Crimson Desert Is All About Losing Yourself For Hours, And That’s Plenty

It’s been a good four weeks or so since Crimson Desert came out; I think it’s about time to have an informed discussion now. The long-awaited single-player RPG had an explosive launch, but over time, I’ve started seeing sort of divided opinions on it. Some people can’t stop playing it, while others argue the game lacks a certain hook. Personally, I belong to the former group, but it’s not like I can’t understand where the latter are coming from, either.

Once again, this takes us back to the age-old debate of “What makes an open world game tick?” I am, and always have been, an advocate of an incentivized sense of discovery, but then again, to each his own. A thirst for exploration, freedom of approach, experimenting with wild shenanigans, seeking a riveting plotline, interacting with well-written quests and NPCs, any one of these is a valid reason to love an open-world game. And when it comes to Crimson Desert, it may not have everything, but it definitely excels in one especially fun way.

Crimson Desert Isn’t Perfect

Okay, I’m certainly here to tell you why Crimson Desert works, but I won’t be singing its praises like my life depends on it, and neither will I try to force it down your throat. I’ve played the game for more than 70 hours now, and I’ve come to an understanding that it might not be for everyone, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Of all the criticism that I read, aside from the needless hate, much of it actually makes a lot of sense.

A lot of people complaining about Crimson Desert
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If you’re picking it up because you want a gripping narrative with excellent quest design and deep-rooted side quests, I’d suggest stopping right there. This might not be the game for you. Crimson Desert is not big on a well-written plot and quest structure. The game’s start is especially weak in this regard. The story hook does get better later on, but it’s still nothing to write home about. The game doesn’t want you to be compelled in any way.

Similarly, certain design choices regarding quest design and open-world objectives make you question the reasoning. It’s easy to get bored if you approach the game systematically. However, once you forget there’s anything driving you and take in the world one blind step at a time, that’s when you’ll wonder 9 hours later, “Where’d the time go?” It’s a game all about making your own choices, and then being amazed by what you discover along the way. If that’s exactly your cup of tea, go ahead and buy the game, no questions asked. Getting a gift card off Eneba can be a good, secure option.

An Impromptu Adventure Is The Best Kind

Boot up the game, just forget there’s any quest or objective on the map, and start walking. You’ll soon come across something, and one thing will lead to another. From a random combat encounter to happening upon a cave full of unknown, exciting stuff; one aimless walk turns into an adventure, and that’s what Crimson Desert is all about. The game’s greatest strength is a self-driven sense of exploration.

It’s not the perfect open world, far from it. It doesn’t really have a strong, incentivized sense of discovery or the revealing awe of some grounded, alive world that many strong open worlds opt for, but that doesn’t make its simple sense of wonder and “doing whatever you want” any less impressive. The discovery may not be methodically driven, but it certainly carries the amazing sense of happenstance as you find something with no prior sense of direction.

Crimson Desert is totally my GOTY so far and it's going to be hard for anything to beat it.
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For a lot of people, this ambiguous exploration choice can be a turn-off. A lack of narrative or world-building isn’t really motivating. After all, exploring without a concrete objective is redundant, right? Except Crimson Desert makes this aimless journey worth your while, and that’s all that matters. I love games that implement a freedom of approach in their core design, and this is a good example of a simple yet highly addictive formula that’s all about turning a relaxing break into something meaningful.