Crimson Desert
A sweeping open-world action RPG from the Black Desert creators featuring cinematic combat and exploration.
Best for players who enjoy ambitious open-world games and are willing to push through a slow, rough start for a big payoff.
What creators praised
- Late-game payoff is massive and satisfying
SkillUp
Luke Stephens
Asmongold
- Combat feels excellent and rewarding
ACG
- The world design feels top-tier
- The game feels unique and unlike anything else
TheRadBrad
- Its ambition and scope are impressive
What creators criticized
- Early hours are a genuine barrier
- Technical polish and performance are rough
Worth A Buy
- Quest design feels uninspired
- It tries to do too many things at once
- Marketing hype outpaced the actual game
Reviews
Called it potentially his favorite game ever — an extreme statement from a notoriously picky reactor who has played thousands of games. The late-game clearly won him over completely despite earlier reservations.
Mar 31, 2026
Earlier coverage
Mar 29, 2026
Mar 27, 2026
Mar 23, 2026
SkillUp's 'strongly recommends' is his highest endorsement tier. Full dedicated review after weeks of mixed impressions. Praised the mid-to-late game as a massive payoff, calling the combat and world design among the best of the year.
Apr 4, 2026
Earlier coverage
'Never played anything like this' is strong praise from a creator who has played virtually every major release. By part 8, he's deeply invested and finding the game genuinely unique.
Apr 4, 2026
Earlier coverage
Reflected on the game's polarizing launch settling into consensus: flawed but ambitious. Argued the early hours are a genuine barrier but the payoff is worth pushing through.
Apr 3, 2026
Earlier coverage
Mar 30, 2026
Mar 18, 2026
News coverage of Crimson Desert's post-launch recovery. Acknowledged the turnaround from rocky launch to increasingly positive reception, framing it as a redemption story for Pearl Abyss.
Mar 27, 2026
Earlier coverage
Mar 21, 2026
Streamed across multiple days showing genuine engagement, but Penguinz0 streams many games without strongly endorsing them. No emphatic praise in titles — mild positive through continued play.
Mar 21, 2026
Tracked the game's rocky reception from mixed to improving Steam reviews. News-oriented coverage that highlighted the game's controversial launch and need for patches to reach its potential.
Mar 21, 2026
Gave a 'Wait for Sale' verdict — decent game but not worth full price. Noted it tries to do everything but has enough rough edges. Praised combat, criticized technical polish and unfocused design.
Mar 18, 2026
Compared it to Forspoken — one of the most poorly-received games in recent years. Dunkey's 'highguard of forespoken likes' comparison is a devastating critique disguised as his typical humor.
Mar 21, 2026
Bluntly said 'Worse than I expected.' Mack is known for brutal honesty and refusing to sugarcoat. Criticized performance issues, uninspired quest design, and overhyped promises from the marketing.
Mar 20, 2026