The fights – easy to learn, hard to master
Aside from the game world, the fights are the highlight of Crimson Desert for me. Attacks feel heavy. With just one button, you can already take out standard enemies with spectacular attack chains – similar to the Batman Arkham series or the latest Spider-Man games.
At the beginning, dodges, parries, and attacks with the equipped ranged weapon flank your arsenal. Learned talents and the active effects of Abyss equipment then gradually add more depth until you have access to a whole array of throws, kicks, and weapon skills.
On top of that, there are gadgets like the grappling hook, which is also useful in battle with the corresponding talents. And every now and then, you can also use special skills – like an aerial strike triggered by Kliff with a specific type of arrow – or use the environment to your advantage (a simple example: explosive barrels).
After over 50 hours, the fights actually flow for me despite the complex controls. I have the key combinations for my most important attack combos in my head and no longer try to utilize the left analog stick to aim at an enemy – that activates the grappling hook.
However, it was a long, often frustrating journey to reach this point. Some may drop out beforehand. On the controller, many buttons are mapped multiple times, or at least a part of important key combinations. I only briefly tested keyboard and mouse because Kliff and the camera can be navigated through the game world much better with the controller.
You can find more information about the controls here:
A game that overwhelms with its scope
Anyone who wants to give Crimson Desert a chance should bring plenty of time. The game world is huge and by no means empty. Quests and activities await Kliff everywhere. Additionally, through the main story and other quest chains, you still unlock new functions and content even after dozens of hours.
I think here, for example, of the new encampment of the gray mane that Kliff gradually expands through his deeds. Now I find a cook, a blacksmith, several merchants, my own house, and a cart station from which I can trade with other merchants.
Moreover, I can send some of the clan members I have found on missions to gather supplies, support allies, weaken enemy fortresses, or create the conditions for further camp upgrades. I just unlocked agriculture. For livestock farming, I still need a required NPC quest.
I have also tried my hand at horse racing, arm wrestling, a round of “rock-paper-scissors”, boxing matches, gambling, taming horses, and archery competitions. After all this time, I still haven’t seen the other mount types like dragons, dinosaurs, bears, or mechs, the fan as a weapon, or the jetpack. It’s quite wild…
