ARK: Survival Evolved vs Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition
ARK: Survival Evolved is a mmorpg open-world game from Studio Wildcard (2017) while Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is an RPG strategy game from Larian Studios (2017).
Quick answer: Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition rates higher, 8.8 to 7.8 on the GamingPickz Score, and ARK: Survival Evolved is the cheaper at $9.89.
What each one is
ARK: Survival Evolved is filed under Mmorpg and Open-World. In contrast, Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition under RPG and Strategy.
Stranded on the shores of a mysterious island, you must learn to survive. Use your cunning to kill or tame the primeval creatures roaming the land, and encounter other players to survive, dominate... and escape!
The critically acclaimed RPG that raised the bar, from the creators of Baldur's Gate 3. Gather your party. Master deep, tactical combat. Venture as a party of up to four - but know that only one of you will have the chance to become a God.
Story, characters and reception
Reception
Reception Ark: Survival Evolved received "mixed or average" reviews for the Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One versions, while the Switch version received "generally unfavorable" reviews, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . TJ Hafer's 7. 7/10 review on IGN stated that "When I'm having a good time in Ark , I'm having a really good time. (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting Like other games in the series, Divinity: Original Sin II is set in the medieval fantasy world of Rivellon, and takes place centuries after Divinity: Original Sin . The story starts some years after the passing of Lucian, a Human who possessed unrivaled power and was revered by the people of Rivellon as the "Divine", the chosen one of the "Seven", the deities of Rivellon's main religion. Rivellon is currently plagued by the Voidwoken, monstrous… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Divinity: Original Sin II received "universal acclaim", according to review aggregator website Metacritic . Multiple critics and publications considered the game to be one of the best role-playing games (RPGs) of all time. Rick Lane of Eurogamer considered it a "masterpiece," thinking it would be many years before he could play another RPG that was even close to being "that rich with choice and charisma". (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| ARK: Survival Evolved | Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.8/10 | 8.8/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (83%, 776,582) | Overwhelmingly Positive (96%, 205,637) |
| Critic aggregate | 70/100 | 93/100 |
| Price | $9.89 | $44.99 |
| Install size | 60 GB | 60 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | verified |
| Released | 2017 | 2017 |
| Developer | Studio Wildcard | Larian Studios |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
ARK: Survival Evolved vs Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition, 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
ARK: Survival EvolvedMmorpg open-world gameDivinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive EditionRPG strategy gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
ARK: Survival EvolvedOpen World Survival Craft, Survival, Open WorldDivinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive EditionTactical RPG, RPG, Turn-Based StrategyThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
ARK: Survival EvolvedScore 7.8 · 83% on Steam · 70 criticDivinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition ✓Score 8.8 · 96% on Steam · 93 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
ARK: Survival Evolved776,582 reviews · 18 add-ons · 60 GBDivinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition205,637 reviews · 3 add-ons · 60 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
ARK: Survival Evolved ✓$9.89Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition$44.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
ARK: Survival EvolvedVerifiedDivinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive EditionVerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueARK: Survival Evolved and Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition 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
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: Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition (GamingPickz Score 8.8)
- The cheaper right now: ARK: Survival Evolved ($9.89)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: ARK: Survival Evolved (776,582 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
RPG
Where they differ
Open World Survival CraftSurvivalMultiplayerOpen WorldDinosaursCrafting
Tactical RPGTurn-Based StrategyStory RichFantasyCharacter CustomizationCRPG
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, ARK: Survival Evolved is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| ARK: Survival Evolved | Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA GTX 670 2GB/AMD Radeon HD 7870 2GB | NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 550 |
| Minimum CPU | Intel Core i5-2400/AMD FX-8320 | Intel Core i5 |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 4 GB |
| Install size | 60 GB | 60 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: ARK: Survival Evolved · Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for ARK: Survival Evolved and 1 for Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are ARK: Survival Evolved and Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition in scope?
ARK: Survival Evolved has drawn 776,582 Steam reviews, ships 18 add-ons and installs in 60 GB. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition has drawn 205,637 Steam reviews, ships 3 add-ons and installs in 60 GB.
Is ARK: Survival Evolved or Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition rates higher (8.8 to 7.8). 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, ARK: Survival Evolved or Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition?
ARK: Survival Evolved is cheaper right now at $9.89, against $44.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get ARK: Survival Evolved or Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition?
Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition rates higher, 8.8 to 7.8 on the GamingPickz Score, and ARK: Survival Evolved is the cheaper at $9.89. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
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.