Crimson Desert is the new MMORPG from Pearl Abyss and is referred to by the developer as a “Next-Gen” MMORPG. In a Q&A session after G-Star, further details were revealed. These immediately evoke associations with Red Dead Redemption 2.
What is Crimson Desert? The new MMORPG is said to be the unofficial successor to Black Desert. It takes place in a different region of the game world and in an earlier time. There is supposed to be no direct connection between the games.
However, those expecting a pure Black Desert 2.0 will be surprised. Crimson Desert takes place in a Nordic-inspired world that is rough and harsh, and differs in its setting. Moreover, the new MMORPG places a strong emphasis on story and is supposed to feature a different endgame.
Focus on Mercenaries and Intense Story-Telling
What does Crimson Desert value? While Black Desert is a sandbox MMORPG with many freedoms but little story focus, Crimson Desert centers entirely around the story.
In the trailer, we already learn quite a bit about the character Macduff. He is one of the members of the mercenary group, although there are said to be many more characters. According to the Q&A session after the G-Star 2019, it is even our task to constantly expand the group of mercenaries.
This allows for upgrades in quality and also in quantity. You should also be able to hire mercenaries, but you may also lose some over time. How exactly the mercenaries are integrated into the combat system is still unknown. However, we are supposed to control different characters and be able to switch between them.
What else makes Crimson Desert different? The path to the endgame and the endgame itself are also said to differ significantly from Black Desert in the new MMORPG. In BDO, the focus is on crafting, PvP, and collecting endgame gear. Additionally, there is no concrete level cap.
How exactly the endgame in Crimson Desert will be is still unknown. However, there are supposed to be large-scale battles, which arise simply from the fact that you rely on a large group of mercenaries as a player.
Mercenaries are also supposed to have different tactical roles. During the siege of a castle, some mercenaries provide supplies and resources, while others make use of those resources. The exchange of mercenaries for tactical reasons is also expected to become important.
In an interview with Wccftech, the developers also revealed that the focus is on the PvE community. There should also be challenging end content. However, it was not revealed whether this involves raids or dungeons.
Connection of Story and Gameplay is “Next-Gen”
Why is Crimson Desert a “Next-Gen” MMORPG? The developers refer to Crimson Desert as such because they want to combine the deep story-telling of a singleplayer RPG with the content of an MMORPG. There should also be points where you can influence the story with your decisions.
Pearl Abyss places special emphasis on visual storytelling, elaborate cutscenes, and cinematics. These should overshadow everything that has existed in MMORPGs so far. At the same time, the “game-typical style” of Pearl Abyss is intended to be maintained. All story content can be completed solo or in co-op.
An MMORPG that could match the story of a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 and at the same time provide hundreds or thousands of hours of content sounds very exciting on paper. Crimson Desert is being developed entirely on a new and proprietary engine.
First Beta Already in 2020
When is the new MMORPG supposed to be released? The first beta for Crimson Desert is planned for 2020 in Korea. However, there should also be tests and later a release in the West.
The new MMORPG is to be released not only for PC but also for consoles. Since consoles do not play a big role in Korea, this is an indication that Crimson Desert could come to us soon.
Pearl Abyss is working on three other MMOs besides Crimson Desert:
