A breathtaking open world held back by a steep learning curve and some persistent rough edges. Worth your time if you commit to it.
20 March 2026
First Impressions
In ProgressSix hours into Crimson Desert, and it's already clear this is something special, and something rough. The world is jaw-dropping, the combat has real depth, and the music is outstanding. But the game does very little to ease you in: menus are bewildering, encounters can punish you hard before you're ready, and the dialogue feels oddly passive. Whether these are growing pains or lasting flaws, only more time will tell.
Category Breakdown
Pros
- Jaw-dropping visuals and world design
- Exceptional music and sound design
- Outstanding 2K performance out of the box
- Combat that rewards mastery
- Enormous, genuinely interesting world to explore
Cons
- Noticeable prop pop-in
ℹ️ Note
First impressions - ~6 hours played. Crimson Desert is a massive open-world game estimated at 100+ hours. This piece reflects our initial experience only. Scores for late-game content, story payoff, and overall depth may change. We'll update this review as we spend more time with it.
Graphics & Technical#
Crimson Desert is a visual showpiece right from the start. On our review rig (RTX 5080, Ryzen 9800X3D), it runs flawlessly in 2K with everything on Ultra: no DLSS, no compromises. Step up to 4K, and you land around 60 fps, which is still solid. The one early blemish: prop pop-in. Asset loading is noticeable when moving quickly through dense areas and pulls you out of the moment more than it should.
Sound & Music#
Already a standout. The score is genuinely excellent, it matches the epic scale of the world and shifts naturally between quiet, grounded moments and full orchestral drama. Sound design is equally strong, with combat having real weight and environments feeling richly layered. One of the game's clearest strengths, even this early.
Narrative & Dialogue#
Based on the first hours, the storytelling is a weak point. Conversations play out on rails with no dialogue choices, and the deliberate pauses Pearl Abyss inserts between lines feel theatrical and slow after a while. It's too early to judge the full story arc, but the opening doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. This score could shift significantly with more playtime.
Gameplay & Combat#
The first hours are genuinely overwhelming. The sandbox drops you in with minimal guidance, the combo system takes time to internalise, and the open world will happily point you toward enemies you cannot beat yet with starting gear. But even through that friction, flashes of brilliance keep emerging. When the combat starts to click, it's incredibly fun. Six hours in, we're only scratching the surface of what looks like a very deep system.
UI & Controls#
Easily the biggest frustration of the opening hours. The UI is dense, the menu navigation is non-intuitive, and the sheer number of systems makes everything feel impenetrable at first. It may become second nature eventually, but right now it's a genuine barrier to enjoyment, and there's no excuse for onboarding this rough in 2026.
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