‘Crimson Desert’ launches to mixed reviews: “Some of the worst controls in modern gaming”
The ambitious open-world game has been praised for its scope and attention to detail but others aren't impressed
by Ali Shutler · NMEAmbitious open-world game Crimson Desert is out today (March 20) but is getting mixed reviews from gaming fans.
Crimson Desert is an open-world action-adventure set on the fantasy land of Pywel. Created by game developers Pearl Abyss, you must guide warrior Kliff on his journey to rebuild the Greymane faction after a brutal assault, in order to save the world from a terrible danger. “From vast wilderness and cities to ruins and the mysterious Abyss, forge your path through battles and discovery,” reads an official description of the game.
Crimson Desert was originally planned to act as a single-player prequel to Pearl Abyss’ multiplayer title Black Desert Online but became a standalone game during development. It was first officially revealed back in 2020 and Crimson Desert was finally released today for Xbox, PlayStation and PC.
Solid reviews have given Crimson Desert a “generally favourable” Metacritic score of 78, with reviewers praising the ambition, detail and music.
However fans are less impressed by the game. Crimson Desert currently has a “mixed” user-review score on Steam. “These controls have made it incredibly hard to enjoy as everything seems like a chore. Having to press two buttons to jump, run, talk, etc. is insane and anyone that says otherwise is a masochist,” wrote one fan while a Reddit post complaining about the controls has been upvoted almost a thousand times. “Whoever made these controls needs to be fired. Such a good and promising game completely ruined by some of the worst controls and movement in modern gaming,” explained one frustrated user.
Other players are complaining about the lack of compelling narrative. “Sounds like if you love huge, open sandboxes that focus on gameplay, this is a generational triumph, and if you’re not, then it’s probably not for you,” said one Reddit user. “The people who are hyping it to be a masterpiece are likely to be disappointed, those who expected it to fall flat on the content promised across the world are likely to be disappointed,” wrote another.
Recommended
Pearl Abyss has already released a string of updates to address issues with Crimson Desert’s storage and user interface. “Seems like a perfect Summer Sale game to pick up for a slight discount once the major bugs and quality of life changes have been patched,” explained one fan.
In other news, the epic, orchestral soundtrack to Elden Ring: Nightreign is coming to vinyl for the first time.