Crimson Desert, a game that’s been hyped since its initial reveal and with flying dragons, exhilarating combat, an open world with RPG elements, and amazing graphics that’s no surprise. The game even started an online debate, questioning the realization of what’s being promised. Pearl Abyss is quite sure that the game will fill the expectations of the community, but what do we think? Let’s talk about it.
I’ll start off my review by saying that the game will definitely fill the expectations of the community, especially the community members who are hoping for an exciting adventure with interesting battles and fluent combat. However, if you’re looking for an RPG game with an expansive narrative, you might want to lower your expectations or look for something else. This isn’t a game for loot goblins or even story enthusiasts; it’s a game for people who like to be part of a vivid world where options seem limitless and possibilities for how you want to approach the game. It’s not a game for everyone, but it’s a game that will find its place among notable games because it wants to do something different and experiment with new ideas/visions that could set the stage for future games in the same genre.
“Where the story begins, the overwhelming feeling of information and important details goes along with it.”
As I said, the game doesn’t have an expansive story that’s been built upon extensive lore or even far- reaching tales throughout the realm. The player takes on the role of Kliff, an important member of the Greymanes. What starts off as a meeting quickly escalates into an ambush where the Greymane group has to fight for their lives. They’re being assaulted by the Black Bears, a group that only wants power and the elimination of anyone who doesn’t side with them. As you’re trying to protect your allies, jumping from battle to battle, you’re being introduced to the basic elements of combat. You quickly realize that this battle is a battle where you’re underpowered and seem lost. Throughout the chaos, allies got away safely due to your help or had the chance to vanish without you having a clue of their whereabouts. Eventually, the opponent gets the upper hand and defeats you by piercing his blade into your body. You’re being thrown into the passing river, and when all seems lost, a mysterious force pulls you out of the depths, restores your broken body, and gives you a mysterious bracelet that’s filled with a mysterious power. Without knowing too much, you’re seeing this as a second chance to regroup with your allies and get revenge for the massacre the Black Bears have caused. This is where your story begins…
Where the story begins, the overwhelming feeling of information and important details goes along with it. There are so many mechanics in the game that during an adventure, you’ll often find yourself in the information menu of the game. Almost every button on your controller has an ability or interaction linked with it, so it sometimes is hard to keep track of them all. I do think that the developers are aware of the situation, so I praise the “tutorial text” pop- up to get some information about a certain ability or interaction, however the explanation is very basic and focuses on the explanation “What does this button stand for and how is the interaction within the world?” and less about “What can you truly do with it or how does this mechanic plays out?”. You’ll often find yourself experimenting without a decent clue on how well this mechanic plays out. In theory, the button system does what it’s been programmed to do, in practice, you’ll often have situations (especially during boss fights where everything is happening all at once) that you’ll accidentally activate a mechanic/ interaction during the battle, which most of the time ends up with you starting the battle over. It’s a lot to get used to.
“There is almost no limit on how you want to approach things.”
Crimson Desert can definitely be seen as a sandbox adventure where the boundaries of technology and visions are being tested. The developers tried to put a lot of things into one complete package, and I believe that they have created something unique that will probably set the boundaries for future games. If I have to describe Crimson Desert, it feels like a vast open-world game that has some RPG elements to it and focuses on exploration, immersion, and the experience of the player. The game is a sandbox in a way where the player gets a high level of freedom in how they explore and interact with the world. There is a main story within the game, but the game doesn’t force you to continue the main quest. It gives you a lot of options on how you want to approach the game. The player has the option to explore on its own terms, interact with the NPCs around him/ her, focus on crafting, or search for Abyss points to strengthen its character. The path in Crimson Desert is not linear, and your journey as a player isn’t fixed in a script. You interact with the world and continue your journey from that point on. There is almost no limit on how you want to approach things.
For example, during one of your missions, you have to explore an occupied environment to find one of your allies. You can either be very sneaky and scout around the perimeter to find an opening that will allow you to enter the building unnoticed. However, the chances of being caught are very high because of the large number of patrols within the environment. Another option is to kill one of the guards or nobles in that environment, dress yourself up in the armor pieces that they’ll leave behind, and get entry just by a costume change. You can also buy a pass from a church nearby to gain access as well. These are only 3 options already available for one mission, 4 if you count “forced entry with guns blazing” as well. There are also situations where side missions give you rewards that can help you with a certain mission. It’s a fun system, as you can play the game the way you want.
“The game features RPG elements, but I wouldn’t label the game as a full-out RPG.”
Other sandbox systems that are also in the game are: trading post system to create a supply line and gather resources or items, a crime system that will lock players up if their behaviour towards NPCs is disrespectful, a bounty system that allows the player to scout for placed bounties and capture/eliminate them, hunting system to capture animals and get them to a breeder … You will also find different mini games throughout the world that can help you gather coins or even important items.
The game features RPG elements, but I wouldn’t label the game as a full-out RPG. First of all, you play as a character, but you can’t change the appearance of your character to the way you like it. You level up, not by experience but by gathering Abyss Points that allow you to strengthen your core abilities instead of upgrading attributes like Strength, Dexterity, Intellect, … Enemies will drop loot, but not in a way that you think. The defeated enemies will drop certain currencies to help your character out, like coins, arrows, crafting materials, Abyss Points, … Sometimes they’ll drop armor pieces or weapons, but these are basic weapons or armor pieces. This is different from unique enemies, because unique enemies may drop unique weapons or armor pieces. You become stronger as a character in honing your core skills, respond with the right type of weapon, execute your combos fluently, and make your worn gear better by crafting. You can either enhance your worn equipment or build something from a recipe.
“The world feels immersive as everything around you comes to life.”
The world is open, as there are almost no loading screens. A door can be opened, restricted areas can be entered, … The game alternates between the Abyss that can be found in the skyline and the grounded world. You can use the Abyss to path your way through the clouds and jump off the Abyss towards your objective to initiate a skyfall. There are different points of interest or places of power that are worth checking out. Some NPCs will also interact with you to give you some information about a quest that can be accepted.
The world feels immersive as everything around you comes to life. There is a day/ night system that changes the environment, which also gives the player extra opportunities to work towards an objective. When you’re walking in nature environment, you’ll see bees, grasshoppers, bunnies, … and you can interact with all of them. Also, there are different mining nodes and trees to be found to interact with. You can use these nodes or trees to gather resources for your crafting recipes. I love to get my axe out and start chopping a random tree to get some wood. The fact that the tree actually falls when you’ve chopped it down gives a sense of immersion as well.
“This system will either grow on you or scare you off.”
You also have a main interaction button that opens up the interaction with the world. By holding your left shoulder button, you’ll be able to start conversations, pick up specific items, jump towards places, … Speaking of jumping, the jumping itself feels clunky. Especially after a fluent combat situation where everything feels fluid. However, the interaction button allows you to jump to a specific spot. This is some getting used to, but I do like the fact that you can use the interaction button to do a specific jump. This helps a lot when you’re doing some platforming.
Let’s talk about the combat system… This system will either grow on you or scare you off. If you have played Black Desert Online and you liked the way the game handled combat, you’ll find yourself right at home with Crimson Desert. Seems logical due to the fact that Pearl Abyss also developed BDO. However, if you didn’t like the combat system, the combat might scare you off, as it is mostly implemented due to the fact that you’re using combo button mashing to perform different abilities. You can compare the combat system with the combat system of a fighting game. By combining buttons with each other, you’ll perform different combat abilities. Some combinations are easier to remember or to execute. The more you play a combo, the better you’ll execute it. You have different weapons to experiment with, and if you combine the weapon system with the talent tree ( upgrade system core abilities), you can definitely shape Kliff into a weaponized hero that’ll suit your playstyle best.
“Also, the level of detail only helps the player to get immersed in this living world.”
Technically, the game runs fluently, and it’s amazing to see that almost everything is without boundaries. There are definitely some places that give you a nice overview of the world you’re playing in. Sound design has been done well, the voices of the characters are believable, and even some of the dialogues made me smile a couple of times. Just the lip synching seems a bit underdeveloped, but nothing that a patch couldn’t fix. I have had no technical issues so far, besides the occasional fusion with Kliff and the ground… Thankfully, the developers made an escape button to reset the position of Kliff. The fact that they’ve implemented this button makes me truly believe that the game was designed to experiment with.
Also, the level of detail only helps the player to get immersed in this living world. I often find myself just walking around the town and seeing what NPCs are doing. The developers did a great job in creating this world that is full of life and interactive moments. It reminds me of “Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” where the developers said, everything you see is a place where you can get to. This quote feels the same as Crimson Desert. You can climb mountains, ride on horseback, … to get to the place you’re seeing. Your path from point A to point B will be long, due to the activities going on around it.
“Crimson Desert is an ambitious and visually impressive sandbox experience…”
Crimson Desert checks a lot of boxes and will be a memorable game in the near future. It’s clear that the developers created a beautiful world with an amazing vision that can feed the creation. However, it’s a big game, and even though the game feels polished… I do believe the game could have been a lot better ( especially for first timers) when they took the time to re- invent some of the mechanics of the game to create a more streamlined, fluent experience. Everything the game has to offer has amazed me, but sometimes the game can feel like a big project where there’s a whole lot being developed and where the systems work, but not fully optimized or polished.
Conclusion:
Crimson Desert is an ambitious and visually impressive sandbox that excels in delivering exciting combat, player freedom, and a richly interactive, immersive world. Its bold vision and emphasis on exploration and player choice stand out as its greatest strengths, offering a unique and experimental experience with countless ways to approach the world. However, clunky mechanics, sometimes overwhelming systems, and a weaker narrative hold it back from greatness. While it may not satisfy those seeking a deep RPG or story-driven experience, it remains a rewarding adventure for players who highly value freedom and immersion, even if it won’t appeal to everyone.
