Albion Online vs Black Desert
Albion Online is a mmorpg open-world game from Sandbox Interactive GmbH (2018) while Black Desert is a mmorpg open-world game from Pearl Abyss (2014).
What each one is
Steam files Albion Online under Mmorpg and Open-World. In contrast, it files Black Desert under Mmorpg and Open-World.
Albion Online is a fantasy sandbox MMORPG featuring a player-driven economy, classless combat system, and intense PvP battles. Explore a vast open world full of danger and opportunity. Grow your wealth, forge alliances, and leave your mark on the world of Albion.
Played by over 20 million Adventurers - Black Desert Online is an open-world, action MMORPG. Experience intense, action-packed combat, battle massive world bosses, fight alongside friends to siege and conquer castles, and train in professions such as fishing, trading, crafting, cooking, and more!
At a glance
| Albion Online | Black Desert | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.2/10 | 6.9/10 |
| Steam rating | Mostly Positive (78%, 93,490) | Mostly Positive (74%, 94,179) |
| Critic aggregate | No aggregate | 80/100 |
| Price | Free | $9.99 |
| Install size | 2 GB | 80 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | Untested |
| Released | 2018 | 2014 |
| Developer | Sandbox Interactive GmbH | Pearl Abyss |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Albion Online vs Black Desert, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Albion OnlineMmorpg open-world gameBlack DesertMmorpg open-world gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Albion OnlineFree to Play, MMORPG, Open WorldBlack DesertMMORPG, Massively Multiplayer, Open WorldThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Albion Online ✓Score 7.2 · 78% on SteamBlack DesertScore 6.9 · 74% on Steam · 80 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Albion Online93,490 reviews · 2 GBBlack Desert94,179 reviews · 3 add-ons · 80 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Albion Online ✓FreeBlack Desert$9.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
Albion Online takes 2 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueAlbion Online and Black Desert on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- PlayStation
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Albion Online (GamingPickz Score 7.2)
- The cheaper right now: Albion Online (Free)
- Lighter on storage: Albion Online (2 GB)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
MMORPGOpen WorldMassively MultiplayerRPGMultiplayerCraftingPvPMedieval
Where they differ
Free to PlaySandboxSurvivalLootPvEEconomy
Character CustomizationAdventure3DMagicAtmosphericSimulation
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Albion Online is demanding, for players who want a challenge. Black Desert is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Albion Online | Black Desert | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | Graphics card with | GeForce GTX 970 |
| Minimum CPU | Intel/AMD CPU with SSE2 | Intel Core i3 (4th Generation) |
| Minimum RAM | 4 GB | 8 GB |
| Install size | 2 GB | 80 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Albion Online · Black Desert.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Albion Online and 1 for Black Desert. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Albion Online and Black Desert in scope?
Albion Online has drawn 93,490 Steam reviews and installs in 2 GB. Black Desert has drawn 94,179 Steam reviews, ships 3 add-ons and installs in 80 GB.
Is Albion Online or Black Desert better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Albion Online rates higher (7.2 to 6.9). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Albion Online or Black Desert?
Albion Online is cheaper right now at Free, against $9.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.