Game reviews / Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert
2026 · PC · PlayStation 5 · Xbox Series X|S · Action RPG · Open-World · Adventure
3 scored sources · 2 countries contributing scores
Review consensus
Crimson Desert is an exceptionally ambitious open-world action RPG whose greatest strengths are its spectacular world, expressive combat, traversal, and enormous range of activities. Critics consistently found Pywel beautiful, immersive, and rewarding to explore, with battles that become increasingly satisfying as more abilities unlock. However, the game’s maximalist design also creates friction: the story and characters are uneven, quest design frequently feels repetitive or poorly explained, inventory management is troublesome, and performance and camera issues can intrude. Post-launch updates substantially improved usability and performance, but the experience still demands patience and tolerance for excess.
Limited geographic coverage. Treat this score as an early indication.
Last researched: 2026-09-12
Pros
- Beautiful, expansive, highly interactive open world
- Deep and entertaining combat with strong player expression
- Rewarding exploration and varied traversal
- Large amount of content and activities
Cons
- Weak and disjointed storytelling
- Repetitive or poorly structured quests
- Overcomplicated systems, menus, and inventory management
- Performance drops, camera problems, and uneven boss difficulty
Review sources
3 sources found across 2 countries. This is not exhaustive worldwide coverage.
- PC Gamer · United Kingdom · 80/100
- Push Square · United Kingdom · 80/100
- GameSpot · United States · 70/100