Crimson Desert Reviews: A Conventional Open World Rather Than a Revolutionary Masterpiece

Following a protracted period of fervent anticipation and a late-stage wave of industry skepticism, the critical verdict for Crimson Desert has finally arrived. According to early reviews, Pearl Abyss’s sprawling open-world epic is neither a revolutionary masterpiece nor a catastrophic failure. Instead, it emerges as a robust adventure where player satisfaction is tethered directly to one’s tolerance for its unrefined eccentricities.

At the time of writing, Crimson Desert maintains a respectable aggregate score of 78 based on 91 reviews. Notably, these evaluations are exclusively derived from the Windows PC version, as console builds for PS5 and Xbox Series X were not provided to critics ahead of the launch window. While the spectrum of opinions includes both glowing praise and sharp rebukes, the general consensus has settled firmly in the “good” category.

On the positive end of the spectrum, journalists have been captivated by the game’s staggering scale and the sheer density of its world. Joseph Bradford, writing for MMORPG, heralded it as “the most ambitious open world” he has ever encountered. This sentiment regarding the game’s architectural audacity was echoed by many, including Paul Tassi of Forbes.

“A hundred hours into this game, I have never been bored,” Tassi noted in his review. “There are so many things to do, so many avenues of progression and questing and crafting and puzzles and boss hunting and territory takeovers—the list just does not end.”

The majority of reviewers, however, took a more measured stance. In a four-star appraisal for GamesRadar+, Joel Franey celebrated the game’s visual spectacle but observed that it lacks the meticulous polish required to reach the heights of genre-defining titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Franey suggested that the game eventually rewards the player, though it demands a significant time investment to overcome its initial friction.

“I know, I know – ‘it gets good if you invest a working fortnight’ is weak praise, but it’s still true. It does get better!” Franey explained. He noted that much of the enjoyment comes from learning how to bypass the game’s shortcomings, such as “tedious side activities” and a “narrative that you can comfortably fast forward through.”

Other outlets were more heavily weighed down by these flaws. Richard Wakeling of GameSpot took issue with the lackluster storytelling and cumbersome inventory management, which often detracted from the “excellent combat.” Similarly, Harry Alston of The Gamer labeled the experience “deeply flawed” due to repetitive mission structures and unintuitive puzzles, even while praising the visceral combat mechanics after 150 hours of play.

Major publications like Eurogamer and IGN landed on the lower end of the scoring range. Writing for Eurogamer, Lewis Gordon described the game as a “maximalist fever dream” that felt “shameless” in its design choices. The review highlighted regressive quest structures and sluggish resource management as primary barriers to enjoying the game’s technical prowess.

IGN published a “review in progress” with a provisional 6/10 score. Critic Travis Northup, while initially impressed, found his enthusiasm waning over 110 hours. He characterized the title as a jack-of-all-trades that fails to master its various components.

“Beyond combat, there’s loads of stuff Crimson Desert tries that just doesn’t work at all, from extremely ill-advised stealth sections… to puzzles that often feel like you’re brute forcing your way through them,” Northup wrote. “In trying so many things, this RPG often feels like it’s bitten off more than it can chew.”

Ultimately, your affinity for Crimson Desert will likely depend on whether you value grand spectacle enough to overlook underdeveloped systems. While the combat and world design are clear highlights, the surrounding issues have resulted in a tempered reception. Our own Marloes Valentina Stella remained unimpressed during her initial hours.

“If someone had taken the trouble to cut all the nonsense from Crimson Desert… you’d probably be left with a decent experience,” she remarked. “As it stands, its most noteworthy feature is how long you can travel in one direction without encountering anything worthwhile.”

Crimson Desert is scheduled for release on March 19 across PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X.

Source: Polygon