TheRetroArcade
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Joined: Feb 2026
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]Expect to pay $70/£55Developer Pearl AbyssPublisher Pearl AbyssReviewed on Nvidia GeForce RTX3070, AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, 32GB RAMSteam Deck TBALink Official site
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.
So let's start with the easy stuff: Kliff's a gruff Scottish lad (excellently voiced by Cyberpunk 2077's Adam Smasher, Alec Newman) and member of the Greymane faction. After an ambush at the hands of a rival faction, the Black Bears, Kliff finds himself with a slit throat and his comrades scattered like ashes across the continent of Pywel. Crimson Desert wastes absolutely no time chucking you straight into the action… and then promptly chucking you straight off a cliff.
From there, it's all about rebuilding. Reuniting with those lost along the way, forming new alliances, and carving out a space for a new era of the Greymanes. It's an interesting enough premise, though not a particularly original one.
The story is not exactly riveting. At least not the way Pearl Abyss tells it. I have to wonder if there was a shadow creature lurking behind me while I played and giving me a good thwack on the head every time I watched a cutscene, because Crimson Desert's narrative pacing makes me feel like I was suffering from pockets of amnesia.
Characters talk to—at?---each other, but not in ways that tell the story. It certainly doesn't help that it's thematically all over the place—Western fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, and Eastern themes collide and fail to cohere. The first chapter throws me into a strange, futuristic magical sky world called the Abyss filled with white cubes and obtuse puzzles, and then spends the next 30 hours pretending it doesn't exist.
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It's stilted and disjointed, and an oh-so-stark reminder that Pearl Abyss has exclusively been an MMO developer up until this point. It's the genre's exact brand of serviceably bland and nonsensical. There's no clear timeline of events, and I'm never sure of any character's motivations, even my own. It's little more than a vessel to funnel you around and give you some purpose. It's certainly not one that can stand alongside other similar, frighteningly gigantic adventures like Red Dead Redemption 2.
What's more frustrating is that I know Crimson Desert's main story can do better, because all the charm it's missing can be found in its side quests. I put off getting to know my fellow Greymanes in favour of devouring as much of the main story as I could for this review, but after hitting a roadblock I hoofed it to my camp and decided to get chummy with my comrades.
I have to wonder if there was a shadow creature lurking behind me while I played and giving me a good thwack on the head ever...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?
PC Gamer's got your back
Our experienced team dedicates many hours to every review, to really get to the heart of what matters most to you. Find out more about how we evaluate games and hardware.
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]Expect to pay $70/£55Developer Pearl AbyssPublisher Pearl AbyssReviewed on Nvidia GeForce RTX3070, AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, 32GB RAMSteam Deck TBALink Official site
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.
So let's start with the easy stuff: Kliff's a gruff Scottish lad (excellently voiced by Cyberpunk 2077's Adam Smasher, Alec Newman) and member of the Greymane faction. After an ambush at the hands of a rival faction, the Black Bears, Kliff finds himself with a slit throat and his comrades scattered like ashes across the continent of Pywel. Crimson Desert wastes absolutely no time chucking you straight into the action… and then promptly chucking you straight off a cliff.
From there, it's all about rebuilding. Reuniting with those lost along the way, forming new alliances, and carving out a space for a new era of the Greymanes. It's an interesting enough premise, though not a particularly original one.
The story is not exactly riveting. At least not the way Pearl Abyss tells it. I have to wonder if there was a shadow creature lurking behind me while I played and giving me a good thwack on the head every time I watched a cutscene, because Crimson Desert's narrative pacing makes me feel like I was suffering from pockets of amnesia.
Characters talk to—at?---each other, but not in ways that tell the story. It certainly doesn't help that it's thematically all over the place—Western fantasy, sci-fi, steampunk, and Eastern themes collide and fail to cohere. The first chapter throws me into a strange, futuristic magical sky world called the Abyss filled with white cubes and obtuse puzzles, and then spends the next 30 hours pretending it doesn't exist.
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
It's stilted and disjointed, and an oh-so-stark reminder that Pearl Abyss has exclusively been an MMO developer up until this point. It's the genre's exact brand of serviceably bland and nonsensical. There's no clear timeline of events, and I'm never sure of any character's motivations, even my own. It's little more than a vessel to funnel you around and give you some purpose. It's certainly not one that can stand alongside other similar, frighteningly gigantic adventures like Red Dead Redemption 2.
What's more frustrating is that I know Crimson Desert's main story can do better, because all the charm it's missing can be found in its side quests. I put off getting to know my fellow Greymanes in favour of devouring as much of the main story as I could for this review, but after hitting a roadblock I hoofed it to my camp and decided to get chummy with my comrades.
I have to wonder if there was a shadow creature lurking behind me while I played and giving me a good thwack on the head ever...Read more: Full article on www.pcgamer.com
What do you think about this?