One of the most anticipated games of 2026, Crimson Desert has been in development for over six years by a Korean Game Studio called Pearl Abyss. It was finally released worldwide on March 19, 2026. Within hours of its release, many players were already openly quitting the game and had a plethora of complaints to levy toward the gameplay, story, systems, performance, and every other aspect of the game. Despite this, the game sold over 2 million copies in the first 48 hours of its release. So, how does a highly anticipated game like this receive some much negative sentiment after being hyped up by the very same critics? It is actually very simple – Crimson Desert is not trying to be a reskin of souls-like games like Elden Ring and Black Myth: Wukong. Instead, it is trying to innovate on that formula with unconventional methods, some of which have not been received well.
Before getting into specifics, it is important to mention that this polarizing gameplay and mechanics are not surprising. At the same time as the Crimson Desert release, the Korean Devs in Pearl Abyss are also celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their popular and polarizing MMO, Black Desert Online (BDO). From the beginning, it was no secret that Crimson Desert would share a lot of the same design philosophies as BDO. For perspective, BDO is notorious for being the most time-consuming, grindy MMO on the market with movement, combat, quests, and several other aspects that are unlike any other MMO. Crimson Desert is built on the same Game Engine with the same unique gameplay and mechanics. Because of this, players who have not played BDO ever or recently have been met with a rude awakening when trying Crimson Desert.
There are many complaints about Crimson Desert, but this post will only discuss the three main complaints about combat, puzzles, and quests. Combat is the most important part of these complaints. Many players started Crimson Desert expecting Elden Ring combat but got something very different. Unlike most games where one button corresponds to one ability or move, Crimson Desert requires button combinations to be used for specific abilities. For example, a forward slash might require a player to press SHIFT+W+R at the same time. If a player clicks W+R but misses the SHIFT, their character will not do a forward slash and may do something that the player did not want. This has caused a lot of player frustration because they are not accustomed to the combat and therefore make a lot of mistakes. This button combination system cannot be turned off, so players must get used to it.
Puzzles are generally a small part of most games, and the solution is usually obvious. Crimson Desert is the exact opposite. Puzzles are a pretty big part of the game, and the solutions are not obvious. Small hints are given to the player at the beginning of the puzzles, but solving them can become complex, time-consuming, and tedious. For example, a puzzle might require a player to put blocks in specific places to open a door. However, a player might not realize these blocks have to be placed in their places in a specific order as well. This has caused players to get stuck because they cannot figure out the puzzles and therefore cannot progress the game.
Lastly, quests are a massive part of the game. There are over 100 hours of main quests alone in Crimson Desert, not including all the side quests that can be done. Unlike other games in the same genre, Crimson Desert does not treat the player like a hero for the beginning and gives them really important quests. Instead, the player must build up to important quests even in the main storyline. Players are forced to do mundane tasks like catch stray cats or cleaning chimneys before they can get to the important-feeling tasks like fighting enemies and ultimately, boss fights. This can be off putting because cleaning chimneys in a game is about as fun as it is in real life, but this is part of the world building of Crimson Desert.
There are plenty more complaints to discuss, but that is not stopping over 200K concurrent players from playing the game on Steam alone. BDO has all the “annoying” gameplay features that Crimson Desert has (and more) but is still a successful game celebrating 10 years of being support. This is why BDO and Crimson Desert are so polarizing. Players work through the unique gameplay and mechanics to enjoy the game; or they quit the game before finding the enjoyment. Either reaction is valid, but this is why this highly anticipated game is so popular and polarizing at the same time. If you are considering buying Crimson Desert ($70), I would highly recommend watching some gameplay or playing BDO ($10 and goes on sale often) so you know what you are getting yourself into.
