On August 22, the grand opening show of the gamescom 2023, the Opening Night Live (ONL), aired, showcasing numerous trailers for upcoming games. Crimson Desert also had a spot in the trailer storm on Tuesday night.
What kind of game is this? Crimson Desert is the latest game from Pearl Abyss, the creators of the successful MMORPG Black Desert. Crimson Desert was also announced in 2019 as a big new MMORPG.
In December 2020, Pearl Abyss then changed the description of Crimson Desert and from then on referred to it as an “Open-World Action-Adventure” under the trailers. Terms like “MMO” or “MMORPG” no longer appeared. Nonetheless, it says on the game’s website that you can “set out with other players.”
Crimson Desert is set to be released for console and PC, but whether it only refers to PS5 or Xbox Series X|S or also PS4 and Xbox One is still unknown.
What is Crimson Desert about? In Crimson Desert, mercenaries fight for survival in a world based on European medieval times. They have access to swords and axes, as well as cannons and alchemy.
Since Crimson Desert is primarily about survival and not about hero status, there are numerous nasty opponents, including human NPCs, mystical beasts, and hostile mercenaries.
The new gameplay trailer for Crimson Desert, shown at the ONL of gamescom 2023, can be seen here:
We would like to summarize some highlights of the new trailer below.
Trailer with a ton of gameplay mechanics
What does the new trailer show? The new trailer showcases various mechanics that Crimson Desert has to offer, as well as the medieval setting of the ambitious action game.
In addition to knights fighting with swords and shields, we also see the use of bows and the well-known dodge rolls. There are also numerous scenes where combat takes place on horseback.
Another highlight of the trailer was parkour gameplay like in Assassin’s Creed, with the featured character climbing along the wall of a house and performing a pole vault to overcome a small fortress wall.
Additionally, the character picked up a cat and cuddled with it – that’s a plus! A dog was also petted.
A bullet-point overview of some of the mechanics shown in the trailer can be seen here:
- Close combat with sword and shield + dodge roll, ranged combat with bow and arrow
- Movement using a horse including the use of bows and arrows while riding
- Side activities: trading, stealing a carriage, fishing, gathering mushrooms
- Interaction with animals: petting a dog, picking up and cuddling with a cat,
- Making music (plays a flute)
- Hot air balloon ride
- Movement: parkour gameplay, pole vaulting with a stick, sliding down a mountain
“More games should have trailers like this.”
What do the fans say? In the comments on YouTube, there are many positive reactions under the trailer. Especially the abundance of different gameplay mechanics shown in the trailer impressed many.
- “The gameplay looks incredibly ambitious. It’s definitely one of those ‘I’ll believe it when I see it’ games.”
- “That was such a good showcase! Showing so many different scenarios that we can expect during gameplay was awesome, from side quests to boss fights to pure RPG features… more games should have trailers like this.”
- “I’m overwhelmed by the amount of brilliant mechanics and subtle interactions.”
- “This trailer was insane… hopefully, you [Pearl Abyss/Crimson Desert] can keep all of this.”
However, one wish was not fulfilled for the fans with the new trailer – there is still no precise release date. The last update was that it is supposed to be released in 2023. We are excited.
If you want to see what else was shown during the Opening Night Live of gamescom 2023, check out our live ticker from the evening:
gamescom: Opening Night Live – Trailers and impressions in the live ticker
