Customer Ratings & Reviews

This game is fantastic but you need to give it some time. There are really no tutorials to fully teach you everything you need to know and building your character is a slow burn but definitely worth it all in the end! The game is made for you to explore the amazing open world and do what you want to do while joining the story line quests every now and then lol

Best open world game since GTA 5. Smooth and beautiful graphics and cutscenes. Easy to control. Super immersive game that lets you manage a camp, train pets to follow you, cook meals and potions, and solve many puzzles all the while working through a quailty main quest storyline at your leisure. By far the most under advertised best game of 2026. Bethesda has finally met their match in open RPG arena. This game is a must for all open world RPG gamers. Only dislike I have is that the game doesn't really explain how to do a lot of things so I've had to look up a large number of tutorials on Youtube. PLAION/ Pearl Abyss should really make their own Youtube channel and could capitolize on all the views and traffic it would get. Aside from that at point of this review I've already invested 90 hours in gameplay. And forsee this will keep me well entertained until GTA VI comes out.

wasn’t even super hyped going into Crimson Desert, but after playing it for a bit, it kind of pulled me in more than I expected. The world is honestly the biggest thing, it just feels alive. You start going somewhere, then get distracted 5 times on the way because something random pops up. I like games like that where it doesn’t feel linear. Combat took me a little to get used to, but once it clicks, it’s actually really fun. There’s a lot going on—dodging, grabbing, combos, it can feel messy at first but in a good way. Not gonna lie though, it’s not perfect. Menus can be confusing and there were times I was like “why is this so complicated?” Also the story didn’t grab me right away, but I kept playing more for the gameplay and exploration anyway. This isn’t a casual game you jump in for 20 minutes. You kinda have to sit down and commit, but if you do, it’s worth it. Overall: Not perfect, but definitely one of those games you end up playing longer than you planned. If you like open-world games with freedom, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Crimson Desert — Honest Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Rating: 3.5 / 5 stars Crimson Desert has strong action combat, a large open world, and plenty to explore, making it enjoyable for players who like freedom and big battles. The gameplay feels solid and ambitious, with good variety in fights and activities. However, the PC version shown in trailers looks very smooth and visually impressive, while the PS5 (not Pro) version, although still good-looking, does not fully match what was shown before release. The graphics and performance feel slightly downgraded compared to expectations based on early footage. Another issue is pre-order delivery timing. My copy arrived late even though it was pre-ordered, and many other players reported similar delays depending on retailer and shipping. Verdict: A good and enjoyable game with strong gameplay, but visuals on standard PS5 may not match promotional footage, and pre-order delivery issues affected the experience. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I've spent hours playing this game and have enjoyed every minute of it!! I highly recommend this game!

This game is amazing I absolutely recommend. Especially if you’re into open world games.

Not much to say. The game is phenomenal. Highly recommend

The game is awesome it's out of this world gotta give this game a try.

The game has received several updates from the developers and they have been attentive to the players and community. A must buy.

If you love Zelda, rdr2, ff 15 and Witcher 3 then you'll love this game

If you like huge open-world adventures and don’t mind a learning curve, Crimson Desert is worth playing. If you’re mainly looking for a strong story, you may be disappointed. Overall, it’s a fascinating, sometimes messy, but highly enjoyable game.

Crimson Desert (PS5 Pro) Review • Visuals and Performance: Stunning open-world environments with exceptional detail, enhanced by PS5 Pro’s PSSR upscaling and flexible modes (targeting 60 FPS Performance, ~40 FPS Balanced, or 4K Quality at 30 FPS). Post-launch patches deliver notably stable frame rates.  • Gameplay: Rewarding exploration, satisfying combat with skill progression, and memorable boss fights in a vast fantasy sandbox.  • Strengths: Immersive scale, dynamic world, and high production values. • Weaknesses: Narrative occasionally secondary; minor technical issues remain in intensive scenes. • Verdict: A compelling open-world adventure that shines on PS5 Pro. Score: 6/10

Serious Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and LoZ: Breath of the wild feeling to this game. If you like massive open-world games that reward exploration then this is the game for you. It should be said that this game is NOT an RPG but rather an open-world action/adventure game. For better or worse the game does not hold your hand at all, and some things are poorly explained if at all. The biggest issue I have with this game are the puzzles as it is unclear what you’re supposed to do, or if you even have what you need to progress through them which can and does make it frustrating. That being said, the game has many cool mechanics and systems borrowed from other games. The camp system from Red Dead for example, there’s fishing, cooking, mining, chopping down trees for wood, bounties, a reputation system, you can climb things as long as you have stamina, etc. I spent hours exploring before even touching the main quests and that was just in the first starting region and have yet to make a dent in the game. Let’s talk about the combat. Some may not like it but if you have ever played Where Winds Meet then it’s similar to that game. There are different “moves” you can learn from NPCs by observing them to use in combat yourself. It is more like a fighting game in the sense that there are specific bottom commands you press to execute certain moves which you can then weave into a combo. It can be a lot of fun because you’re going to find yourself fighting crowds of enemies and being able to clothesline and toss around enemies into the environment or each other is a blast. It only gets better the more moves you learn. The story is okay so far but of course not to the quality of something like Red Dead. Bottom line is this is a game you should take your time with and spend hours upon hours exploring, finding new gear, learning moves, and just taking in the beauty and scale of the world. You’re going to have a lot of fun with this game but it might not be for everyone.

Crimson Desert is a monumental achievement that sets a new benchmark for the genre. After spending over 100 hours in the continent of Pywel, I can confidently say this is a "generational" experience that every RPG fan needs to play. A World That Truly Lives: The scale of Pywel is staggering. Towns feel incredibly lived-in, with NPCs that react to your presence and go about their daily lives—herding sheep, cleaning chimneys, and even greeting you as you pass. The attention to detail is matched only by titles like Red Dead Redemption 2 and the Witcher games. Visceral, Rewarding Combat: The combat system is a masterclass in fluidity and impact. Fusing the weight of Dragon’s Dogma with high-octane combos, it rewards experimentation. Whether you’re suplexing bandits or scaling a massive boss to find its weak point, the action remains consistently thrilling. Total Exploration Freedom: From climbing almost any surface to gliding across vast canyons, the traversal mechanics are inspired by the best in the industry. The game doesn't hold your hand, inviting you to chase landmarks on the horizon and discover secrets naturally. Breathtaking PS5 Visuals: Even on the base PS5, the game looks stunning. The dynamic lighting, reactive foliage, and sheer draw distances create some of the most beautiful vistas I've ever seen in a game. Developer Commitment: Pearl Abyss has been incredibly responsive, quickly patching initial clunkiness and adding quality-of-life features like instant crafting and improved inventory management. One complaint from me: The complex control scheme, which I find "clunky" or over-engineered. Because the game blends traditional RPG actions with fighting-game-style combos and contextual physics (like grabbing and throwing enemies), the button mapping can feel unintuitive and takes a significant amount of time to master compared to other open-world titles. I'll play this game until GTA6 comes out...hahaha.

i mean that in the best way. exploration is super fun, traveling around the map feels smooth, and theres tons of things to do. the actual questing is kind of mid and definitely feels repetitive and the story is very bland. but combat is fun and im enjoying flying around the map everywhere. really great game for casuals that want a good sandboxy time waster.

A game that can dethrone any adventure game in terms of content and quality of gameplay! The controls take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, it's an awesome game! Graphics are amazing and the world feels fully realized and alive! And again, it's a game that is scary because you know it will absorb you and keep you invested in it for days!

I am sure if you are reading this you have probably watched YT reviews or (if you are really old like me) you might have read a review, so how best to describe CD. Let’s say you are doing the main quest and you see a butterfly, so you think forget Hanako and chase the butterfly. While chasing the butterfly you remember there is a side mission nearby so you run over to complete the mission. Now you are walking around enjoying the nice loot you gain from the side mission and notice a dwarf off to the side saying “enchantment” and you get distracted by all the shiny things. Luckily a squirrel ran by and blocked the shiny things. I am about 200 hours in and have less than half of the main quest line done. I keep wandering off to do side missions or to explore the world. The world is interesting ie I was running in a town and noticed 2 NPCs chasing after me. When I stopped one of them hit me, not enough to agro though. What the!!! Ran to a different part of town and another NPC gave me knuckle sandwich.

This game is a bit overwhelming at first, but! If you stick with it, learn the controls and moves properly, learn the combat and all that, if you give it enough time, you’ll see the massive gem this game is.

This game had a lot of issues when I bought it on launch day. That being said the developers continue to improve this with patches that improve graphics and play. Looks amazing on PS5 pro.

Amazing game! The amount of possibilities are endless. Flawless combat system, with multiple skills that take a couple of hours to get the hang of. Traveling the world was made fun by the variety of skills that you can use to get around.