Crimson Desert is out this week on Friday, March 20 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, and the reviews have begun rolling in. As it currently stands, the game is sitting on a pretty healthy aggregated score of 78 on Metacritic.
While we don’t have a review up for this one (we’re still a new site!), it’s clear based on these initial reviews that this will go down as a divisive title. There is some consistent praise to be found, for things like the game’s visuals and the sheer scope of its world, but a lot of its detractors have called out some pretty ho-hum quest design and confounding controls, among general qualms with its ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ approach to a content-stuffed open world.
It’s a curiously wide spectrum, with some straight-up perfect 10s at the high end and all the way down to a 4.5 at the bottom, according to Metacritic’s verified outlets. Sounds like this is a game you’ll either love, hate or forget about in a few weeks time.
Let’s take a look at some of the high-profile reviews that have come through so far for Crimson Desert
Crimson Desert Reviews
VICE’s Brent Koepp scored the game a massive 10/10, though noting it’s not a game for everyone, writing, “If you are someone who wants a more linear or cinematic, story-driven campaign, Crimson Desert might not be for you. However, if you loved the sense of freedom and discovery that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild had, then Crimson Desert is the next big game in that genre. Pearl Abyss has truly created something special here, that I suspect we’ll be talking about for years to come.”
Paul Tassi, of Forbes, was similarly praising with a 9.5/10, with a similar caveat, concluding that, “Crimson Desert will no doubt overwhelm some. The sheer size and the absurd time commitment to make a dent in the map may be more than some players want. But if the question was if Crimson Desert could really be that big and really play that well and really keep you entertained the whole time, the answer, for me, is unequivocally yes.”
Coming down the Metacritic ladder a little, PC Gamer slapped an 8/10 on their review, writer Mollie Taylor offering an open-world comparative analogy with, “Crimson Desert is a game that tries to do it all. A jack of all trades. Master of some, perhaps. If you can think of it, this videogame probably has it. While it creates a lack of focus in parts, I also can’t help but feel weirdly endeared to it all. It’s not as shallow as an open-world collectathon, but doesn’t quite have the mechanical intricacies of, say, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 or Red Dead Redemption 2. If those games are Forza, Crimson Desert is Forza Horizon.”
Player2’s Jason Hawkins says, ”Crimson Desert is a marvel, for all its warts. There are a few design decisions like inventory management, NPC immersion and those large-scale battles that hold this back from being a truly great game, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. I think this’ll be remembered fondly by a strong community, just like Dragon’s Dogma is. For people thinking this will be the next Red Dead Redemption or The Witcher, it absolutely isn’t. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth playing. I honestly look forward to a potential sequel, because this game has some really strong chops. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a lot to this game I am yet to fully experience,” ultimately grading the game a solid “B.”
Eurogamer with a corker of a tagline in “It’s a bit like prestige Candy Crush,” offers a 3/5 stars from Lewis Gordon, who finishes with, “Make no mistake, Crimson Desert is a technically proficient game with killer combat (pesky lock-on aside). Yet its characters and story are fatally undercooked. And for all Pywel’s spectacular visual construction which impresses in its gigantic scale and gleaming prettiness, it lacks a certain distinctiveness. Think of The Witcher games: you can practically taste the fetid water, churned-up mud, and hunks of charred meat dined on by noblemen. Those are works of grit, texture, and a genuinely idiosyncratic sense of place. How does Crimson Desert taste? Well, it is not nearly so flavoursome – imagine, instead, a banquet where almost every dish has the faint taste of cardboard, and you have to eat it for what feels like forever.”
Finally, bringing up the bottom end of scoring, Nathan Hennessy of WellPlayed calls it a 5.5/10 and backs it up with, “Proving that looks aren’t everything, Crimson Desert’s stunning visuals and strong performances aren’t enough to save it from being a disappointing experience. Jam-packed with content and systems that make it feel like a Jack of all features, master of none with an unenjoyable gameplay loop, Crimson Desert is really just a single-player MMORPG in all but name.
Crimson Desert is out on Friday, March 20 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.