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One of 2026's biggest games, Pearl Abyss' Crimson Desert, will soon be out for everyone, bringing one of the most colossal and ambitious fantasy adventures ever created in gaming into the hands of Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Mac, and PS5 players. In fact, its release date and launch time is now less than 24 hours away.
Ahead of the game's highly anticipated launch, its review embargo has officially passed, prompting countless authors and creators to post their reviews of the game to share their thoughts on it with consumers curious if they should buy Crimson Desert at launch or not.
Article continues below- Vice (100/100): "If you are someone who wants a more linear or cinematic, story-driven campaign, Crimson Desert might not be for you. However, if you loved the sense of freedom and discovery that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild had, then Crimson Desert is the next big game in that genre. Pearl Abyss has truly created something special here, that I suspect we’ll be talking about for years to come."
- DualShockers (95/100): "Crimson Desert combines all the phenomenal aspects of some of the most notable titles of the past decades. It has the sense of discovery like Elden Ring, a deeply engaging and dense world like Skyrim, unpredictable moment-to-moment gameplay like Red Dead Redemption 2, and the exciting exploration and overall feel of the latest Zelda games."
- TechRadar Gaming (80/100): "Crimson Desert manages to capture the essence of pure open-world exploration and delivers incredible combat that is unlike anything you've played previously, while offering an engaging story that keeps you engaged as you progress through its massive map. It's not perfect due to some of its quality of life issues and unfair boss encounters, but this is a game that deserves very high praise."
- GamesRadar+ (80/100): "Crimson Desert is messy, but as you untangle its mechanics and compensate for its flaws, elements of genius and wonder make the experience worthwhile. Take time to leave the beaten path and find out which of its many facets appeals to you, and you'll discover a game that's far better as a sandbox than as a story."
- Screen Rant (70/100): "But Crimson Desert may be the victim of its own ambition. Everything that's been promised is there, but, with a few welcome exceptions, most of these mechanics are woefully underbaked. The final product feels disjointed and rarely coalesces into the comprehensive sandbox RPG I hoped it would be."
- TheGamer (70/100): "I’ve played Crimson Desert for 150 hours now and have only just finished the main storyline. This game is massive, and not designed for the casual player. It’s an MMO that you play by yourself. The grind is enormous yet insatiable. I woke up every day and needed to play more, and even though at times it frustrated me to the point of walking away, I can’t help but admire what Pearl Abyss has created here. I’ve never played anything like it, and chances are, neither have you."
Crimson Desert falls short of expectations
Now, to be clear here: I'm not saying the conclusion to draw from Crimson Desert's overall score is that it's a bad game. On the contrary, it actually sounds like a good one overall, and one that you should definitely check out if you're hungry for an action-packed adventure through a stunning fantasy world.
With that said, the presence of quite a few mixed reviews and an average score that's only a few points above Metacritic's own "Mixed" rating signals that Crimson Desert isn't exactly the genre-defining masterpiece that lots of players were hoping it would be. The game may be good, but it's not likely to be seen as the next Elden Ring.
Most reviews highly praise Crimson Desert's combat, world design, and the secrets the lands of Pywel hold for players to stumble across. Indeed, the best things about the game sound like the memorable adventures and discoveries you'll find yourself going on and making as you explore, supported by the title's biome variety, stunning visuals, and incredible soundtrack.
But many find the main story confusing and hard to get invested in despite quality voice acting and writing in major scenes, and a lot of criticism has been levied against Crimson Desert's side quests, with many reviewers comparing them to the kind of bland busywork you often find in MMOs; it's worth noting that before Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss did make the 2017 MMORPG Black Desert Online.
Ultimately, Pywel has been described as a world that's a blast to traverse, explore, battle foes, and simply get lost in, though you may be disappointed if you were hoping to engage with its inhabitants and quests on a deeper level.
In terms of performance, most reviews note that it's quite solid overall, though bugs with certain quests and encounters have been reported. I'm worried about something, though: only PC reviews of Crimson Desert have been posted, which means nobody's been able to play it extensively on Xbox Series X|S, PS5, or PS5 Pro yet. We haven't seen console footage yet, either, and overall, console performance is a big concern with this game. If you're on Xbox or PS5, I recommend waiting for performance tests before picking it up.
My colleague Michael Hoglund wrote Windows Central's review of Crimson Desert, giving it a four-and-a-half-star score out of five and calling it "the kind of game that usually only comes along once in a generation, so singular in its ambition that it will define the gaming conversation for weeks, if not months, to come."
Crimson Desert releases on March 19 (tomorrow) for $69.99 across Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, Mac, and PS5. Notably, the Steam version is available for $60.99 at Loaded, with the fancier $79.99 Deluxe Edition also going for $69.99 at Loaded.
🗨️ Are you getting Crimson Desert?
Even if reviews are indicating that Crimson Desert was perhaps overly ambitious, it's nevertheless one of the biggest action-adventure titles ever made, and considered by most to still be a pretty good game overall.
Do you plan on getting it at launch? Will you wait for a sale, or to see performance tests? Or does it not interest you at all? I'm curious, so let me know in the comments and vote in our poll!
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