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Following on from the success of its huge MMORPG Black Desert, Pearl Abyss now brings us the stunning open-world RPG, Crimson Desert. Set in the same fantasy world of Pywel, Crimson Desert has both a storyline and a vast open-world sandbox to explore, so it's up to you how you play.
Now one of the most anticipated new games of 2026 is finally here, we've got all the guides and advice you need as you explore, while our review is a helpful insight into what to expect from the longer-tail elements of Crimson Desert. Find it all right here.
Crimson Desert guides and walkthroughs
We've spent hours upon hours in Pywel already, and we're still regular visitors, so we're pretty clued up on how best to do things. Here are all of the Crimson Desert guides you need to follow in our footsteps.
- Character customization: You're not restricted to playing solely as Kliff, and you can also change your appearance in Crimson Desert. To unlock bonus customization items, find you way into Hernand Castle in-game, and check out the latest Crimson Desert Twitch Drops. Then, unlock all playable characters in Crimson Desert using our helpful guide.
- Gear and skills: Once you're looking the part, you'd better make sure your equipment and skillset match your appearance. We've got guides on the best Crimson Desert weapons and the best Crimson Desert skills. You'll also need to know about Crimson Desert Abyss Gears, and you'll want to save up some cash for that with the best Crimson Desert money farm.
- Puzzle solutions: As you explore this fantastical land, there are plenty of tricky brain-teasers standing in your way. Luckily, we can help guide you through the Abyss Cell puzzle and the Secret of the Ancient Ruins puzzle. Plus, Crimson Desert fast travel requires solving the Thinker's Meadow puzzle first.
- General information: That's all good and well, but if you've not even got the game yet, find out is Crimson Desert is on Game Pass and whether you've even got the time to spare with our guide on how long it take to beat Crimson Desert.
Crimson Desert review
In his Crimson Desert review, Joel says that Pearl Abyss' latest "is proof that excess and maximalism can be awe-inspiring and wondrous… Or it can just as easily be overstimulating and leave you feeling detached from what's before you."
This duality perfectly sums up Crimson Desert overall. Between both its expansive story and satisfying open-world exploration, Joel concludes that Crimson Desert is "far better as a sandbox than as a story", though you could find the opposite to be true depending on your gameplay preferences. I guess you'll just have to play it to find out.
Crimson Desert platforms
Crimson Desert is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Since, unlike Black Desert, this is a single-player game, there's no question around crossplay compatibility or Crimson Desert multiplayer. However, if you're hoping to play across platforms yourself, you might be saddened to hear that there is no cross-save functionality either.
Crimson Desert setting and story
Crimson Desert was originally set to be a prequel to Black Desert Online, but during its development, Pearl Abyss decided to make a single-player adventure with its own story set in the same universe as Black Desert instead.
Set on the continent of Pywel, Crimson Desert takes place in the same high fantasy open-world that Black Desert Online fans are familiar with. This "vast but divided continent" is almost completely open to you as mercenary Kliff Macduff.
The main story of the game revolves around various power struggles after the King of Demeniss, Unifier of Lands, falls into a coma. With the king's absence, there's a power vacuum that tons of enemies are keen to take advantage of. Our main character, Kliff, is forced to rise into a leadership role as he forms a group of mercenaries to keep opportunistic villains in check. Along with forming a group of allies, you'll have to fight for survival and face the demons from your past, too.
Meanwhile, Crimson Desert's setting features mythical beasts and plenty of different environments to explore as you make your way through the war-torn continent of Pywel.
Crimson Desert gameplay
Unlike Black Desert Online, an MMORPG, Crimson Desert is a single-player, open-world adventure game. Taking notes from some of the greatest RPGs before it, Crimson Desert sees your choices and actions as a player affect the world around you and the overall story of Crimson Desert itself.
The mercenaries that you may meet on your adventure all have their own unique backstories, too, promising tons of stories to enjoy in between various battles with enemies. There's also an emphasis on action-combat in Crimson Desert, and, yes, you can also take down enemies while on horseback.
Since Crimson Desert is a fantasy game, the option for new and unique items is present, and Pearl Abyss delivers with a new generation of weapons to accompany classic ones. Meanwhile, and classic RPG skill system sees you level up by finding particular items or learning from NPCs (both allies and enemies) you encounter in the world at large. What's more, alchemy also factors into the single-player adventure, with Kliff having the ability to use it in order to give weapons special abilities.
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