Crimson Desert

 PC
Metascore
77

Generally favorable reviews - based on 114 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 83 out of 114
  2. Mixed: 30 out of 114
  3. Negative: 1 out of 114
  1. Critical Hits
    Mar 18, 2026
    45
    Crimson Desert draws attention for its ambitious open-world adventure proposal, but the experience ultimately falls short of expectations. The game features a confusing narrative, with uninteresting characters and missions that feel like generic MMO tasks. The combat has many mechanics but little depth, with artificial difficulty spikes and unresponsive controls. Even with impressive graphics and a high degree of exploration freedom, issues with art direction, bugs, and design decisions make the game feel vast in content but shallow in quality.
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In Progress & Unscored

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  1. 3DJuegos
    Apr 9, 2026
    If you can forgive its initial narrative rough patches and let yourself be swept away by that 'old-school' curiosity in the vein of Skyrim, you’ll discover that Pearl Abyss’s project has a lot to offer. It features an open world that, against all odds, manages to prove that sometimes, you actually can bite off more than you can chew and still come out on top. [Recommended]
  2. Dexerto
    Mar 18, 2026
    So far, it’s a good game with the potential to be great. If these bosses and puzzles were more user-friendly, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the open world, it’d be a lot better for it.
  3. Rock, Paper, Shotgun
    Mar 18, 2026
    Crimson Desert is ludicrously overstuffed with mechanics and systems, a scant few of which are really quite excellent (picking up cats and catapulting off trees are the highlights), but the rest of which feel half-baked. And they're the ones that you spend all your time with. Believe me, I want to like the game. It would certainly make my job easier. But alas, I had a better time playing Starfield. - Ollie [Early Verdict]
  5. TheSixthAxis
    Mar 18, 2026
    Crimson Desert is certainly one of the most impressive open worlds we’ve ever seen in games. I really need to decide how I feel about the inherent jankiness, and while the storytelling is helped by the excellent voice acting, it’s still weaker than you’ll find in the best examples of the genre. So far, at least. With all that said, this is still an experience that’s well worth checking out one way or another, just to see the world that Pearl Abyss have built. [Review in Progress]
  6. Vandal
    Mar 18, 2026
    Pearl Abyss delivers an exceptionally ambitious open-world epic that pushes technical boundaries with its proprietary BlackSpace Engine. Although the combat is visceral and the world is visually breathtaking, the title currently suffers from a lack of focus and inconsistent narrative quality. Despite these flaws, its sheer magnitude makes it a fascinating, if uneven, experience for RPG enthusiasts.