Crimson Desert, the first single-player game from the Black Desert devs, is shaping up to be an absolute riot to play so far

GamesRPGCrimson DesertCrimson Desert, the first single-player game from the Black Desert devs, is shaping up to be an absolute riot to play so farWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Crimson Desert - Kliff crosses blades with an enemy, looking strained, while wearing another sword and shield on his back

Black Desert has, admittedly, lingered in the back of my mind as an MMO I just don’t have the time for. Mostly because anything with a cash-for-convenience microtransaction shop—no matter how well implemented—leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

It’s with that twinge of cynicism (held in the back of a mostly open mind) that I went to play Crimson Desert at Gamescom today, which is the first proper look we’ve had at the game since itsrambunctious debut trailer. I was both surprised and delighted to play something that, Odin willing, is shaping up to be an absolute riot.

Crimson Desert has ambitions to be an open-world game where you play as Kliff, a viking protagonist caught in a bloody battle between ultra-violent clans who do stuff like swing axes around, say words like “c*ckswabbler”, and (checking my notes here) start dashing around on all fours like Vordt of the Boreal Valley after chugging three cans of homebrew energy drinks.

Its combat feels like a moonshine mix between Breath of the Wild and Dragon’s Dogma 2, dosed with gasoline, then set on fire. The work-in-progress tutorial I played was hilariously aggressive, setting me up against batches of around five burly men in furs apiece who weren’t afraid to mob me like they needed my lunch money.

Crimson Desert â Queen Stoneback Crab Boss Battle Gameplay | gamescom 2024 - YouTubeWatch On

Crimson Desert â Queen Stoneback Crab Boss Battle Gameplay | gamescom 2024 - YouTube

I’m not sure if it’s entirely on purpose, but I think itshouldbe. Crimson Desert’s propensity to batter you around is one of its best qualities and it helps that the combat system seems really quite good, if complex.

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The only strangeness present was the feeling I was playing a high-concept martial arts game wearing a Valhalla skinsuit—but in all honesty, that’s kind of the special sauce that makes Crimson Desert interesting. I can’t speak for the other elements—such as the open world and what appears to be dregs of a crafting and cooking system, as the demo only included the tutorial and some bouts with four different boss enemies.

But when it comes to brawling, Crimson Desert’s trajectory into violent nonsense is, so far, a delight. It feels in a way like a studio unshackled from the doldrum of MMO monetisation rat racing. Regardless of my thoughts on Black Desert, Crimson Desert is shaping up into something worth an earnest try.

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