Physics that impresses
Crimson Desert not only wonderfully boosts the desire for pure exploration. Its world physics also supports players’ experimental spirit, similar to Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. With the grappling hook and the light reflection of weapons, you can create all sorts of mischief or perform cool actions.
For example, enemy towers can be smashed as human cannonballs or burned with the repurposed lens blade. It’s also possible with the light reflection: cooking meat on the road or transforming trees into giant slingshots.
As endless as the possible experiments are, so are the activities and contents along with the hidden secrets in the game world. There’s something meaningful to discover everywhere. For example, armor pieces with strong effects that allow for entirely new builds, or more Abyss artifacts for character development.
Exploring and mastering challenges in the open world always feels motivating and rewarding. Recently, I acquired two Sauron-strong armor sets that have since accompanied me on my Pywel adventure. This also strongly reminds me of Elden Ring.
The fun of exploring is supported by the parkour system that allows you to climb anywhere (depending on your stamina) and the gliding skill. You probably already know these two features from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Compared to Spider-Man, which has so far provided the best movement through the world, Crimson Desert could even give more freely and strengthen gliding:
I must add at this point that I have not yet unlocked the dragon or the jetpack. Perhaps the high stamina costs of the gliding skill will hardly play a role in the endgame.
As beautiful as it is impressive
The world of Crimson Desert has even more to offer. For instance, impressively large cities that excite me much like the bustling places from The Witcher 3. There’s simply a lot going on in the streets.
Of course, it’s partly quite static. Most residents do not have a realistic day-night rhythm. This can disrupt the immersion. However, parts of the world change noticeably once certain events trigger. Your own progress has a direct impact on the experience in the world. That’s great!
And then Pywel blows me away in terms of graphics and panoramas like last time with Ghost of Tsushima (unfortunately I haven’t played the sequel Ghost of Yotei yet). The often colorful regions of the continent are simply beautiful, the views postcard-worthy, and the shadow, light, and water effects still amaze me after countless hours.
On the second page, it continues with the future of the open world.
