Crimson Desert didn't review poorly, but at 77 on Metacritic, it's hardly what you'd call a game of the year contender, let alone an all-timer. And that divide has caused a bit of tension between critics and players, with reviews on the lower end of the scale complaining about the "lack of narrative depth" and "overabundance of unfocused systems," while the community adores its hodgepodge sandbox of different genres.
These kinds of divides are hardly new, with critics and players often butting heads over games (usually ending in vitriol and abuse online) before they're even out. However, one Pearl Abyss exec has a theory on why Crimson Desert scored lower among reviewers.
TheGamer scored it four stars, praising the "massive and beautiful world" and "fluid combat."
"I do believe both parties have fair points, especially the critics," European CEO Lybee Park said in an interview with The Game Business. "They had to play a build that was not the exact same version as the launch game. Also, they had limited time. Usually the classical approach when they review the game is following the main quest line, but with Crimson Desert, our unique charm is spread all over our in-game...
