Procedural generation is a huge selling point with me because once you know a map and know where "the" best place to build a base is, there isn't much point in replaying it. The mobs are reasonably balanced so that they give a challenge, but as long as you're not skipping biomes, they're not ridiculously unfair. Also there aren't any uber pets that make foraging and inventory mechanics obsolete as soon as you get them. (These were reasons why I stopped playing Ark.)

It isn't a particularly flashy game but it does its job well. It has very few bugs and a clear progression. It's also very pretty despite the pixelized graphics because the lighting effects work well.

while pixalated, it plays with colors and light wonderfully. this thing looks better than ark in the long run.
That said, its the exploring bit i guess and it can be a bit difficult, unlike ark.
The theme? Medieval fantasy? Ark is...scifi dinosaurs.

Idk man i could never get into ark myself :))).

So as someone else said, its about taste. Clearly enough enjoy the style more than what other games offer. I know i sure do.

You have played Ark for 2k hours? I couldn't play Ark for 2 hrs. Everything you've complained about this game I see in ARK. Valheim just isn't your thing just like Ark wasn't mine. There is nothing groundbreaking about this game, besides using a pickaxe to break ♥♥♥♥. It's an amazing game with friends, simple, nothing special about it.

-ark i hate the theme of the game. dinosaurs/scifi/medieval nonsense. its just lol.
-conan: i hate the theme of the game. primal 2k years ago/shaman voodoo bs in loincloths and the graphics are kinda bad tbh (animations as well).

I like AC oddyssey when it comes to loincloths n old civilizations, or AC origin.
But conan exiles? idk, just meh.
Half of the people who play that game just do ERP with the big titty female models.

I see this game like a mix between minecraft and dark soul. Personnaly I love the render of valheim, it work on me.
Both I mentioned before, I don't like them.
Don't know if it's the construction system or difficulty, but it work great with me. Not for you certainly

Not everyone is going to enjoy every and all games . It's not that Valheim does anything ground breaking or new . It's just a fun game that people enjoy playing . If you don't "get it" then that's on you , but for alot of others , they enjoy playing .

Devs are also slightly lying. Controller support for this game is like 80% full support at best

ok

Originally posted by Sweatington:

Originally posted by Suzaku:

It just ain't your thing. Nothing wrong with that, but it works for many others.

I played Ark for over 2k hours so I don't think you're quite correct there

Some of us have over 6k hours with ark and do not agree and find this game to be fine and understand its a different game with intentionally different aesthetics.

I recognize as others have that the game isnt for you. That's fine but it isnt a universal.

Valheim is designed to let you progress at your own pace. No matter how many games you have under your belt everyone starts out in the meadows so you can acclimate to the game style and play. Its very well leveled. You can take risks or you can stay back and not take risks. Ark is ...get eaten by a snake....get gnawed on by a dinosaur. Incoming ! oh ...t your dead. start over. Heavy survival in heavy unfriendly zones. Two diff games.

So having great graphics makes a great game, please enlighten me on this complaint. Ill toss out an egg: Lets look at how well Battlefield 2042 turned out, the graphics were great in that game. The gameplay and features must have been as good.....right?

Originally posted by Sweatington:

Originally posted by Suzaku:

It just ain't your thing. Nothing wrong with that, but it works for many others.

I played Ark for over 2k hours so I don't think you're quite correct there

Ark and Valheim aren't the same game, not by any stretch. So Ark might be your thing and Valheim isn't.

It got popular because it was easy to get into, looks great, sounds great and had decent game-play value for an early access game. The graphics are a design choice, not a failing of the developers. It's almost completely open-world sandbox. You NEVER have to progress if you don't want to. You can play the game multiple ways with multiple goals in mind.

There you go.

It just ain't your thing. Nothing wrong with that, but it works for many others.

Originally posted by Suzaku:

It just ain't your thing. Nothing wrong with that, but it works for many others.

I played Ark for over 2k hours so I don't think you're quite correct there

Grater than sum of its parts kind of thing.

Stuff just works together, the graphics are consistent and have proper effects on top.

Nothing wrong with not liking it, but the reason there is a hype, because lots of desing and work went into the few polyglons and smears of textures.

Some say you cant polish a turd, but then look at how easy is there to buy a golden poop. Valheim is latter case.