When Crimson Desert gameplay trailers started trickling out in 2025, the open-world adventure game looked so ambitious that many believed it was “too good to be true.” From its massive open-world map to its incredibly varied gameplay, the project felt like one of those dream games that kids would make up in school playgrounds. However, after spending close to a hundred hours with the Pearl Abyss title, I can confirm that Crimson Desert is not only real, but it’s easily one of the most impressive games I’ve played in years.Crimson Desert’s Massive Open World Is Absolutely BreathtakingScreenshot: Pearl AbyssCrimson Desert’s world literally took my breath away the first time I played it. Not only is it graphically impressive, but its sheer size can’t be conveyed until you experience it for yourself. During one of the game’s opening chapters, there is a moment where you skydive after visiting a location in the clouds.As I re-entered the atmosphere, I let out an audible “wow” after seeing the full scale of the game’s map. To put this into more tangible terms, the Crimson Desert map is estimated to be twice the size of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. It’s even bigger than Red Dead Redemption 2. Which is quite the feat, considering Rockstar’s masterpiece is still unbelievable almost a decade after its release.Screenshot: Pearl AbyssEven with a flying mount, it took me hours to traverse from one side of the map to the other. The game also boasts an incredibly wide range of biomes that each stand out on their own. Whether it’s snowy tundra, a desert oasis, or lush forests, it truly feels like Crimson Desert has multiple maps stuffed into one.Crimson Desert Lets You Explore Freely With No Hand-HoldingScreenshot: Pearl AbyssHowever, one of my favorite aspects of Crimson Desert is the freedom Pearl Abyss gives you to explore its vast map. From the very opening hours of the story, you are almost immediately cut loose to go anywhere you want. One thing you will likely hear a lot when reading reviews of Crimson Desert is that it doesn’t use “yellow paint” or “hand-holding” in its design. And this is absolutely true.The best way I can describe Crimson Desert’s design is to compare it to 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Both games have a massive map where you are actively encouraged to explore every inch of it. However, where Crimson Desert surpasses BOTW is that its world is filled to the brim with unique side quests and interesting scenarios that naturally unfold during your travels.Screenshot: Pearl AbyssWhen you first arrive in Crimson Desert’s opening city of Hernand, the game has a system that connects you to NPCs that need your help. From a merchant that needs you to catch fish to a farmer who begs you to kill the bandits that raided his animals, it constantly gives you side content to chase down.However, the real magic happens once you step into the various wild regions and suddenly find yourself stumbling upon random quests and storylines that you never would have expected to find.Crimson DeserT’s Combat Feels Like Devil May Cry Meets a BrawlerScreenshot: Pearl AbyssDescribing Crimson Desert’s combat is tricky because it’s such an oddity in a good way. It’s part Devil May Cry with its quick hack-and-slash combat, but it’s also part WWE. Hear me out. The game actually allows you to dropkick enemies as Kliff and throw down with tense melee combat. Crimson Desert almost feels like a brawler at times.Seriously, imagine sneaking up on an NPC just to fling them into a camp of bandits to knock everything over. Then your character dives headfirst into said pile of bad guys before unleashing a flurry of sword slashes and shield bashes against them. Crimson Desert’s combat is badass. But more importantly, it’s just a lot of fun.And I haven’t even gotten into the game’s skill system. Not only does Crimson Desert have one of the best skill trees I’ve seen in years, but these new abilities dramatically change the core gameplay the further you progress.Crimson Desert Skill Tree and Abyss Powers ExplainedIn Crimson Desert, you get magical abilities from the Abyss. For example, one of the first powers you get as Kliff is the Axiom Force power. It’s essentially a magical grappling hook. In the opening chapters of the game, it’s mostly used to rotate puzzle pieces. But after you put more skill points into it, it becomes one of the most valuable traversal tools.Not only will you be able to use the hook to quickly scale walls, but at level 3 you can actually fling Kliff across the map like Spider-Man using web-slinging. It’s almost too amazing to describe. Seriously, your character literally gets hurled across the world at hyper speed and starts spinning like Sonic the Hedgehog.Screenshot: Pearl AbyssHowever, where this gets fascinating is that you can start using the ability to crash directly into groups of enemies or bosses. You can even use the Spirit Skill tree to combine this move with the Force Palm ability, which lets you smash guard towers in half. It’s as epic as it sounds.Like Breath of the Wild, Pearl Abyss gives players a gliding ability that lets you fly around the map. Crimson Desert’s skill trees are packed with abilities that you will actually want to learn. And if you invest in them with more points, these features evolve into much more powerful abilities. Lastly, the game’s respec system is pretty generous, so you can feel free to mix things up and try different builds.Crimson Desert Has Some Brutal Difficulty SpikesScreenshot: Pearl AbyssOne thing I wanted to point out is the boss fights in Crimson Desert. Now I need to be fully transparent here. I am by no means what you would call a hardcore or skilled gamer. Sure, I’ve beaten Elden Ring, Bloodborne, and Sekiro. But I also barely managed to scrape my way through those games and had to use a lot of help.With that in mind, I felt that Crimson Desert has some pretty punishing difficulty spikes. For example, one of the main story boss fights early on is with an enemy called the Devil of the Reed Field. He’s your typical “this is not my final form” boss fight. After getting my butt kicked for over an hour, imagine my shock when I found out he had a third phase. Yes, it’s as challenging as it sounds. Wait till you see his duplicate form animation!Crimson Desert has a lot of optional boss fights and main story encounters that are really difficult. So if you aren’t prepared for that kind of challenge, then it can be a bit shocking at first. Although I will say these encounters become a bit more manageable once you understand the crafting system. Creating potions and health items is an absolute must. In fact, some boss fights are literally won or lost based on having HP items on your quick menu.Crimson Desert’s Life Skill System Feels Like a Full Life-Sim GameScreenshot: Pearl AbyssSpeaking of crafting items, another aspect of Crimson Desert I was really impressed with was its Life Skill system. In the open-world game, you can acquire “Life Tools” from merchants and quest. These items then allow your character to participate in daily activities across the map. For example, if you purchase a Fishing Rod, you can equip it and go fishing in the game’s various lakes.Crimson Desert’s Life system is actually really expansive. You can literally wander off into the woods to chop down trees to obtain lumber. Or you can explore caves and use your pickaxe to mine rare minerals. These material items can then be used at a blacksmith to help you craft or upgrade new weapons or armor.Crimson Desert Uses MMO Systems That Actually WorkScreenshot: Pearl AbyssCrimson Desert has the massive scope of an MMO but without feeling empty like many of them do. This is largely the result of Pearl Abyss taking the best aspects of the genre and implementing them into the game’s single-player structure. This shouldn’t be too surprising, given that Crimson Desert originally started out as an MMO prequel to Black Desert Online.However, one of my favorites systems Pearl Abyss created is ‘Hero Contribution’, which you get in every territory. Essentially, the more side quests you complete or NPCs you help, your reputation rank goes up. With those points, you can then turn them in to a special contribution merchant. Screenshot: Pearl AbyssThis system then allows you to trade up your reputation for high-end armor and gear. Not only does it make your character look stylish, but you also get really strong gear stats. It’s very similar to reputation systems you would see in something like Final Fantasy 14 Online or Genshin Impact. I really love this system because it gives you an incentive to complete side quests in every city or region. You still get fascinating storylines and rewards in the quests themselves. But now there is a goal you can work toward that feels so satisfying. It is these MMO-inspired reward systems that really make Crimson Desert addicting.Crimson Desert Review Verdict:Screenshot: Pearl AbyssIt almost feels like a crime to review a game like Crimson Desert. The game is so massive that it’s almost impossible to experience even half of what it has to offer. Like Red Dead Redemption 2, players will be spending years exploring this game. And they will still discover new content even after hundreds of hours of gameplay!Crimson Desert is the real deal, though. It not only has some of the most stunning graphics and world design I’ve seen, but it has miraculous performance to back it up. However, what impressed me the most was the game’s jaw-dropping sandbox world that you can easily get lost in for hours while exploring it.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.Verdict: Best In Its Class (5/5)ProsA massive open-world map that will take you literal months to explore.Combat is a fun mix of action and magical abilities.An addicting progression system where everything you do builds toward powerful loot.Skill tree is packed with abilities that dramatically change the game, and evolve into insane new powers the further you level them up.Stunning graphics and incredible performance that keeps up.No yellow-paint or hand-holding, allowing players to get lost in the game’s world.ConsAbyss puzzle sections can be hard to complete due to clunky control mechanics.Some bosses are punishingly difficult and require you to heavily rely on crafting health items to survive.The game’s difficulty spike might come as a surprise to more casual players.Inventory space is frustrating in the opening hours, although you unlock more storage as you progress and updates have already improved this.Crimson Desert will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X and PC starting March 19, 2026. A code was provided by Pearl Abyss for the sake of review. Reviewed on PC.The post Crimson Desert Review: The Most Ambitious Open-World Game Since Red Dead Redemption 2 appeared first on VICE.