Pixels in Orbit
Crimson Desert Review
Crimson Desert Review

Crimson Desert Review

March 18, 2026Pearl Abyss
PCPlayStation 5Xbox Series X/S
Action RPGOpen WorldAdventure

An open-world action-adventure RPG from Pearl Abyss, creators of Black Desert Online. Set in the war-torn continent of Pywel, players follow the journey of Macduff, a mercenary leader, through a vast and brutal world filled with mythical creatures and warring factions.

78

Overall

78

Metacritic

Trailer

Screenshots

Crimson Desert Review screenshot 1
Crimson Desert Review screenshot 2
Crimson Desert Review screenshot 3
Crimson Desert Review screenshot 4

Our Review

Crimson Desert Review: A Beautiful World Haunted by Its Own Ambition

A stunning world with excellent combat, held back by open-world fatigue and a forgettable story

78

Related News

Crimson Desert Gets Yet Another Major Patch - Pearl Abyss Drops Version 1.06.01 Hotfix Just One Day After 1.06.00 to Unblock the Vault of Vengeance Abyss, While Owning Up to an Accidental Damiane Armor Bug
news3 weeks ago

Crimson Desert Gets Yet Another Major Patch - Pearl Abyss Drops Version 1.06.01 Hotfix Just One Day After 1.06.00 to Unblock the Vault of Vengeance Abyss, While Owning Up to an Accidental Damiane Armor Bug

Pearl Abyss shipped Crimson Desert hotfix 1.06.01 on May 12, just one day after the major 1.06.00 patch that added Special Mounts, an extraction system, Night Tone Mode, and a new Oongka skill kit. The hotfix unblocks Vault of Vengeance progression and the studio also owned up to an accidental Damiane armor bug.

Crimson Desert's 1.05 Patch Has a Solution for Players Who Made Pywel Too Peaceful — Pearl Abyss Adds Rebellious Strongholds, 69-Boss Rematches, and a Mountain God Boar
news1 month ago

Crimson Desert's 1.05 Patch Has a Solution for Players Who Made Pywel Too Peaceful — Pearl Abyss Adds Rebellious Strongholds, 69-Boss Rematches, and a Mountain God Boar

Pearl Abyss's 190-fix Crimson Desert update introduces Memory Fragment boss rematches across all 69 campaign bosses and a Reblockade system that lets 13 enemy factions try to reclaim cleared strongholds — a direct fix for late-game emptiness.

Crimson Desert Blows Past 4 Million Copies Sold as Pearl Abyss Plans DLC and Updates
news2 months ago

Crimson Desert Blows Past 4 Million Copies Sold as Pearl Abyss Plans DLC and Updates

Pearl Abyss's Crimson Desert surpasses four million copies sold just weeks after launch, with Steam reviews climbing to Very Positive and DLC plans confirmed.

Crimson Desert's Stunning Recovery: How Pearl Abyss Turned "Mixed" into 276,000 Peak Players
news2 months ago

Crimson Desert's Stunning Recovery: How Pearl Abyss Turned "Mixed" into 276,000 Peak Players

Pearl Abyss's open-world RPG has gone from "Mixed" at launch to 276K peak players after a rapid series of post-launch patches addressing core complaints.

Crimson Desert Launches to 3 Million Sales and a 78 Metacritic — A Complicated Debut
news2 months ago

Crimson Desert Launches to 3 Million Sales and a 78 Metacritic — A Complicated Debut

Pearl Abyss's years-in-the-making action RPG sold 3 million copies in four days but drew mixed-to-good reviews, triggering a dramatic drop in the company's stock price.