Crimson Desert hasn't even been out for a week, and developer Pearl Abyss has already released three patches largely aimed at improving the game's quality of life – one of its biggest flaws at launch. In fact, there have been so many great improvements that Crimson Desert has now reached a Mostly Positive rating on Steam alone. It's likely that the rating will go up even more as well, as Pearl Abyss continues to roll out updates for the game based on player feedback. That, and the fact that a game with hundreds upon hundreds of hours of gameplay cannot be judged fairly by those who have only completed a fraction of the content.
I'll admit that all the improvements made so far are excellent, and they're all things I really wanted to see in the review build I played. In fact, I feel compelled to go back and update my review of the game now because many of the complaints I mentioned there are now invalid due to the changes. But at the same time I mourn the game that Crimson Desert was even a week ago. I know it may sound strange, but there was something about its once rough edges that I now romanticise, perhaps because it was something you had to be there for.
Crimson Desert Review: A Remarkable Open World That Often Asks Too Much
Crimson Desert offers one of the most impressive worlds in gaming, but the deeper you go, the more it begs you to face it on its own terms.
Crimson Desert is getting better, but I still miss its worse days
I booted up Crimson Desert on my PC last night when I finished installing the third update and I headed straight for the new storage box at Camp Greymane, happy to finally be able to store things I had hoarded there and free up some space in my inventory. This was an issue many of us had during the review, as we all learned the ins and outs of the game's unique quirks without the help of the online masses, and we didn't immediately realize that we would need to grind sidequests to make our inventory more manageable. Even with that system in place, we often found our experience hampered by the lack of bag space in an otherwise weight-heavy game. In other words, the new storage box on the camp is a welcome improvement, and something we've been asking for in the weeks leading up to the launch.
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But when I opened that chest and saw the ability to transfer items to it from my inventory, I got a sinking feeling. Crimson Desert is no longer the game it once was, and while I have no problem with that, it's hard not to feel nostalgic for what it once demanded of me. It was an uphill battle in many ways, from the aforementioned inventory management issues and the incredibly difficult boss battles to the extreme lack of hand-holding and the frustrating complexity of the game's puzzles. But it also made finally getting up that hill an achievement worth bragging about at times, especially when it was a victory hard-won by finding weird workarounds I probably never would have needed in the first place. Now everything starts to feel really smooth, almost too easy, if I may say so without sounding pretentious.
The biggest improvements made to Crimson Desert to date
- STORAGE CARD — Private storage at Hernand lodge and Howling Hill camp.
- IMPROVED FAST TRAVEL — New fast travel options at key locations.
- FASTER LEARNING SYSTEM — Reduced time to acquire knowledge and learn skills.
- REBALANCED BOSS FIGHTS — Reed Devil and other bosses bent on justice.
- ADJUSTED CONTROLS — Adjusted keyboard/mouse and controls.
- BUFFER TO HEALING — Increased HP restored from food/items.
- IMPROVED PUZZLE DESIGN — Some puzzles have been adjusted to provide more clarity.
- SIMPLIFIED ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION — Example: Chopping trees no longer requires aiming.
Of course, none of this stopped me from basically emptying my stock into the new storage box as fast as I could, and you won't catch me denying that Crimson Desert is in a better place now than it was a week ago – because it absolutely is. Some boss fights definitely needed balance tweaking, and I agree that the open game fast travel system needed a massive upgrade. But then again, part of me misses the hassle, and I'm willing to bet a lot of the other reviewers feel the same way.
Crimson Desert's early frustrations were, for me, part of the reward
I'll come right out and say it Crimson DesertThe Reed Devil boss encounter was the first time I felt like the game treated me a little unfairly. I actually think that was the first moment I felt like giving up on the game, although I never did. One phase of the fight saw Reed Devil create several clones that would attack me while I tried to destroy his totem, and they were once so fast that it became a fight more about how many healing items you had than your skill. I later found out that this was the majority of boss fights Crimson Desertbut only if you don't play it as intended. Once I found out that this game wanted me to treat its open world like the main character rather than trying to dictate its story, everything became a lot easier.
Unfortunately, because I had already beaten the Reed Devil before Crimson Desertlaunch, I can't benefit from the balance tweaks that were just made to it, but I honestly don't mind. I'm glad I got to fight Reed Devil and many other tough boss encounters before they were made easier, because it feels like I accomplished something that others will never do. Regardless of the tactics I used to defeat the boss, I still made it—and by the skin of my teeth, I might add.
Crimson Desert is no longer the game it once was, and while I have no problem with that, it's hard not to feel nostalgic for what it once demanded of me.
Also Crimson Deserts initial inventory management system, as unreasonable as it was, is something I will miss. There was something about being forced to decide what I wanted to keep and leave behind that is largely not in the game anymore. Then there was a distinct, unspoken value system in place that made a full bag feel like something worth taking home. Now players can hoard a lot more items and materials than we could during the review process, and while it still doesn't trivialize the idea of doing side quests to increase the size of the inventory, it brings the value of the game's items much closer together, where trash is almost as important as treasure.
That's really what this is all about for me. Crimson DessertsIt's undeniably in a better place now than it was at launch, and it's only going to improve as Pearl Abyss continues to respond to feedback. The game is smoother, more accessible, and much less likely to push players away in frustration. These are all good things, and they are necessary Crimson Desert will reach the kind of audience it clearly wants. But by becoming more accommodating, it also loses some of the identity that made those early hours feel so rewarding, where every victory, whether over a boss or a quirk, felt like something I'd earned through hard work.
I don't think the original version of Crimson Desert was perfect, or even close to it, but it was memorable in a way that this newer version may struggle to replicate. There was something about learning one's systems without safety nets, about pushing through executive meetings that didn't always feel fair, and about discovering solutions that didn't always feel intended. That version of the game demanded more, even if it didn't always deserve it, and because of that it left a stronger impression on me. I am happy Crimson Desert getting better, but I can't help but feel like I've experienced something that won't be around much longer.
- Released
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, drug reference, intense violence, strong language
- Developer
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Pearl Abyss
- Publisher
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Pearl Abyss
