from the ground-up into the next-generation of videogame technology with Unreal Engine 5! You awake on a mysterious island, your senses overwhelmed by the blinding sunlight and brilliant colors bouncing off every surface around you, the azure waters of a verdant Island lapping at your bare feet. A deep roar echoes from the misty jungle, jolting you into action, and you stand up – not afraid, but intrigued. Are you ready to form a tribe, tame and breed hundreds of species of dinosaurs and other primeval creatures, explore, craft, build, and fight your way to the top of the food-chain? Your new world awaits… step through the looking-glass and join it!
ARK: Genesis Part Two!
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Your quest for ultimate survival is now complete with the launch of ARK: Genesis Part 2! Survivors will conclude the ARK storyline while adventuring through exotic new worlds with all-new mission-based gameplay. Discover, utilize and master new creatures, new craftable items, weapons, and structures unlike anything you have seen yet! The saga is now complete, and hundreds of hours of new story-oriented ARK gameplay await you!  
Purchased as part of the ARK: Genesis Season Pass you gain access to two new huge story-oriented expansion packs -- Genesis Part 1 and Genesis Part 2 (new!) -- as well as a 'Noglin' Chibi cosmetic, a ‘Shadowmane’ Chibi cosmetic, a new cosmetic armor set, and an in-game, artificially intelligent companion called ‘HLN-A’ who can scan additional hidden Explorer Notes found throughout the other ARKs.  
Features the voiceover talent of David Tennant (Doctor Who, Good Omens) playing the villainous Sir Edmund Rockwell, and Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Dora and the Lost City of Gold) as in-game robotic AI companion HLN-A/Helena Walker.  
About the Game
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As a man or woman stranded naked, freezing and starving on the shores of a mysterious island called ARK, you must hunt, harvest resources, craft items, grow crops, research technologies, and build shelters to withstand the elements. Use your cunning and resources to kill or tame & breed the leviathan dinosaurs and other primeval creatures roaming the land, and team up with or prey on hundreds of other players to survive, dominate... and escape!
Dinosaurs, Creatures, & Breeding! -- over 100+ creatures can be tamed using a challenging capture-&-affinity process, involving weakening a feral creature to knock it unconscious, and then nursing it back to health with appropriate food. Once tamed, you can issue commands to your tames, which it may follow depending on how well you’ve tamed and trained it. Tames, which can continue to level-up and consume food, can also carry Inventory and Equipment such as Armor, carry prey back to your settlement depending on their strength, and larger tames can be ridden and directly controlled! Fly a Pterodactyl over the snow-capped mountains, lift allies over enemy walls, race through the jungle with a pack of Raptors, tromp through an enemy base along a gigantic brontosaurus, or chase down prey on the back of a raging T-Rex! Take part in a dynamic ecosystem life-cycle with its own predator & prey hierarchies, where you are just one creature among many species struggling for dominance and survival. Tames can also be mated with the opposite gender, to selectively breed successive generations using a trait system based on recombinant genetic inheritance. This process includes both egg-based incubation and mammalian gestation lifecycles! Or put more simply, raise babies!
You must eat and drink to survive, with different kinds of plants & meat having different nutritional properties, including human meat. Ensuring a supply of fresh water to your home and inventory is a pressing concern. All physical actions come at a cost of food and water, long-distance travel is fraught with subsistence peril! Inventory weight makes you move slower, and the day/night cycle along with randomized weather patterns add another layer of challenge by altering the temperature of the environment, causing you to hunger or thirst more quickly. Build a fire or shelter, and craft a large variety of customizable clothing & armors, to help protect yourself against locational damage & extreme temperatures using the dynamic indoor/outdoor insulation calculation system!
By chopping down forests full of trees and mining metal and other precious resources, you can craft the parts to build massive multi-leveled structures composed of complex snap-linked parts, including ramps, beams, pillars, windows, doors, gates, remote gates, trapdoors, water pipes, faucets, generators, wires and all manner of electrical devices, and ladders among many other types. Structures have a load system to fall apart if enough support has been destroyed, so reinforcing your buildings is important. All structures and items can be painted to customize the look of your home, as well as placing dynamically per-pixel paintable signs, textual billboards, and other decorative objects. Shelter reduces the extremes of weather and provides security for yourself and your stash! Weapons, clothing & armor gear can also be painted to express your own visual style.
Pick seeds from the wild vegetation around you, plant them in plots that you lay down, water them and nurture them with fertilizer (everything poops after consuming calories, which can then be composted, and some fertilizer is better than others). Tend to your crops and they will grow to produce delicious and rare fruits, which can also be used to cook a plethora of logical recipes and make useful tonics! Explore to find the rarest of plant seeds that have the most powerful properties! Vegetarians & vegans can flourish, and it will be possible to master and conquer the ARK in a non-violent manner!
By bringing sufficient rare sacrificial items to special Summon locations, you can capture the attention of the one of the ARK’s god-like mythical creatures, who will arrive for battle. These gargantuan monstrosities provide an end-game goal for the most experienced groups of players and their armies of tames, and will yield extremely valuable progression items if they are defeated.
Create a Tribe and add your friends to it, and all your tames can be commanded by and allied to anyone in your Tribe. Your Tribe will also be able to respawn at any of your home spawn points. Promote members to Tribe Admins to reduce the burden of management. Distribute key items and pass-codes to provide access your shared village!
All items are crafted from Blueprints that have variable statistics and qualities, and require corresponding resources. More remote and harsh locales across the ARK tend to have better resources, including the tallest mountains, darkest caves, and depths of the ocean! Level-Up your player character by gaining experience through performance actions, Level-Up your tames, and learn new "Engrams" to be able to craft Items from memory without the use of blueprints, even if you die! Customize the underlying physical look of your character with hair, eye, and skin tones, along with an array of body proportion modifiers. As you explore the vast ARK, you'll find clues left by other Survivors who have made the ARK their home in ages past, in the form of collectible detailed 3D "Explorer Notes". By uncovering all of these, you can begin to piece together the true nature of the ARK, and discover its purpose!
Everything you craft has durability and will wear-out from extended use if not repaired, and when you leave the game, your character remains sleeping in the persistent world. Your inventory physically exists in boxes or on your character in the world. Everything can be looted & stolen, so to achieve security you must build-up, team-up, or have tames to guard your stash. Death is permanent, and you can even knock out, capture, and force-feed other players to use them for your own purposes, such as extracting their blood to for transfusions, harvesting their fecal matter to use as fertilizer, or using them as food for your carnivorous tames!
The mysterious ARK is a formidable and imposing environment, composed of many natural and unnatural structures, above-ground, below-ground, and underwater. By fully exploring its secrets, you’ll find the most exotic procedurally randomized creatures and rare blueprints. Also to be found are Explorer Notes that are dynamically updated into the game, written by previous human denizens of the ARK from across the millennia, creatively detailing the creatures and backstory of the ARK and its creatures. Fully develop your in-game ARK-map through exploration, write custom points of interest onto it, and craft a Compass or GPS coordinates to aid exploring with other players, whom you can communicate with via proximity text & voice chat, or long-distance radio. Construct & draw in-game signs for other players to help them or lead them astray... And yet.. how do you ultimately challenge the Creators and Conquer the ARK? A definitive end-game is planned.
On the 100+ player servers, your character, everything you built, and your tames, stay in-game even when you leave. You can even physically travel your character and items between the network of ARK's by accessing the Obelisks and uploading (or downloading) your data from the Steam Economy! A galaxy of ARKs, each slightly different than the previous, to leave your mark on and conquer, one at a time -- special official ARKs will be unveiled on the World-map for limited times in singular themed events with corresponding limited-run items! Furthermore, you can now design or randomize your own unique 'Procedurally Generated ARKs', for infinite replayability and endless surprises.
You can play single-player local games, and bring your character and items between unofficial player-hosted servers, back and forth from singleplayer to multiplayer. Mod the game, with full Steam Workshop support and customized Unreal Engine 4 editor. See how we built our ARK using our maps and assets as an example. Host your own server and configure your ARK precisely to your liking. We want to see what you create!
The over-the-top hyper real imagery of the ARK its creatures is brought to expressive life using a highly-customized Unreal Engine 4, with fully dynamic lighting & global illumination, weather systems (rain, fog, snow, etc) & true-to-life volumetric cloud simulation, and the latest in advanced DirectX11 and DirectX12 rendering techniques. Music by award-winning composer of "Ori and the Blind Forest", Gareth Coker!

Release date: Aug 27, 2017

Categories: Survival, Open-World Exploration, Base Building, Crafting, Animal Husbandry, Multiplayer, Taming and Breeding, Resource Management

Feature scans:
- MTX: score 90; verdict: Predatory Monetization; summary: The game suffers from several critical issues that severely impact the user experience. Forced DLC updates, game-breaking bugs, poor optimization, aggressive monetization practices, and loss of progress and data are the most significant problems. These issues collectively contribute to a frustrating and often unplayable experience for many users.
- Mods: score 45; verdict: Buggy but Playable; summary: The game suffers from significant stability issues and a high reliance on mods for an enjoyable experience. Many users report crashes and instability, and there is a consensus that the game is unplayable without mods. Additionally, there are frequent complaints about mod compatibility issues and a lack of developer support.
- Wiki: score 10; verdict: Needs Significant Improvements; summary: The game suffers from a lack of in-game guidance, forcing players to rely heavily on external resources. Bugs and technical issues are prevalent, disrupting the gameplay experience. The steep learning curve and complex mechanics add to the frustration, making it difficult for new players to get into the game. Inventory management and resource gathering are cumbersome, and the multiplayer experience, while more enjoyable with friends, is reported to be lacking.
- Steam Deck: score 90; verdict: Broken; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals several critical issues affecting the Steam Deck experience. The most prevalent and impactful themes include frequent crashing and stability issues, lack of Linux support, poor performance and optimization, problems with anti-cheat software and external launchers, and unintuitive user interface and controls. These issues significantly detract from the user experience, making the game less accessible and enjoyable for many players.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging survival mechanics (weight 0.96): The survival mechanics in the game are challenging and rewarding. Players enjoy the progression from basic survival to advanced technology, which includes taming dinosaurs, building bases, and exploring diverse environments.
- Open world and dinosaur variety (weight 0.91): The game features a large open world with a wide variety of dinosaurs and creatures to tame, breed, and ride. This diversity adds to the game's appeal and provides a unique and immersive experience.
- Satisfying crafting and building (weight 0.13): The crafting and building systems are deep and satisfying. Players appreciate the sense of accomplishment that comes from constructing bases and progressing through the game's various tools and buildings.
- Nostalgic and emotional connection (weight 0.11): Many players have a deep emotional connection to the game, often tied to nostalgic memories and significant time investment. The game has shaped many childhoods and remains memorable.
- Dinosaur taming and interactions (weight 0.11): Taming and interacting with dinosaurs is a core and enjoyable aspect of the game. The variety of dinosaurs and the strategic depth they add make the gameplay more exciting and rewarding.
- Enhanced multiplayer experience (weight 0.11): Playing with friends enhances the game experience significantly. The multiplayer mode offers engaging interactions, teamwork, and chaotic fun that make the game more enjoyable.
- Extensive mod support (weight 0.08): The game has a strong modding community that provides additional content and enhances the gameplay experience. Mods are easily accessible and add significant value to the game.
- Customizable server settings (weight 0.06): The ability to switch maps on a server and transfer characters, items, and tames between maps adds a layer of customization and flexibility to the gameplay experience.
- Immersive experience (weight 0.05): The game offers an immersive survival experience with impressive graphics, creature designs, and atmospheric sounds. This immersion enhances the overall enjoyment and engagement.
- Worth the price (weight 0.05): Players find the game to be worth the price, especially considering the extensive content, DLCs, and the overall value it provides for the cost.
- Unique creature interactions (weight 0.04): The game features unique creatures with special abilities, adding strategic depth and variety to the gameplay. This uniqueness makes interactions with creatures more engaging and enjoyable.
- Helpful community resources (weight 0.04): The game benefits from a supportive community that provides helpful resources, tips, and guides for new players. This support enhances the learning curve and overall experience.

Common complaints:
- Poor optimization and performance (weight 0.95): The game suffers from poor optimization, leading to frequent crashes, lag, and high system requirements. Players report issues with long load times, high disk usage, and performance problems even on decent hardware.
- Game is plagued with bugs (weight 0.93): The game is reported to have numerous bugs, including game freezing, crashes, and various glitches. Players frequently experience issues such as connection timeouts, slow login times, and repetitive content.
- Difficulty with taming and progress (weight 0.21): The taming process is time-consuming and frustrating, with long timers and the risk of losing tamed creatures. Players also report difficulty in recovering gear and progress after death or updates.
- Developer criticism (weight 0.18): Players criticize the developers for poor handling of bugs, lack of support, and intentional breaking of the game to push players towards newer versions. There is a perception of greed and lack of care for the player base.
- Multiplayer and server issues (weight 0.13): Players report difficulties with multiplayer, including issues with joining servers, server crashes, and problems with modded servers. There are also complaints about the lack of support for non-dedicated servers.
- High learning curve (weight 0.12): The game has a steep learning curve and is challenging for beginners. There is a lack of clear instructions and in-game guidance, making it difficult for new players to get started.
- Issues with DLC (weight 0.08): DLCs are criticized for being poorly developed, breaking the game, and often requiring additional purchases for a full experience. Players feel that some DLCs should have been free and are disappointed with their quality.

Gameplay feedback:
- Open-world survival with dinosaurs (weight 0.5): The game offers an expansive open world filled with a variety of dinosaurs, allowing players to engage in survival gameplay, explore diverse landscapes, and interact with prehistoric creatures. Players can build bases, craft tools, and navigate through different biomes.
- Taming and breeding dinosaurs (weight 0.48): A unique feature of the game is the ability to tame and breed dinosaurs, which can be used for various tasks such as combat and resource gathering. The taming mechanics are challenging and add depth to the gameplay.
- Base building and crafting (weight 0.45): Players can build intricate bases and craft various items using a deep crafting system. The building mechanics are complex and allow for creative designs, with resources gathered from the environment.
- Multiplayer modes and interactions (weight 0.43): The game features both PvE and PvP multiplayer modes, enabling players to cooperate or compete with others. Multiplayer interactions include forming tribes, engaging in wars, and dealing with potential issues like hacking and network problems.
- Boss fights and unique creatures (weight 0.39): The game features boss fights and unique creatures, providing end-game PvE combat challenges. Players can encounter various bosses and creatures in caves and special maps.
- Storyline and exploration (weight 0.38): The game's storyline is told through maps and notes, encouraging players to explore and discover the lore. Exploration is a key aspect, with unique maps and caves filled with mysteries.
- Mod support and community content (weight 0.37): The game supports mods, which are crucial for enhanced gameplay and additional content. The modding community contributes to new maps, creatures, and gameplay mechanics.
- Grinding and resource farming (weight 0.36): The game involves a significant amount of grinding and resource farming, which can be rewarding for patient players. This mechanic is central to progression and crafting.
- Variety of maps and dinosaurs (weight 0.35): The game offers a variety of maps and dinosaurs, each with unique skills and characteristics. This diversity adds to the exploration and discovery aspects of the game.
- Customizable gameplay experience (weight 0.07): The game offers a customizable experience with adjustable server settings and various gameplay modes. Players can tailor the game to their preferred play style, although performance issues may affect the experience.
- Graphics, level design, and soundtrack (weight 0.06): The game features beautiful graphics, detailed level design, and a captivating soundtrack. These elements enhance the overall atmosphere and immersion in the prehistoric world.
- Technological progression (weight 0.04): Players can advance through technological stages, starting from basic tools to advanced gear like plasma guns and super suits. This progression adds depth to the gameplay experience.
- Realistic dinosaur animations and skins (weight 0.02): The game features realistic dinosaur skins and detailed animations, enhancing the visual experience. Players can interact with dinosaurs in various ways, including taming and riding.
- Hatching and raising baby dinosaurs (weight 0.02): Players can find and hatch dinosaur eggs, raising baby dinosaurs as part of the gameplay. This feature adds a nurturing aspect to the survival experience.

Performance notes:
- Performance and Optimization Issues (weight 0.54): The game suffers from significant performance and optimization problems, including freezing, crashing, lagging, and long load times. Players report issues such as the game not running well on various PCs, high PC requirements, and frequent crashes, especially on lower-end hardware.
- Game Crashes and Instability (weight 0.47): Frequent crashes and instability issues are reported, including crashes on startup, during gameplay, and after updates. Some players experience critical errors and game corruption without apparent reasons.
- Update and DLC Issues (weight 0.43): Updates and DLCs often introduce new problems, including game files disappearing, game state issues, and broken game functionality. These updates can make the game unplayable or cause significant performance issues.
- High Storage Requirements (weight 0.42): The game requires a large amount of storage space, with some players noting that it can take up to 10% of a 1TB hard drive. This is seen as excessive and problematic for players with limited storage capacity.
- High System Requirements (weight 0.41): The game demands powerful hardware for decent performance, with some players noting that a high-end GPU like the 4070ti is necessary for respectable frame rates. This makes the game inaccessible for players with lower-spec PCs.
- Server and Multiplayer Issues (weight 0.41): Multiplayer and server performance issues are common, including lag on crowded servers, non-dedicated server performance issues, and general instability. These problems affect the overall multiplayer experience.
- Graphical and Rendering Issues (weight 0.4): Players encounter various graphical bugs and rendering issues, such as dinos getting stuck behind trees, phasing into players, and poor rendering quality. These issues affect the overall gaming experience.
- Installation and Update Problems (weight 0.37): Players report long installation times and slow update processes. Some installations can take up to 5+ hours, and updates can introduce new issues or break the game entirely.

Recommendations:
- Recommendations for Survival Game Fans (weight 0.33): The game is highly recommended for fans of survival games, especially those who enjoy dinosaurs and open-world exploration. It offers a challenging and immersive experience with deep crafting systems and unique mechanics.
- Play with Friends (weight 0.33): Playing with friends enhances the experience significantly. It is suggested to play on private servers with friends for a more enjoyable and cooperative gameplay.
- Avoid Public Servers (weight 0.3): Public servers are often not recommended due to various issues. Players are advised to stick to private servers or play with friends to avoid problems.
- Taming and Gameplay Tips (weight 0.05): Start by taming smaller dinosaurs and explore the game world. Spawn in safer locations like zone 2 or 3 south for a better start.
- Financial Considerations (weight 0.03): Consider getting the game on a massive sale or finding it for free. Some players suggest not investing money into the game due to various issues.
- Specific Spawn Locations (weight 0.02): Spawn in specific locations like east 2 on The Island or zone 2 or 3 south for a safer and more strategic start.
- Alternative Games (weight 0.02): Look for alternative games with better graphics, balance, and community. Some players recommend Ark: Survival Evolved over Ascended.
- Audio Customization (weight 0.01): Players request an independent creature SFX slider and a per-creature mute option for better audio customization.
- Avoid ASA DLC (weight 0.01): Players are advised not to buy the ASA DLC due to potential issues or lack of value.
- Pre-Aquatica Beta Version (weight 0.01): Using the pre-Aquatica beta version can prevent certain issues and provide a better gameplay experience.
- Monitor Basic Needs (weight 0.01): Keep an eye on basic needs like hunger and thirst to survive in the game world.

Other player notes:
- Long-term player experience (weight 0.04): Many players have dedicated significant time to the game, with some having played for up to 10 years across various platforms. This indicates a strong commitment and enjoyment of the game over a long period.
- Undisclosed Anti-Cheat software (weight 0.01): The use of BattleEye Anti-Cheat is not disclosed on the Steam page, which could be a concern for some players who are wary of anti-cheat software.

Emotions:
- Frustration (weight 0.37): Players are frustrated primarily due to technical issues such as game crashes, freezing, and long load times, which often result in loss of progress and items. Additionally, performance issues, poor optimization, and frequent bugs exacerbate the frustration. Multiplayer issues, complex building mechanics, and unbalanced creature interactions also contribute to this emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.14): Disappointment stems from the perceived decline in game quality and the developers' focus on monetization over fixing issues. Updates and DLCs often introduce new bugs and break existing features, leading to loss of progress and community support. Players also express dissatisfaction with the developers' handling of updates and the overall state of the game.
- Anger (weight 0.1): Anger is primarily directed towards the developers for their perceived greed, neglect, and poor handling of updates and DLCs. Players are angry about frequent bugs, game crashes, and the loss of progress due to updates. The deliberate breaking of the game to push players to a new version and the lack of character customization also contribute to this emotion.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Players are excited about the immersive survival experience, the variety of dinosaurs, and the freedom to explore and interact with the game world. The challenge of taming dinosaurs, building bases, and the overall gameplay mechanics contribute to this excitement. The rich and detailed world, along with unique in-game events, also adds to the thrill.
- Joy (weight 0.06): Joy comes from the overall positive experience of playing the game, including the enjoyment of survival mechanics, dinosaur taming, and progression. Players find joy in exploring different biomes, engaging in multiplayer interactions, and the unique and memorable experiences with friends and dinosaurs. The sense of fulfillment and the love for dinosaurs also contribute to this emotion.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Enjoyment is derived from the unique and challenging gameplay, the variety of activities, and the engaging survival mechanics. Players enjoy taming and using dinosaurs, the freedom and customization options, and the overall experience of riding dinosaurs and using mods. The game's modding community and single-player mode also add to the enjoyment.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.05): Nostalgia is felt by players who have long-term engagement with the game and fond memories of playing it in the past. The initial immersive experience, building and interacting with dinosaurs, and the memories associated with the game contribute to this emotion. Players also feel nostalgic about the community interactions and the unique gameplay experiences.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Satisfaction comes from the improved visuals and performance on PC, the crafting and building bases, and the unique survival experience with dinosaurs. Players are satisfied with the game's graphics, gameplay, and audio, as well as the sense of progression and taming creatures, which adds unique strategic depth.
- Amusement (weight 0.01): Amusement is derived from the humorous narrative and engaging gameplay, as well as unique and humorous gameplay mechanics. Players find amusement in glitching into a dinosaur's mouth and the frequent deaths and respawns, which add a comedic element to the game.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Sadness is felt due to the loss of progress and the potential destruction of the game franchise. The impact of updates on the game's modding community and the loss of tamed dinosaurs also contribute to this emotion. Players feel a sense of emptiness and sadness upon finally playing the game and experiencing these issues.
- Appreciation (weight 0.01): Appreciation comes from the deep and complex storyline, beautiful graphics, and good gameplay. Players appreciate the game despite its flaws, finding value in the graphics, gameplay, and audio, which contribute to a positive overall experience.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game is driven by the variety of creatures and unique taming processes. Players have an overall attachment to the game despite its flaws, finding joy and fulfillment in the unique experiences it offers.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Addiction is driven by the deep and immersive survival experience. Players find themselves clocking hundreds of hours due to the engaging and addictive gameplay mechanics, which keep them coming back for more.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.01): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's features and content. Players enjoy the game despite its flaws, finding it addictive and diverse, which fuels their enthusiasm for the overall experience.
- Hope (weight 0.01): Hope comes from the effort to fix issues and the belief that the game can improve. Players still recommend the game despite its issues, hoping for a better future and continued enjoyment.
- Sadness (weight 0): Tristeza é causada pela perda de progresso no jogo. Players feel a sense of sadness and disappointment when their hard work and progress are lost due to technical issues or updates.
- Accomplishment (weight 0): Accomplishment comes from conquering bosses and ascending the ARK. Players feel a sense of achievement and satisfaction from overcoming challenges and progressing in the game.}