Crimson Desert Review

After spending 170 hours in Crimson Desert, I’m finally ready to share my honest thoughts on the game.

The story follows a character named Kliff, a survivor of a brutal battle who has been separated from his group. Your goal is to track down your comrades one by one, reunite the team, take revenge on those who fought you, and help the people you meet along the way. Personally, I found the story to be quite average, and the cinematics weren't particularly strong or impactful.

Where the game truly shines is its world. It feels like a massive mix of several great titles, think The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption, Elden Ring, and honestly, even a little bit of Animal Crossing. There is so much to do that it's hard to know where to start.

You have to manage and upgrade your base, taking care of your people by providing food, weapons, and money. As you find more of your old crew, your base grows and so does your responsibility. A great feature is that you can send your team members out to complete tasks for you and gather essential resources.

The world is one of the largest I’ve ever seen. It’s packed with secrets and side quests. Just when you think you’re finishing up, ten new quests appear. While you can stick to the main story, the real fun comes from exploring everything. I rarely felt bored because I was always excited to see what was next, though some side quests felt like a waste of time. My biggest complaint here is that the rewards for completing quests often didn't feel worth the effort.

In terms of gear, there are tons of weapons, but I found most of them unnecessary. Since you can upgrade and customize your favorite weapon, you might end up like me, using the same one from start to finish while everything else sits in storage.

You can also play as two other characters besides Kliff, each with their own unique abilities and weapons, but I preferred focusing on the main protagonist.

The controls take some getting used to and can be frustrating at first. However, once you get the hang of it, it becomes much easier. The gameplay is fun and varied, though taking over large territories crowded with enemies can feel a bit repetitive and slow. The game isn't easy, but the difficulty curve balances out as you learn the mechanics. The boss fights are a highlight; each one is unique. Some are incredibly frustrating and others are easier, but they are generally very entertaining to fight. You’ll also spend a lot of time hunting, gathering plants, and cooking to stay prepared for battle.

The puzzles in this game are no joke. They are difficult, and the game offers almost no help. You really have to use your brain and pay attention to your surroundings. At times, it was annoying how little guidance was provided but solving them is rewarding.

The variety in this world is wild. You’ll find everything from a futuristic feeling in the Abyss "Upper World" filled with puzzles, to jetpacks, pistols, magic, and dragons. For transportation, you’ll mostly use horses, but you can also ride camels, bears, a dragon or even a cow if you feel like it.

Even though it has its flaws and isn't perfect, Crimson Desert is one of the biggest and most enjoyable games of this genre I’ve played. If you rush the main story, it will take about 30 to 50 hours, but if you want to see everything, you could easily spend over 500 hours here.

The game is available on PS5, Xbox, and PC for $70.