Crimson Desert Reviews
Crimson Desert is an 8 out of 10 that could have been a 9 or even a 10 with better controls and less clutter. It's a "wait for sale" or "wait for a 2.0 patch" for a lot of players. If you want to deep dive into a new world and you can ignore some of these flaws, you'll definitely have a fun time. But don't expect it to be a title that reinvents the wheel when it comes to an immersive single-player experience.
Crimson Desert is an extremely ambitious open-world adventure, and that ambition is what makes it both incredibly cool and gobsmackingly infuriating in almost equal measure.
Vast and obtuse in a way that is going to frustrate some and exhilarate others, Crimson Desert is a fascinating journey, even when the destination isn't all that.
A vast world and even vaster array of MMO-like activities mix with glittering fidelity in Crimson Desert, but what good is it without much character, texture or charm?
It’s highly ambitious and one of the most intriguing triple-A games I’ve played in years, but I just wish so many parts of the whole weren’t inherently flawed. Now my journey in Pywel has come to an end, I’ll be leaving this one on the shelf for a while.
The studio clearly took liberal inspiration from other games, but I hope that there can be something more looking toward the future. Crimson Desert has something special buried beneath its surface, if all those unneeded layers can be cut out.
It might not always be the most cohesive game, mixing high fantasy with steampunk and sci-fi elements, but there's nothing else quite like it, and I can't help but be impressed by how little restraint Pearl Abyss has shown in its commitment to delightful absurdity. In some respects, Crimson Desert might not be too good to be true, but it's a world worth getting lost in.
As it stands on release, the best parts of Crimson Desert are buried deep under layers of absurdity.
From the makers of Black Desert Online comes their first spectacular foray into the single player market.
The story is pretty average, and the beginning can be brutal, but if you're the kind of person who loves big, sandbox adventures, this one is worth the ride (and $69). $1.29 at Amazon $59.49 at Fanatical(PC) $69.99 at GamersGate $69.99 at Green Man Gaming
It's simply one of the biggest games I have ever played, with an astonishing amount of high-quality content, an absurd amount of complex puzzles, and a world so gigantic that I still haven't come close to seeing everything after 100 hours of playtime. While the story isn't the best and some bosses seem downright unfair, those flaws do little to diminish Crimson Desert, an absolute marvel and one of the best open-world games on the market.
Crimson Desert features a fantastic, content-rich open world where player freedom is the number one priority. There is so much to do and so many places to go to that it's easy to get lost among its ancient ruins, mystical forests, and snowy mountains. A lack of polish breeds frustration, but nothing can shake up the firm foundations of this incredible title.
But it's also true that when Crimson Desert clicks, it clicks in a way that very few games achieve. The world of Pywel is one of the most vibrant and detailed I've seen in years. The combat, once mastered, is a joy that hooks you. The bosses are a spectacle that truly delivers satisfaction. And the sheer amount of things you can do within this world is almost staggering.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
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A bizarre mishmash of disparate gameplay elements, with absolutely no sense of coherent design or narrative… and yet its stunning game world is still a fascinating mess to explore.
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Review in Spanish | Read full review
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Crimson Desert offers one of the most impressive worlds in gaming, but the deeper you go, the more it asks you to meet it on its own terms.
Crimson Desert is among the best fantasy open-world games in years. While the narrative is thin and the controls complex, the incredible world density, sandbox mechanics, incredible combat and stunning visuals make Pywell a continent worth visiting for anyone looking for an experience to lose themselves in for hundreds of hours.
Crimson Desert is a victim of its own ambition.