Choose Black Desert
Choose Black Desert if you want a Strategy experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 72.5% positive across 35,523 reviews.
Black Desert vs 4STORY : The Original
Black Desert and 4STORY : The Original both land in Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam. Black Desert (2017) is 8 years older than 4STORY : The Original (2025). Black Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (72.5% positive) than 4STORY : The Original (26.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose 4STORY : The Original
Choose 4STORY : The Original if you want a Free To Play and Casual experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 4STORY : The Original launched in 2025.
Both Black Desert and 4STORY : The Original sit in Action, Adventure, and Massively Multiplayer on Steam and both list Multi-player, MMO, and Online PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Black Desert |  4STORY : The Original | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2017 | 2025 |
| Genres | Action, Strategy, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG | Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, RPG, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 9.99 USD | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 72.5% positive (35,523 reviews) | 26.5% positive (238 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op | Multi-player, Online Co-op, Co-op |
| Developers | Pearl Abyss | Zemi Interactive |
Side by side
- Both share Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam.
- Black Desert (2017) is 8 years older than 4STORY : The Original (2025).
- Black Desert scores higher on Steam reviews (72.5% positive) than 4STORY : The Original (26.5% positive).
- 4STORY : The Original is free; Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).
- Both support cooperative play.
- Steam Deck: Black Desert is Deck Unsupported, 4STORY : The Original is Deck Playable.
Black Desert vs 4STORY : The Original — FAQ
- Which is better, Black Desert or 4STORY : The Original?
- On Steam reviews Black Desert scores higher (72.5% positive) than 4STORY : The Original (26.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Black Desert is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Black Desert or 4STORY : The Original first?
- If you want chronology, Black Desert (2017) came out before 4STORY : The Original (2025). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Black Desert and 4STORY : The Original similar?
- They overlap on Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Do both Black Desert and 4STORY : The Original have co-op?
- Yes — both list a co-op category on Steam. Specifics differ: Black Desert ships Online Co-op, Co-op; 4STORY : The Original ships Online Co-op, Co-op.
- Is 4STORY : The Original free?
- Yes — 4STORY : The Original is a free-to-play Steam title. Black Desert is paid (9.99 USD).