80
Crimson Desert is an ambitious open-world adventure with a slow pace that won't appeal to everyone. While the narrative is a weak point, often lacking urgency and cohesion, the game excels in its vast world and abundance of interwoven mechanics. Players will discover a wealth of activities, from crafting to complex combat, rewarding exploration and experimentation. Boss battles are challenging and engaging, contrasting with repetitive encounters against common enemies. Despite some visual inconsistencies, the game is well-optimized on PC and offers a unique personality, making it a compelling choice for those seeking a deep, self-guided experience.
85
Unable to decide what it wants to be and trying to cram everything together, Crimson Desert may not be a game that appeals to everyone, but it’s an adventure absolutely worth trying. Its story isn’t deep, but it offers a world where you can fully indulge your desire to explore different places across its massive map.
50
For players to get more out of this world, Crimson Desert requires a greater sense of purpose - a reason to remain invested in persevering through its most testing moments, to press on for hours in the faith that it will attain some kind of shape. [Issue#423, p.98]
9
Enfin un jeu avec un bon gameplay, une carte vaste regorgeant de secrets, certes la narration passe au second plan mais le jeu proposé est d’une additivité sans nom, bravo Pearl Abbis !
10
Out of all my 200+ games. If I had to stay with one for the rest of my life it would be this. Hands down the most fun I’ve had with a game in a long time.
2
Crimson Desert: A hollow shell, beautiful on the outside but rotten on the insideIf you're looking for a game that is more than just a poster to hang on your screen, stay away from Crimson Desert. Beneath an undeniably polished visual presentation lies one of the worst disasters in recent times, a title that makes a fool of the player on all fronts.Here is the definitive review, without mincing words.1. The Visual Illusion: Hype and appearanceLet's face it: the graphics are the only thing that can be saved, and it's exactly what's needed to hook the fish. The environments are evocative and the details are there, but it's an empty facade. As soon as you start moving, you realize that aesthetic beauty is useless when the game is a total disaster to play.2. Combat System and Controls: A continuous agonyThe combat system is simply embarrassing. "The controls ****, period. They are clunky, inaccurate, and disarmingly uncomfortable."There is no responsiveness, hits miss, and dodges don't respond when you need them to. During every encounter, you don't fight the enemies, but an interface and a movement system that seem programmed to drive you crazy.3. Tutorials: The cosmic voidAs if that wasn't enough, the game throws you into the world without the slightest care. It doesn't explain a damn thing about what you're supposed to do. No clear directions, no decent tutorials to guide you through the mechanics (which are already terrible on their own). You find yourself fumbling in the dark, wasting time feeling around because whoever developed the game thought it was a good idea to abandon you to your fate, without a shred of respect for your time.4. Story: Stupidity and pure boredomTo make matters worse, the narrative is so bad that calling it cliché is a compliment. The story is stupid, boring, and predictable. The characters are flat and the events drag on lifelessly without generating the slightest involvement. Following the story is a real **** VerdictA powerful graphics engine is not enough to make a video game. Crimson Desert is a concentrate of frustration, broken controls, and a script to forget. An experience I strongly advise you to avoid.
Crimson Desert
Released On:
Mar 19, 2026
Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
User score
Generally Favorable
8.8
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
77
73% Positive
83 Reviews
83 Reviews
26% Mixed
30 Reviews
30 Reviews
1% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Mar 25, 2026
100
A monumental masterpiece: Despite the bugs, clunky menus, and awkward controls, its magnetic pull is simply impossible to resist.
Mar 27, 2026
90
After spending roughly 30 hours with the game, I would have scored the game in the 9.0 out of 10 range. Now that I have completed the story, I feel that score is completely warranted, and would have been even higher if the narrative had a bit more cohesion. Crimson Desert is very fun and gripping, and a game that is very easy to get lost into with an incredible world density, its sandbox mechanics allowing for tons of player expression in traversal, combat, and quest completion, so much so that I feel I will continue to play the game for a long time even after having completed the story. Now completely comfortable with the game's unique quirks, I firmly believe Crimson Desert has the chance of being this year's Baldur's Gate 3 and becoming a benchmark moving forward for all open-world games.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.8
87% Positive
11265 Ratings
11265 Ratings
5% Mixed
625 Ratings
625 Ratings
8% Negative
1020 Ratings
1020 Ratings
May 4, 2026
10
Out of all my 200+ games. If I had to stay with one for the rest of my life it would be this. Hands down the most fun I’ve had with a game in a long time.
May 3, 2026
10
Grower, Not a Shower Crimson Desert is genuinely amazing. It may be one of the best games I’ve ever played. At first, I wasn’t completely sure about it. The game does not aggressively hold your hand, and because I was wandering off and exploring the open world instead of following the quest lines, I felt a little lost. But once I realized that the quests are the way the game naturally teaches you its mechanics, everything clicked. That is actually one of the things I love most about it. The game gives you freedom. It does not force you down a narrow path, but if you follow the quests, you gradually learn the systems, combat, traversal, tools, and world. Then you can break away and explore however you want. The combat is fantastic, the graphics are stunning, the world is fun to explore, and the story is strong. Even mechanics I usually ignore or put off in other games felt enjoyable here. Everything feels surprisingly well-rounded and thoughtfully built. Crimson Desert starts strong, but it gets better the more you understand it. For me, it went from “I’m not sure yet” to “this might be an all-time favorite.”
Mar 18, 2026
85
Crimson Desert features a fantastic, content-rich open world where player freedom is the number one priority. There's so much to do and so many places to go to that it's easy to get lost among its ancient ruins, mystical forests, and snowy mountains. A lack of polish breeds frustration, but nothing can shake up the firm foundations of this incredible title.
Mar 18, 2026
80
Crimson Desert is as expansive as promised, dwarfing pretty much every other open world currently with its scale. Its content doesn't always stick the landing, but the combat shines, and the sense of discovery is hard to deny, even with the lackluster story.
Mar 18, 2026
78
Crimson Desert is an experience that won’t appeal to everyone, but it can be unforgettable for those who embrace what others might see as flaws. Blending combat, survival, and exploration, the game offers over 100 hours of content that may feel superficial to some yet captivating to others. Despite issues like confusing menus and a clunky inventory system, it remains fun and worthy of attention in 2026. Ultimately, the key question is whether you have the time and willingness to dive into its expansive design, which could shine even brighter if it focused less on quantity and more on personality.
Mar 18, 2026
65
Crimson Desert’s best moments come when you think about the game it could have been, were it not for its overabundance of clunky mechanics and its painfully sluggish controls. Riddled with glitches and systems that don’t work, Pearl Abyss’s first single-player game can rely on its sublime open world, or its core management system borrowed from BDO, to occasionally lift us out of our frustration.
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.
May 2, 2026
10
Uno de los mejores juegos de la historia, claramente otro ejemplo de que la crítica no tiene CRÍTICA
Apr 27, 2026
7
The highly anticipated Crimson Desert doesn’t immediately live up to the hype but it earns it over time. The Game works the best when you treat it as an open world action-adventure sandbox rather than a classical RPG experience, once you put some time into it, the world is fun to explore and packed with things to do, but it takes time to get there. The slow early hours and lack of guidance can easily turn you away before the game gets anywhere interesting. If you’re into large fantasy open worlds and don’t mind the slow start then there’s an amazing experience waiting. If you’re expecting more of a traditional RPG experience or a engaging start, this game might not be for you. Overall Crimson Desert is a solid game.
Apr 27, 2026
7
At first i was like 77 is low for this game but after +100h i actually agree with that score
1_The hitbox is so bad u could spam a perfect dodge and still get the dmg
2_the dragon timer is even worse u can't enjoy ur dragon more than 10m lol
3_the game has only one reward and it's abyss arteffect so every time i explore and find a puzzle i know the reward already (this ****)
4_the story is mid and they don't even know how to tell it
5_a lot of repetitive content
Apr 30, 2026
4
I put 60 hours into this game so I had it a fair crack. Visually impressive and story was fine but the puzzles are horrific and the boss fights made me stop playing for good. So so much potential. I am a seasoned gamer and the boss fights made me just straight up quit for my mental health.
Apr 27, 2026
4
An amateur huge game with no balancing and a laughable combat system. Once you reach Kearush the slayer you can peacefully delete the game from your hd and spend your time elsewhere.
SummaryAN AGE OF FADING LEGENDS, A SAGA WRITTEN IN BLOOD Experience the untold tale of mercenaries struggling to survive in the unforgiving lands of Pywel. STORY Enter a war-torn realm of medieval fantasy, where allegiances are tested and heroes are made. Explore a world where first glances can be misleading. Journey through a vast realm,... Read More
Platforms:
- PC
- PlayStation 5
- Xbox Series X
Initial Release Date:Mar 19, 2026
Developer:
Publisher:





























