With the trailer for Pearl Abyss’s Crimson Desert fresh in my mind from The Game Awards, I arrived at the downtown hotel hosting the preview session, eager to get some hands-on time with the title. As the sophomore release from the Black Desert Online developer, this single-player experience has RPG enthusiasts buzzing with excitement. Crimson Desert looks stunning, developed by a team that has done incredible work in the past, and it offers a single-player experience for those who typically avoid MMOs.
If you’ve seen any of the trailers so far, Crimson Desert is a visually breathtaking game that captures a fantasy world begging to be explored. Black Desert Online has been one of the best-looking MMOs to date, with its developers excelling at crafting massive, wonder-filled worlds. How could I not be eager to dive in? Despite the demo being somewhat limited—focused solely on boss fights—I was far from disappointed.
In Crimson Desert, players step into the boots of Kliff, a mercenary investigating the mysterious events unfolding across the region of Hernand. The game’s world, powered by Pearl Abyss’s proprietary BlackSpace Engine, features hyperrealistic character models and seamless transitions between cutscenes and gameplay. The expansive continent of Pywel spans diverse biomes, with distant landmarks serving as actual destinations rather than mere backdrop decorations. As many games have claimed in the past, if you can see it on the horizon, you can travel there and discover what that part of the world has to offer.
With the demo focusing on combat, the development team designed it so that press could experience a selection of boss fights scattered throughout the single-player campaign. This provides a glimpse of the variety of battles players will face in the full game. Even from the sections I played, the scope and complexity of the fights in Crimson Desert, combined with the numerous skills at your disposal, create an incredibly rewarding experience. And before you ask—while this may be a fantasy game, it is not a Dark Souls-like experience. Bosses will test your mettle but not to the extreme of a punishing difficulty curve.
“Finally getting the basics down and ready to dive into a battle, I was amazed by how varied the Crimson Desert’s bosses truly are.”
Jumping in, I quickly grasped the complexity and rewarding nature of controlling Kliff in the game. Crimson Desert does away with traditional button-mashing or turn-based combat systems common in many RPGs, opting instead for a combo-based approach that rewards players for mastering the wide array of skills at their disposal. Players can perform a variety of moves, including sword techniques, kicks, and wrestling-inspired grapples, akin to professional wrestling moves. The inclusion of magic abilities and bow combat further diversifies the arsenal, encouraging tactical thinking over brute force.
Finally getting the basics down and ready to dive into a battle, I was amazed by how varied the Crimson Desert’s bosses truly are. From the folkloric White Horn to the complex and disempowering fight with the Staglord, each encounter demands different strategies and mastery of various mechanics. Much like in a game such as Elden Ring, learning how to combat a variety of enemies is critical to success in Crimson Desert. While the game is not as punishing, it still rewards mastery of its systems and encourages players to identify and exploit the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents.
“…the scope and complexity of the fights in Crimson Desert, combined with the numerous skills at your disposal, create an incredibly rewarding experience.”
I started my Crimson Desert demo session with the Reed Devil, and I was not prepared for how intense and fast-paced the fight would be. Taking place on a hillside with grass blowing in the wind, the setting felt reminiscent of a horror film, with the boss rushing through the tall grass as you work to slow him down and take him out. The subtle details, such as the grass parting as he moves and the way your strikes cut down the grass during the battle, create an incredibly immersive and intense experience that immediately drew me in.
Once I got the hang of most of the controls, Crimson Desert clicked in a way I didn’t expect. The combat felt incredibly responsive, making each strike against the boss feel impactful, challenging, and well-earned. It’s also worth noting how the game’s physics and the weight of combat affect the outcome of different moves. For example, the Reed Devil, being a smaller enemy, is susceptible to grapple moves and takedowns, which slow his assault and create openings to strike. However, heavier enemies like the Staglord (whom I’ll discuss shortly) are immune to such tactics, requiring completely different strategies to defeat.
I faced two other bosses during the demo: the witch-like Hexe Marie, who acts as a summoner-type boss, using spells and raising an army from materials in the arena to attack, and the aforementioned Staglord, a massive foe who can throw you around the battlefield like a rag doll. Each battle posed its own unique challenges, yet all were equally rewarding—well, except for the Staglord. I ran out of time during this fight, so I only experienced him pummelling me, tossing me through crates and other debris scattered across the ruins of the castle he calls home.
I was impressed by how varied the fights were while never feeling overly punishing or unfair. Crimson Desert rewards mastery but still provides ample room to experiment and approach battles in your own way. While enemies encourage specific play styles, the game offers plenty of tools to make various approaches viable—provided you learn how they work and understand their trade-offs. From magic attacks to ranged barrages, Crimson Desert feels like a game where the journey is as compelling as the destination, with the freedom to forge your own path adding to the enjoyment.
“Crimson Desert rewards mastery but still provides ample room to experiment and approach battles in your own way.”
Pearl Abyss hasn’t shied away from incorporating successful elements from other contemporary games. The stamina system and certain traversal mechanics are reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, while the arrow-focusing ability draws clear inspiration from Red Dead Redemption’s DeadEye system. However, these familiar elements are woven together into something distinctly original and incredibly fun.
As I alluded to earlier, the game’s visual presentation is truly awe-inspiring. The BlackSpace Engine excels not only in character detail and animation but also in crafting vast, interactive environments that maintain their fidelity even at great distances. The combat animations are particularly noteworthy, featuring precise hit detection and impactful physics that make each encounter feel weighty and consequential. Simply put, Crimson Desert is a visually stunning game that uses its presentation to create a unique, exciting universe that invites exploration and discovery.
While the combat system offers depth, the screen can become cluttered during intense battles. Visual indicators for blocks, dodges, and status effects can overwhelm the action, particularly during magic-heavy encounters. This visual noise occasionally obscures crucial combat cues, unintentionally adding difficulty to already challenging encounters.
“Crimson Desert is a visually stunning game that uses its presentation to create a unique, exciting universe that invites exploration and discovery.”
Granted, this was my first time playing the game, and I wasn’t entirely familiar with where to focus my attention. With so much happening, I often lost track of what was going on at any given moment. This issue may resolve itself with more time and familiarity with the interface, but during a 30 to 40-minute demo, nailing visual cues can be challenging. That said, this is a common hurdle for complex RPGs during limited preview sessions.
Crimson Desert is positioning itself as an ambitious entry in the action-adventure genre, with the pedigree to achieve something truly special. With its simultaneous global release planned for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, PC, and Mac, Pearl Abyss appears poised to deliver a technically impressive and mechanically deep experience that could set new standards for combat-focused open-world games.
The combination of intricate combat systems, stunning visuals, and a vast world to explore suggests Crimson Desert could be one of the most significant releases when it finally arrives. While some interface elements may require refinement, the core experience already shows remarkable polish and potential. I knew of the game and loved the trailers, but after my time with Crimson Desert, I couldn’t be more excited to see what else this RPG and the continent of Pywel have in store.
