"I Will Not Be Gaslit" Crimson Desert players are divided on the game's Boss Fights

Crimson Deserts boss fights have proven to be a point of contention, with some players now calling them out for being poorly designed. While Pearl Abyss made it clear well before launch that its latest game wasn't a Soulslike, it's still full of challenging bosses to defeat, and those segments have been under the magnifying glass lately. It cannot be denied Crimson Desert is a huge success, but the quality of some of the content is debatable.

After facing widespread criticism upon launch, Crimson Desert has made an impressive recovery. Pearl Abyss quickly addressed many of the common pain points, helping the game get back on its feet before it was ever down for very long. Now Crimson Desert is shaping up to be one of 2026's best-selling games, but that doesn't mean there isn't still something to choose from. While it's safe to say that the game is in a much better shape than when it launched, players are divided on some of its mechanics and design.

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Thousands of Crimson Desert fans gather for permanent mounts

Crimson Desert players are pushing for changes to how the game's mounting system works, claiming it doesn't meet the expectations of developer Pearl Abyss.

Some Crimson Desert players say its bosses are “Absolutely the Lowlight of the Game”

A Redditor who goes by the username BannerThief wrote a rant about Crimson Deserts boss fights on April 18 and says they are “not going to be gaslighted” into thinking these fights are well designed. While some players have found these moments and the challenges they present enjoyable, BannerThief called out how many bosses are immune to the game's more in-depth combat mechanics, criticizing their teleportation and “extended invincible attacks”. These frustrations are so common between fights that BannerThief says they've only had about five of them Crimson Deserts 75-plus boss fights, and several Redditors in the comments agree.

The teleportation and quick attacks came up a lot in the discourse during BannerTheif's post. It seems a lot of players feel like they have to take hits, keep healing and slowly chipping away at the bosses health. Meanwhile, others have highlighted how this difficulty can be a welcome break from relatively easy combat elsewhere in the game, pointing out how a little parrying can go a long way. People have previously highlighted how Crimson Desert's bosses are easier when not approaching them as a Soulslike, as parrying and blocking work much better than ducking, which can take some getting used to after coming from Fire Ring or Dark souls. Still, it doesn't answer all the complaints others have raised.

Crimson Desert protagonist Kliff battles a large human enemy wearing a deer helmet

Another common theme that came up in the discussion is the size of each boss' combat zone. While Crimson Desert has a huge open world, many of its boss arenas are relatively cramped. This can make enemies' teleportation and quick attack sequences all the more frustrating. Even some players who defended these fights for the most part admitted that they wish the arenas were bigger to allow for more gameplay variety or give users a chance to retreat or flank a boss.

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There seems to be a lot of room for improvement, and it's uncertain whether Pearl Abyss will address some or all of these areas in future tweaks. Of course, as with all disagreements in gaming, no one solution is likely to satisfy everyone. Pearl Abyss introduces difficulty settings in an upcoming Crimson Desert update, which may make these fights less aggravating, but the debate will almost certainly continue.