Crimson Desert preview: A spectacular orgy of combat

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As someone who’s grown up gaming on PC with keyboard and mouse, and hasn’t owned a Sony console since the PS2, playing the upcoming action RPG Crimson Desert at Gamescom 2025 was quite a learning curve – the combat system is rich and complex, with numerous button combinations to execute various attacks and moves. However, if you’re not familiar with the layout of a PS5 controller, things might initially seem a bit challenging.

As a gamer, last year when I stepped into the Crimson Desert demo, I was genuinely awestruck by the challenge ahead – a stern reminder of my previous encounter that left me humbled. After all, it had been a while since I grappled with its daunting gameplay. However, to my delightful surprise, this year’s demo experience was far more manageable, even though I wasn’t exactly a seasoned pro with the gamepad. The Pearl Abyss team at the booth hinted that last year’s demo might have been overly tough, although I can’t be certain how much of it was an after-the-fact realization and how much was a gentle ego massage post-battle. Nevertheless, it appeared as though the developers had dialed back the difficulty somewhat for this year’s demo, focusing more on gameplay rather than boss encounters.

Rather than leaping conventionally, I plummeted (since the initial zone of the demonstration took place on a floating island, necessitating a parachute jump to reach the vast world beneath) which gave me a sensation similar to playing Dynasty Warriors.

Following the friendly forces’ destruction of several watchtowers using cannons, I was dispatched to a vast battlefield, filled with both allies and adversaries clashing violently against each other. My task was to navigate through the chaos and hoist flags to boost the morale of our troops, who were on the brink of collapse.

Eagerly, I longed to join in on the battle, using an assortment of weapons to take down enemies: My arsenal included a bow capable of firing both regular and whistling arrows, the latter causing a barrage of artillery fire on designated targets. This was not only thrilling to watch and effective against large groups of foes, but could also demolish buildings held by the enemy. For close combat, my character wielded a sword and shield along with a spear, each offering unique techniques and combinations.

Regardless of how many opponents I eliminated, they kept coming at me relentlessly. It turned out that defeated adversaries would reappear, making it impossible to reduce their numbers. Unfortunately, this took away my desire to engage in the fight wholeheartedly because there was no sense of permanence or consequence – if nothing can truly die, then there are no real stakes.

Moving forward without pause, I made my path towards the flag despite the chaos surrounding me. My task was accomplished there. Coming next: I’ll sneak into their territory to save a captive and eliminate a leader.

I strode onward, disregarding the turmoil around, as I approached the banner and fulfilled my objective. The upcoming mission involves penetrating their defenses to free a hostage and slay a tribal leader.

In this context, “infiltrating” does not imply a covert and secretive entry. Instead, it refers to entering a place that is heavily guarded during active military conflict, such as an enemy base during a full-scale war. A sneak attack isn’t possible due to the presence of numerous soldiers patrolling or escorting prisoners in the area.

1. I mounted my horse and rode straight on without stopping, just like that.
2. Engaging the enemy seemed pointless since they would keep reappearing anywhere, and honestly, I didn’t feel particularly optimistic about my chances when up against ten of them, given my skill limitations.

At the designated spot, I started eliminating minions surrounding the boss using my swift whistling arrows and artillery bombardments first, before engaging in combat with him directly. Being not so skilled at parrying in Soulslikes, I typically rely on dodging followed by counterattacks – a method that served me quite well to defeat the mini-boss within two attempts. Although this may not pose much challenge for seasoned players of this genre, it was reassuring as a newcomer, unlike last year when I felt more irritated than amused after leaving the booth.

Engaging in the battle allowed me to experiment with some obscure skills too, like the character’s unique ability to momentarily freeze time near him, thus granting extra attacks.

Initially, I was planned to rejoin my companions at their camp, but sadly, during the journey, my horse met its untimely end. In the grand scheme of the game, it wasn’t a significant setback since you could retrieve another horse at any outpost. However, in this particular demo, it transformed the rest of my experience into an arduous trek due to the necessity to traverse hostile territories I’d earlier mentioned. This involved racing against time, attempting to evade and dodge patrols that were hot on my heels, and at times, even being airborne as riders pursued me relentlessly.

As the demo deadline neared, I found myself torn about Crimson Desert once more. This year, I delved deeper into its mechanics and was captivated by some stunning cinematic moments. However, upon reflection, the content supporting that spectacle seemed somewhat shallow – it felt like a clever illusion. For instance, I was advised that interacting with the environment had little value, which led me to repeatedly travel from point A to B to C, almost like a messenger. The exception being when I encountered enemies at the headquarters, where I battled a mini-boss. Granted, I had the freedom to choose my own path towards my goal, but is it truly freedom if my actions fail to influence the game world in any meaningful way, rendering all approaches indistinguishable?

In simpler terms, games like Dynasty Warriors and Space Marine 2 are enjoyable because you can successfully vanquish large armies, avoiding the continuous struggle of being encircled and outmatched. The outcome of your actions is immediately noticeable and rewarding. However, Crimson Desert didn’t provide that experience often; the scale seemed more like an illusion than a tangible aspect. But when it did deliver on scale, it was satisfying.

As a newcomer to action RPGs, I quickly understood the game’s combat system was powerful, with its ability for players to link various combos and respond to enemy actions. The mini-boss fight made me feel like I was skilled when I landed strong attacks and gracefully dodged some moves. There’s no question that there’s a lot of enjoyment to be found here, especially as the story element adds depth to the action – unfortunately in the demo, I didn’t receive any information about who my character is or why they were on the battlefield.

Crimson Desert is set to be released for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2026.

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2025-08-27 18:47