As my first hour with Pearl Abyss’s new action game Crimson Desert at Gamescom 2024 came to a close, I wasn’t sure how to feel. A large chunk of my time was spent in frustration, hammering the respawn button as I tried to wrap my head around its distinctive control system. Yet between those moments were glimmering sparks of potential, and so I did the only reasonable thing; I booked one of my only remaining free hours at the show to come back for more. As my demo ran out for the second time, my mind was much clearer – Crimson Desert has the potential to be one of the most exciting games I’ve played in a while, but it’s not quite there yet.
With the likes of Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and Black Myth: Wukong arriving in 2024, we’ve been spoiled for choice when it comes to the best action games. On a surface level, newcomer Crimson Desert – first announced in 2019 as a single-player, story-driven counterpart to Pearl Abyss’ popular MMORPG Black Desert – bears those soulslike hallmarks. Yet it’s ambitious in a way that can be difficult to get to grips with.
That begins with the controls. Our demo uses a PlayStation 5 controller, and immediately a lot of the standard familiarities are here – R1 and R2 are light and heavy attacks, L1 blocks, L2 draws a bow to pelt enemies from range. But it’s the face buttons where things get interesting. Cross runs, square jumps and climbs, triangle kicks, and circle dodges, slides, and transitions you between crouched and standing. Simple enough. But where Crimson Desert shines is in the ways you combine your inputs, and how natural the game feels in response.
Hit triangle on its own and you get a ‘This is Sparta’ kick, capable of sending enemies flying off cliffs in tried-and-true Assassin’s Creed Odyssey style. But press it while running, and you’ll get a beefy running dropkick; hit it during a roll and you’ll attempt to sweep the enemy’s legs out from under them.
Likewise, circle and triangle together will grab an opponent, but the manner of move you use changes based on context. Snatch a human-sized opponent and pull away from them with the left stick and you might turn and leap into the air for a neckbreaker (wrestling fans, think of the RKO). Hit grab as you sprint towards an enemy and you’ll wrap your arm around their neck and use the momentum to drag them down instead. Each of these can be summarily followed up with an attack, and, crucially, it all flows much more naturally and smoothly than the semi-disjointed moves of most games.
Even in the tutorial, Crimson Desert’s Black Bear warriors don’t allow me much room to breathe. That’s made more challenging by an inability to lock the camera onto one specific enemy (something one member of the team tells me they’re currently considering in response to feedback from the demonstration at Gamescom). As I start to adapt, however, the momentum of combat is exhilarating – and it looks spectacular, too, with enemies flying about and particle effects by the truckload.
The actual meat of the demo is four standalone boss fights, and each of these is a dramatically different experience. First is the Reed Devil, a masked figure that flits and zips about a field of reeds, teleporting behind you to unleash rapid-fire sword strikes. I have to try and anticipate his next move at every turn, baiting him into attacks that I can predict and delivering quick responses as he moves.
Next up is the Staglord, perhaps the most ‘traditional’ Souls-style fight. This warrior brings a sword and shield to battle, and quickly becomes an exercise in picking my spot. It’s not enough to simply dodge and swing – his defensive posture keeps him well protected unless I can sneak in a well-timed slash. Going one better, I take advantage of a moment where he raises his shield with both hands to slam it down upon me and get in with a vicious sword thrust (performed by holding circle and cross together).
I mentioned the weight of combat before, but I’ll reemphasize it here, as Staglord’s powerful attacks send you flying across the arena, smashing into walls like a Dragonball goon. It’s reminiscent of the iconic Baldur fight at the opening to 2018’s God of War, but lands in a way that feels much more open-ended in its potential. That feeling only grows as I move to the third fight, White Horn – a giant yeti-like creature.
The Guardian Ape fight in Sekiro remains a real high point for me. Rarely before or since has a game so perfectly captured the feeling of fighting a giant animal. White Horn gets that feeling just right, and even more so thanks to the aforementioned player-hurling when you can’t duck away from a flailing limb in time. The way enemies respond feels rewarding, too. A quick glancing blow isn’t likely to stop White Horn’s heavy swings from landing, but catching it with a meatier hit will give it pause. I never really felt like I was truly ahead in the fight; merely scrapping for my life against a far stronger enemy.
There’s even a little in here for fans of Dragon’s Dogma or Monster Hunter, as you can use the jump button to cling onto the creature’s back and start getting in some nasty hits. That goes to the next stage, however, when I move onto the final encounter, against the towering Queen Stoneback crab. This huge creature is more of a puzzle boss akin to something out of Shadow of the Colossus – demanding that I climb carefully up its back and crack away crystal formations to expose vulnerable weak points that I can shove my sword into.
The crab, of course, isn’t best pleased by this and periodically attempts to shake me loose with giant jets of water that send my character soaring high into the sky, where quick use of the ability to glide with my cape proves a literal life-saver. I can even employ a grappling hook to swing myself back onto the creature’s back in an attempt to deliver the final blow. Unfortunately, I don’t quite make it before my demo timer ticks to zero, but, at last, I am satisfied. I understand Crimson Desert – on a basic level at least – and now I only want more.
Beyond the combat, I’m also fairly charmed by the brief glimpse I get of Crimson Desert’s setting. Its human cast ranges from bold, brash Black Bear leader Myurdin, a ruthless warrior who charges at you much like a large bear in combat to Diederik, a posh British companion figure akin to The Witcher’s Jaskier (or Dandelion, if you prefer). He’s responsible for aggravating the Queen Stoneback crab when he starts mining rocks from its back. He muses joyfully, “How could anyone tire of such a sight?” “Don’t ask me,” protagonist Kliff responds, “you’ve got the pickaxe.”
In short: I’m hopeful. What I played is but a mere glimpse of a game that’s been many years in development. It looks phenomenal, and while I think there’s still some work to be done on truly honing the controls, in those moments when it clicks it feels like nothing else. It’s impossible to know yet whether the eventual Crimson Desert release date will deliver on the promise of its Gamescom demo, but if it does then we’ll have a real treat on our hands.
While we wait, there are plenty more upcoming PC games to look forward to – or, if you’d rather something a little more immediate, here are the best RPGs to play in 2024.
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