On March 4, Western and Asian media published the first major previews of Crimson Desert. Journalists were given extended sessions to form a more comprehensive opinion of the upcoming project.
- The game offers a truly huge and well-detailed world of 80 square kilometers — much larger than Red Dead Redemption 2 and Skyrim. To move around the map, players can use horses, dragons, and even robots
- The hero can interact with many residents of cities in various ways: play various games with them, simply rob them, fulfill their assignments, or recruit them into their valiant squad so that they can go on various missions on behalf of the player. Some characters will try to rob or beat up the main character themselves
- The leveling system is based on special artifacts that can be obtained for defeating enemies. Artifacts unlock abilities divided into several branches: basic attacks, elemental control, and spiritual abilities such as slowing down time. The main character can learn some techniques right in the middle of a battle, observing the behavior of enemies
- The combat system, based on combining physical and magical attacks, is called one of the strongest aspects of Crimson Desert. It gives great freedom in terms of choosing combat styles. Journalists strongly recommend playing with a gamepad
- Players will be able to switch between characters during battles, drastically changing its course and using new abilities in battle
- Boss battles take place in several phases with an emphasis on spectacle
- Crimson Desert is visually impressive: detailed models, advanced lighting, and elaborate animation
- Among the shortcomings, journalists noted the sagging frame rate and the abundance of puzzles that spoil the overall pace of the game
