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Crimson Desert
Rating: 3/5
Developer and Publisher: Pearl Abyss
Platform: PC, PS5, XBS
Price: Rs 4499
I have some history with Crimson Desert. I first played it in 2024 when it was little more than a tech demo, and then again at Gamescom last year as a more complete experience. At the time, I was not particularly impressed. The controls felt complicated and tedious, although the game looked fantastic on the test system. So, what has changed?
The game begins with a long and frankly unnecessary loading screen. It took close to 20 minutes before I could actually start playing. You are then dropped into a town as part of a group called the Greymanes. After a few conversations with key members, things quickly take a turn. Within moments, your companions are killed, and you are left for dead. Except you are not.
Despite having your throat slit, you somehow survive. It sets the tone for a story that never quite finds its footing. The dialogue is often corny, and the cutscenes cannot be skipped, only sped up. That becomes a problem because much of the story feels underdeveloped, and even if you follow it through, the payoff is not particularly satisfying.
That said, the story is not the issue here. The controls are. From the tutorial all the way to later stages like taming your dragon, the control system feels overly complicated. Button combinations are awkward and often frustrating to execute. This was an issue when I played the game at Gamescom, and it remains one at launch.
Combat does not help matters. Enemy encounters tend to drag on, with waves of enemies appearing as soon as you clear the previous group. It becomes tiring very quickly. Boss fights are frequent and often feel unnecessarily difficult, not because of smart design, but because of inflated health bars and relentless attacks.
Now, with all that out of the way, there are things this game does very well. Once you get past the initial setup and tutorial, the game gives you a great deal of freedom. You can explore almost anywhere, and the scale of the world is impressive. In fact, it is one of the largest game worlds I have seen. The visuals are a standout feature. There is a sense of scale and ambition here that few games manage to achieve.
It is clear that the developers are aware of both the strengths and weaknesses of the game. Since launch, there have been multiple patches aimed at improving the experience. However, a review has to reflect the game as of now.
Right now, Crimson Desert feels like a mix of ideas inspired by games like GTA V, Dead Souls, The Witcher, and a dozen others, but it does not execute them consistently. There are glimpses of something special, but they are held back by core issues that affect moment-to-moment gameplay.
I did not dislike the game entirely. There is enough here to suggest it could become something much better over time. It feels like a sleeper hit that simply is not ready yet. Would I recommend buying it at full price right now? No.
Would it be worth picking up later once it has been improved? Possibly. Think of it like Cyberpunk at launch compared to what it became later. If the developers continue to support and refine the game, there is a chance it could turn things around.
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