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.
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Crimson Desert is the "Yes, and" of videogames. It's stuffed to the brim with just about every mechanic and idea that has ever existed. An overwhelming ocean of things to engage with, discover, and explore.
What is it? An epic fantasy action RPG with a million different things to do.
Release date [March 19, 2026]
Reviewed on Nvidia GeForce RTX3070, AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, 32GB RAM
There is so much MMO DNA running through its veins, too: an army of obtuse systems, a breadth of build variety, and mediocre questing. Pearl Abyss has truly crafted a game for the sickos.
But it's also full of archaic design choices that only make sense when you remember Pearl Abyss has been maintaining an MMO for 12 years. I've spent 75 hours oscillating between fascination and irritation, while still feeling like I've barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer. It's easily the biggest game I've ever played, and the hardest time I've ever had sorting out my thoughts.
After over 150 hours with Crimson Desert, it still makes no damn sense—compels me though
After 6 hours, Crimson Desert is one of the most overwhelming, chaotic, madcap videogames I've ever played—and I'm hungry for more
The consensus is that Crimson Desert has terrible storytelling—it's not true