Crimson Desert Reviews
An ambitious adventure set in a visually stunning world that tries to do a bit too much, ultimately feeling underdeveloped in some respects.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Crimson Desert offers a vast and visually stunning open world, full of freedom and exploration, but its simplistic story and unclear objectives may frustrate many players.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Crimson Desert is exactly the kind of game that will divide players. Some will see it as a massive, ambitious adventure, while others will view it as an enormous patchwork of ideas borrowed from better franchises, without ever truly understanding what made them work in the first place. Unfortunately, the formula doesn’t come together here. The exploration feels reminiscent of Zelda without delivering the same sense of enjoyment, the protagonist tries to emulate Geralt without the charisma or strong writing, the combat aims for epic scale without ever reaching the heights of Horizon, and the story constantly chases the emotional depth of God of War without ever coming close.
Review in French | Read full review
It is not for everyone, but Crimson Desert rewards patient players with vast exploration, tough combat, and a world that feels alive despite its many imperfections.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Of course, it has its flaws and shortcomings, and I already tried to address them above. But the massive vision it presents, along with its pure sense of adventure and freedom, is so powerful that it deserves to go down in history as one of the boldest and most spectacular games the industry has seen in recent years. Every player who wants to experience limitless freedom, chaos, and exploration should step into the continent of Pywel and experience this game for themselves.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Crimson Desert doesn't always know exactly what it wants to be, but it's very clear about what it wants to offer. Between accumulating systems, intersecting stories, and a world that constantly beckons exploration, the story feels more like a journey through Pywell. Its greatest strength may lie not in what it tells, but in everything that happens along the way.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Pearl Abyss came very close: all it would have taken was a slightly more inspired story and some less complex gameplay mechanics, and we would have been looking at a true masterpiece. It’s an excellent game nonetheless—one we recommend even to those who aren’t fans of the genre—that immerses players in a vast open world and captivates them with a solid, dynamic combat system. You’ll be tempted to keep playing even after finishing the main quest to enjoy its world with hours of activities and pure fun. And watch out, because all the pieces are in place for the developer to expand and improve it even further.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Crimson Desert is an ambitious open-world epic that succeeds through its dense, rewarding exploration and weighted combat, even while stumbling over a generic story and a flat protagonist. While unintuitive controls and momentum-killing puzzles can cause occasional frustration, the sheer scale of Pywel and its deep progression systems offer a level of discovery unlike anything seen before it. Ultimately, the game’s narrative shortcomings are overshadowed by its immense depth and breathtaking world, making it a flawed but deeply memorable adventure.
Despite the AI controversy around the launch of Crimson Desert, I’ve found a lot to enjoy during my time with the game. There is a lot of content to explore, and freedom to do so at your own pace and style. So much so, that even with some annoying interface and controller decisions and an initially confusing storyline, I found myself compelled to keep coming back and enjoying the moment to moment experiences.
Crimson Desert delivers one of the richest and most expansive open-world experiences of 2026, standing out as a landmark title for players. Even amidst hits and misses, the game surprises with dynamic combat and a large amount of secondary content to explore.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
You’ve probably seen those small, quiet restaurants before; places that are out of the way and not too fancy or expensive. They don’t seem very interesting at first glance. But the taste of what they serve stays with you long after, and you can’t get it back. Some video games make you feel the same way. You don’t expect much from them when you first step inside; maybe something routine or even boring. But if you give it some time, like that meal you’ll never forget, their true charm will start to show. In this review, we’ll look more closely at how Crimson Desert puts a new spin on what modern Zelda-inspired games can be
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Review in Arabic | Read full review
Crimson Desert impresses with its ambitious world and presentation, but uneven gameplay, clunky controls, and technical issues prevent it from fully realizing its potential.
Review in German | Read full review
Crimson Desert is a rough diamond of colossal ambition. Pearl Abyss stumbles in its delivery of a convoluted story, graphical optimization issues, and an excess of unexplained systems, but at the same time, the title makes up for its shortcomings by delivering one of the densest, most alive, and most rewarding open worlds of the current generation. For those with the patience to master its punishing learning curve, the reward is an absolutely unforgettable journey.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Crimson Desert changed my view of open-world games, delivering a strong exploration experience with a rich world, massive content, and excellent gameplay systems. However, its weak story and modest voice acting hold it back from reaching all-time great status, though it still remains a hard-to-ignore experience.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
An ambitious and content-rich open-world adventure, Crimson Desert stands out for its freedom, deep exploration, and dozens of hours of gameplay, but suffers from a weak narrative, underdeveloped characters, and inconsistencies in some mechanics and technical aspects.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Crimson Desert is a typical game that doesn't have a golden middle ground. Either the game is fantastic or you don't like it. It is clear that I am a fan of Crimson Desert and of course there are several reasons for that. Especially since it's been a while since I played a game of this caliber. You will be treated to a wonderful world of Pywell, where the atmosphere makes you gasp for breath. There is also a lot to do in Crimson Desert, and that will also provoke different reactions here. However, if you can get used to the here and there some downsides of the game and you take your time for Crimson Desert, then you will experience an adventure that will undoubtedly be engraved in the memory for a long time.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Crimson Desert offers a sprawling world full of challenges and discovery, even if its rough intro and flat story dampen the journey.
Crimson Desert is an RPG from the makers of Black Desert. The game started off a bit unstable, but Pearl Abyss has done everything they can to improve it. Now the game is a real top title.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Crimson Desert delivered an ambitious experience that attempts to combine multiple genres into a single package, but it doesn’t fully succeed in mastering any of them as it should. While it does offer enjoyable moments in combat and exploration, issues with controls, a weak narrative, and an overall lack of cohesive design make the experience feel like it lacks a distinct identity. Therefore, if you’re looking for a polished and well-rounded experience, Crimson Desert may not be the best choice at the moment.
Review in Arabic | Read full review