At Summer Game Fest 2025 Play Days, I finally got hands-on time with Crimson Desert, one of the most anticipated open-world RPGs coming this year. Unlike earlier demos focused on combat or boss fights, this was the first time I experienced a full story chapter—complete with dynamic physics, large-scale battles, and jaw-dropping visuals
You are in the shoes of Kliff, who has just had a massive loss in an ambush with his soldiers, who are the Greymanes. After this loss, it is up to Kliff to find the scattered remnants of the Greymanes. He gets word of Oongka, a man from his group who is now in the middle of a rebellion. It is now up to you, as Kliff, to make it to the siege that is ongoing and find Oongka.
I talked to an NPC in a town who asked for my aid in this rebellion, and Kliff agrees. Kliff makes his way to his first destination, a hill with a pedestal and a fallen flag. You use the Thumbstick buttons to aim at the flag, and then you can lift it with stasis powers onto Kliff’s back, and he then sets the flag...
