One Game to Rule Them All. Why Crimson Desert Is Not What It Seems

Over the years, a whole set of simplified labels has formed around Crimson Desert - "Korean Witcher," "single-player version of Black Desert," and more. Now, even the developers themselves emphasize that this is not a role-playing game, but an action-adventure. Ahead of the release on March 19, we have gathered all the known information about the game and will try to figure out what the new Pearl Abyss project really is - and why it is worth paying close attention to.

Korean Maximalism

Crimson Desert was originally conceived as a prequel to Black Desert Online, but over time it has become a standalone single-player adventure in an open world. The game has already been added to the wish list by more than three million players, so interest in it is huge.

The first impression from the trailers and previews can be described in one word — maximalism. The developers seem to have tried to collect the mechanics of dozens of different games in one project. Perhaps that is why Crimson Desert is more like a "serious" The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, or Red Dead Redemption in a world of sword and magic. It seems that we have before us not so much a story-driven RPG, but a big adventure in an open world, where the story serves only as an excuse for a journey. To be convinced of this, it is enough to look at the setup.

The main character is a warrior named Cliff, a member of the Gray Wolves mercenary squad. The prologue offers a fairly classic exposition. The enemies did not just "burn down the native hut," but captured it and entrenched themselves in these lands. In the battle, Cliff dies along with part of the squad, while the rest of the Gray Wolves are scattered around the world.

After death, the hero regains consciousness in heaven — in a mysterious place, which is called the Abyss here. Filled with a thirst for revenge and a sense of duty to fallen comrades, Cliff returns to the world of the living and sets off on a journey through the war-torn lands to gather the squad again and return the lost home.

Gradually, the search for comrades becomes part of a larger conflict, on which the fate of the world depends. The power of the Abyss attracts dark forces, plunging the continent into chaos, and Cliff has to understand what role he plays in the impending disaster.

It cannot be said that the setup is original. We have before us another interpretation of the classic story about the hero's journey. However, journalists who have familiarized themselves with the demo version note that everything is presented rather formally. Apparently, Crimson Desert does not seek to build complex plot intrigues and is in no hurry to deeply reveal the character of the main character.

Instead, the game focuses on the local stories of the world itself. Meetings with characters, random situations, and side quests range from dark and dramatic episodes to everyday errands and comic scenes — much like in Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

If, hearing the comparison with "The Witcher," you imagine a deep plot with moral dilemmas and variability, then such a comparison looks deceptive. I could not find a single preview that would convincingly confirm the opposite.

However, you should not rush to write off the project. I myself have long been among the skeptics, believing that without a coherent plot, the game is unlikely to deserve attention. We are used to considering a strong story a prerequisite for a big and exciting adventure. But is this really the case?

You don't have to go far for examples. The comparison with The Legend of Zelda again suggests itself — and this is not the only case. Yes, the plot here serves only as an excuse to go on a journey through a giant, almost cyclopean open world. But that's where all the fun begins.

Abyss of Adventures

Crimson Desert takes place on the continent of Pywel — a classic medieval fantasy world where states, clans, and mercenary squads are constantly fighting for influence. To appreciate the scale, one figure is enough: Pywel is about twice the size of the map of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Although the world is divided into five regions, there are 573 locations in the game — and this is not a typo. From hot deserts to snowy mountain peaks — you will have to travel a lot, and the main occupation is exploration. With the exception of story missions, the game almost does not lead by the hand, and "question marks" on the map appear only after the hero learns about them. There are almost no invisible walls here: if an interesting place is visible on the horizon, most likely it can be reached — the only question is how.

And there are many ways here. You can move on foot, climb rocks as long as you have stamina, jump off floating islands and plan down, or saddle a dragon — why not. About thirty means of transportation have been announced, and it is possible that the developers have saved a few more surprises. The only question is, can anything be more spectacular than flying on a dragon.

Except for a flying mecha-robot. Yes, there is also such a thing here. Moreover, both the dragon and the mecha serve not only as transport, but also as a full-fledged weapon. Don't want to clear the outpost manually? You can fly in and burn everything from the air. However, it seems that it will not be easy to get such an arsenal. And don't ask how a combat robot fits into the medieval aesthetic — we are sure that this will be explained during the story.

Since we are talking about clearing outposts, a logical question arises: what else is the player doing in this world? The answer is simple — almost everything that you can imagine. In Crimson Desert, it is easy to catch yourself starting to list one activity after another, trying not to miss anything. But such lists quickly turn into a dry inventory, so let's limit ourselves to a few examples.

There is exploration of dungeons and abandoned ruins, the search for treasures and secrets, as well as spatial puzzles using the abilities of the Abyss. For example, an analogue of Link's ultrahand from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which allows you to grab and move objects. In peaceful settlements, NPCs generously hand out errands — from finding a missing cow to cleaning a chimney. In between, you can participate in mini-games, such as arm wrestling or archery.

There are also "field" activities. For example, hunting for heads: the player is given only an approximate area, after which the target has to be tracked down independently. You can also go on a regular hunt for game, and go fishing. Along the way, the hero extracts ore, cuts down trees, collects herbs, roots and fruits — all this then goes into crafts and crafting. There are more than three hundred recipes in the game, and in cooking it is not necessary to know them in advance — no one forbids experimenting at your own peril and risk.

A significant part of the resources, apparently, goes to the development of the camp. As Cliff finds surviving members of the squad, the Gray Wolves camp gradually turns into a full-fledged base that can be equipped. Here they breed animals, relax, communicate with companions, manage the affairs of the squad and send comrades on tasks to extract resources and strengthen influence.

Exploration of the world and the collection of knowledge are directly related to the development of the character. Moreover, it is arranged quite differently than one would expect from a game from a studio famous for MMO. You won't have to grind boars for hours for the next level here. Instead of the traditional level system, new abilities are unlocked with the help of Abyss artifacts.

In fact, these are skill points that allow you to unlock skills. You can get them in different ways — not only in battles, but also for solving puzzles, exploring locations and searching for secrets. This approach directly encourages the player to explore the world.

The research itself is rewarded not only with material trophies. Hundreds of fragments of information are scattered throughout Pywel: the history of cities, legends about ancient creatures, information about factions, craft recipes and observations about the local flora and fauna. All this gradually adds up to a kind of encyclopedia.

There are almost three thousand units of knowledge in the game that can be obtained in different ways — by communicating with characters, examining objects, visiting new places or finding rare records. Over time, an empty library turns into a full-fledged code of Pywel — a nice bonus for those who want to delve deeper into the structure of the world.

As for the factions, the developers didn't skimp either – there are more than a hundred of them here. Almost every territory is controlled by a specific force: somewhere a knightly order rules, somewhere a bandit group is in charge, and somewhere a tribe of giants dominates.

By interfering in their affairs, Cliff is able to change the state of the world. Helping one of the sides increases its loyalty – allies can send reinforcements when besieging an enemy castle (yes, they are here too). If the player arranges a massacre in a neutral village, he will make enemies. Then they will start sending punitive squads after him or set up roadblocks on the roads.

Swords, Magic, and a Little Wrestling

The "Korean maximalism" did not bypass the combat system either – it strives to impress no less than the open world. According to descriptions, it is more of a dynamic slasher with elements of fighting than a traditional RPG. Imagine that the hero has been endowed with the arsenal of several classes from Black Desert Online at once – that's roughly what it looks like.

Cliff has at his disposal a long sword, a spear, a bow, magical and elemental abilities, as well as a variety of hand-to-hand combat techniques borrowed from wrestling. Moreover, all this is available almost simultaneously (it is enough to open skills for the artifacts of the Abyss) and can be combined into full-fledged combos.

A separate emphasis is placed on physics and interaction with the environment. Opponents can be thrown at each other, pushed against walls, tossed into the air, and use elements of the landscape in battle. For example, there is an ability that allows you to grab onto an object, gain speed, and literally "shoot" the hero towards enemies, spinning like Sonic.

However, journalists also note shortcomings in this chaotic eclecticism. It is easy to roll into the game and limit yourself to light/heavy attacks, but mastering the entire arsenal in order to learn how to freely combine techniques will take time. Those journalists who have already played the game and published a preview on March 4 found the controls overloaded. Therefore, at first, battles may resemble a random pressing of all the buttons in a row.

The camera adds to the confusion: it sacrifices the readability of the battlefield for the sake of spectacle, changes angles, shakes when hit, and is immersed in sparks, flashes, and other effects characteristic of Asian action games.

The game features about 76 bosses, and at least some of those already shown are noticeably different from each other. One relies on speed and area attacks, the other is a massive thug who destroys the arena with crushing blows. Hexa Marie from Black Desert Online also returns, summoning crowds of minions. And to defeat the Queen of Stone Crabs, you will have to climb on her shell and hit vulnerable spots – almost like in Dragon's Dogma.

Boss fights usually take place in several phases and require changing tactics right during the battle. At the same time, Crimson Desert does not strive to be a soulslike. The developers emphasize that the pace here is freer. The game does not force you to wait for a strict "window" for attack and punishes not so much for aggression as for the inability to use the entire available arsenal. There are formally no difficulty levels, so the main challenge is to master the system itself.

Although Cliff remains the main character, Crimson Desert does not limit the player to one character. At certain moments, they will allow you to switch to the girl Damien with paired blades and to the giant Ungka with a huge ax and a hand cannon – their abilities are also taken from Black Desert. This adds variety to the battles and allows you to distribute different fighting styles between the characters, without overloading Cliff's already rich arsenal.

As a result, even skeptical journalists admit that fighting in Crimson Desert is interesting and fun – and I am willing to believe it. I confess, I spent several years in Black Desert Online and its mobile version. Even when I finally "quit" MMOs, I returned a couple of times exclusively for PvP. The combat system there miraculously combined fighting combo logic with the dynamics of a slasher. Judging by the reviews, Crimson Desert managed to capture this balance.

Pearl Abyss Gem

With all the richness of gameplay possibilities, Crimson Desert primarily catches the eye. Visually, the game makes a really strong impression – and this is, in general, not surprising. Many have already forgotten that at the time of release, Black Desert Online was one of the most technologically advanced games of its generation. Moreover, it was an MMORPG with large-scale battles between players, which at the same time worked stably even on relatively modest PCs.

Crimson Desert uses a new engine – BlackSpace Engine. It is obvious that it grew out of Black Desert Engine technologies, but now they have been redesigned and expanded with an eye to modern hardware. The engine is capable of displaying huge spaces with a high draw distance: objects on the horizon do not turn into flat textures. Representatives of the press separately noted that trees and vegetation remain three-dimensional and animated even at a considerable distance.

Lighting is calculated in real time and supports ray tracing for global illumination and reflections. In practice, this means that light in Crimson Desert behaves almost physically correctly. Sunlight penetrates into rooms through windows, torches cast soft shadows on the walls, and metal armor catches the glare of the sunset. Tracing is used not only in interiors, but also in open spaces, where the sun, bonfires and lanterns naturally illuminate the environment.

The developers emphasize that the technology remains optional, and even without it, the engine provides high-quality lighting due to its own algorithms. However, journalists who have already familiarized themselves with the game note: without tracing, the image noticeably loses depth. It is also indicative that there is no separate mode without ray tracing on the basic PlayStation 5 – this indirectly indicates its importance for the visual appearance of the game.

A separate emphasis is placed on the weather and the change of time of day. The night here is really dark – you have to travel with a torch or other light source. Rain, snow and fog are modeled dynamically based on many parameters: pressure, wind speed, time of day and other factors.

Among the technological features, the water system stands out, implemented using FFT simulation of the ocean and shallow water. Waves, river currents and surf are calculated physically, so the water looks voluminous and reacts to the environment. Similar principles are applied to other elements: trees and grass sway in the wind, the fabric and hair of characters react to movement, many objects in the environment can be destroyed.

Journalists note that such details are noticeable even in small things. For example, a horse gets wet only in those places that have actually plunged into the water, and the clothes of the characters gradually become saturated with moisture or flutter in the wind. All this creates a feeling of a physically plausible world.

As a result, BlackSpace Engine looks like a serious technological leap for the Pearl Abyss studio. If the stated capabilities really appear in the release version without noticeable compromises, Crimson Desert may become one of the most impressive fantasy games of the generation – not only in scale, but also in the level of technical execution.

Our Expectations and Fears

After all of the above, a logical question arises: isn't this game trying to fit too much into itself? Pearl Abyss is clearly betting not on one strong side, but on the scale of impressions. The huge world of Paivel, rich in activities, a spectacular combat system, dozens of bosses and technologically impressive graphics – all this adds up to a project that is difficult to call cautious or secondary. But will it fall apart under the weight of its own ambitions?

For now, Crimson Desert resembles a giant construction set assembled from several kits at once. Despite the noticeable roots of the \"mother\" MMORPG Black Desert Online, the game is built on the logic of a single-player adventure. It combines classic RPG elements, a systemic adventure sandbox in the spirit of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, large-scale battles that encourage creativity, and even camp management mechanics. The risk is obvious: the player may rush between dozens of activities and never feel the integrity of the adventure — especially against the background of a rather secondary plot.

On the other hand, it is this ambition that makes Crimson Desert one of the most intriguing new products of recent years. What if a \"Korean Zelda\" of its own really appears on PC? So far, the project gives the impression of a game of extremes: it will either amaze with the scale of its ideas, or it will become a clear reminder that even the boldest concepts need strict limitations.