Crimson Desert Reviews
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
Summary Crimson Desert is one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in years, each moment of frustration giving way to excitement the next. It'll give you as much as you put in, even if that won't be for everyone.
The biggest complaint I have for Crimson Desert is definitely the control scheme. It just feels awkward. Holding R1 to perform a full combo, instead of individual prompts really throws me off. And not being able to lock onto enemies besides when holding block doesn’t help. It ruins the whole flow of combat. Tie that with blocking not working as intended most of the time, then get ready to be mauled a lot. Overall the world is rich with life and vast, but the janky controls do ruin it. I did slowly get use to them but only enough to get by, but it still feels off to me. Crimson Desert has a lot of fun ideas, but they come across as unfinished. Take the multiple characters for example. They don’t offer anything for the actual game-play besides a preference for the player. But even then you are forced to stick with Kilff mainly due to what seems the world being made for him. Such as puzzles and armour. Another big issue comes from the storage in Crimson Desert. And what I mean by that, is there really isn’t any for the player. Yes we can sell goods, or donate to the camp. But I feel as if we should be able to store produce for cooking, and ore for levelling gear. This should have been a bare minimum feature. I know I haven’t mentioned the story, this is because I honestly don’t have a clue beyond the fact the Graymanes, were slaughtered and that there is an imbalance of good and evil. Crimson Desert has so much I couldn’t fit it all in this review even if I wanted too. There is just that much depth to the game. Update dropped, so Final Thoughts part 2. While playing Crimson Desert, an update did drop fixing some issues, like the storage problem. And man does it help a lot. The combat hasn’t changed much, but I have got somewhat use to it more over time. I hope they allow us to switch it from holding down R1, to simple singular prompt. And that they fix the camera style while fighting bosses. I will give credit, where it’s due, I have enjoyed the world of Pywel. But there is just so much that should have been checked before release. So if you can deal with the awkward jankyness, then you should love it. But personally, I flick between loving and hating it. But in the end, I am giving Crimson Desert the Thumb Culture Gold Award. However, I can see why some people might suggest a lower rating.
Its hybrid identity between MMO and single-player is felt in every single progression mechanic. However, despite the frustration, despite the aesthetic trash, and despite some unbalanced bosses, Pywel is a world worth visiting. It's not the game many were hoping for, but it's a journey that, for better or worse, leaves its mark.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Crimson Desert is a good game that could have been great, with an absolutely incredible open-world adventure undercut by poor pacing, a boring story, annoying boss fights, frustrating puzzles, and awkward controls.
Crimson Desert is an ambitious, expansive RPG that rewards curiosity, exploration, and patience. It doesn’t always hold your hand. It doesn’t lay out every objective in neon signs. Instead, it invites you to think, to explore, and to become truly immersed in a world that feels alive and unpredictable. Whether you’re uncovering a hidden quest in an abandoned outpost, negotiating with wary factions, or watching the sun set over a candlelit desert city, there’s a constant sense of discovery that keeps you invested. For players who love deep worlds, layered storytelling, and the freedom to carve their own path, Crimson Desert offers a rewarding experience — rough edges and all. Crimson Desert is an ambitious journey worth taking — a living world with endless stories to uncover, even if it doesn’t always hold your hand.
Combat is flashy, but unresponsive. The open world is vast, but soulless. The NPCs are legion, but uninspired. The puzzles are complex, but frustrating. Systems are convoluted, but not deep. And the patches keep making the game more and more generic. The bottom line is that Crimson Desert demands at least 100 hours of your life, and it cannot justify that ask with a rewarding experience.
What’s most troubling about Crimson Desert is that Pearl Abyss has something truly good at its core, but has gone out of its way to “overload” it with as many features as possible.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Often feeling like a game chasing greatness, Crimson Desert is in every sense of the word ambitious. Sure, Kliff’s story of revenge is one that been told a thousand times, but it’s seemingly endless open world begs you to chase the adventures beyond the horizon. When you tie this beautifully crafted playground together with a combat system that encourages the player to experiment and think outside the box, you get a game that feels impossibly complex while feeling eerily familiar in the same breath. Crimson Desert is many things – dangerously ambitious, clunky, beautiful, messy, and most importantly: mind-numbingly addictive.
Crimson Desert is the next-gen game we were promised a decade ago by AAA publishers. The scale here is beyond massive, with hundreds of hours offered here if you can get past the game’s criminal control setup and sluggish opening few hours. With some bizarre design choices, Crimson Desert is a game that I can see both sides of the argument on, given the current state of the game. Still, Pearl Abyss has created what is effectively the next Skyrim, a game that offers an unparalleled amount of freedom, that rewards you the more you put into it.