Fans of open-world games can look forward to a potential highlight coming on March 19, 2026, as anticipation for Crimson Desert grows with each passing day. However, there are good reasons to refrain from pre-ordering and wait for the initial tests.
We have already mentioned a number of good reasons why you should be excited about Crimson Desert. Before highlighting the potential strengths of Pearl Abyss’s new open-world adventure, we also pointed out some warning signs – and that is what this is about.
Unanswered questions, for example, that the developers have not yet been able to satisfactorily address. Also potential issues that arose during playtests and preview events. Or just simple concerns that one might have looking at developer Pearl Abyss and the studio’s previous work.
Whether these concerns will be validated or the strengths will clearly outweigh them is something we will only find out shortly before the official release – the review embargo lifts on March 18, 2026, at 11:00 PM. Therefore, our recommendation is to refrain from pre-ordering and only place your order when you are satisfied with what trusted testers report.
Below, we summarize what we see as the biggest potential enjoyment blockers that Crimson Desert might suffer from at launch. You can jump to the chapters that interest you via the table of contents. Also, check out the Twitch channel of GameStar, where colleague Michi Obermeier talks about his first 6 hours with Crimson Desert.
Our conclusion after playing Crimson Desert at gamescom 2025:
Reason 1: Against All Rules – The Controls
In pretty much all the previews of the past months, the controls of Crimson Desert have been a topic. The main reason for this is the plethora of features, maneuvers, and skills that all playable main characters must fit under the limited controller buttons.
You can interact with NPCs and many environmental objects in the world, climb, jump, run, crouch, draw your weapons, or trigger special skills everywhere. Many movements or actions are triggered by pressing multiple buttons simultaneously.
Some felt that the key combinations for attacks even reminded them of fighting games like Street Fighter. But even actions outside of combat felt unusually unintuitive and complicated. The most extreme example mentioned by GameStar colleagues (via YouTube) concerned placing a flag.
- Switch to focus mode with L3 + R3
- Press Triangle + Circle to lift the banner
- Press X multiple times to lift the banner faster
- Hold Triangle while running to continue holding the banner
- Use L1 to target the spot where the banner should stand, then press Triangle to place it
“Kids, it should be easier than that. Every other game would use a single interaction button for that.” This or something similar is likely to be the reaction of many players.
Although the developers adjusted some control mappings after feedback in the summer, the latest preview event shows that the inaccessible controls continue to be a major issue. And this will remain until the final launch, as the weakness stems from an intentional design philosophy: Everyone complains about the biggest flaw of Crimson Desert, but the developers say: It has to be this way.
