I Don't Understand How Crimson Desert Is a Real Game

By Eric Switzer | Published 10 hours ago

Crimson Desert and the BlackSpace Engine: A Glimpse Under the Hood

Earlier this year at GDC in San Francisco, Pearl Abyss invited me to explore their new in-house game engine called BlackSpace. What I saw was truly mind-blowing. The studio has crafted technology that feels futuristic — from hair collision and dynamic weather effects that deepen immersion, to seamless loading and realistic ocean simulations. The engine’s optimization is so advanced that you don’t need a supercomputer to enjoy the full experience.

First Impressions Playing Crimson Desert

While it's impressive to see what a game engine can do, it’s another thing to see it in action in an actual game. At Summer Game Fest earlier this month, I finally played Crimson Desert, the debut game powered by BlackSpace. Despite some concerns about gameplay, there’s no denying this title is a leap forward for open-world games. It’s the kind of experience I expected from future consoles, not something we’re playing today.

Commanding the Battlefield: An Expansive World

During my hour-long preview, I stepped into the shoes of mercenary Kliff, helping an army prepare for battle. The map is vast and detailed, with soldiers realistically positioned across miles of terrain. Key landmarks like castles serve as visual anchors, but the world never feels empty — it’s alive and bustling everywhere you look. Crimson Desert avoids the common open-world trap of making the world feel like it exists solely for the player.

Performance-wise, the game nails an exceptional balance of fidelity and scale. Battles with mobs of NPCs, fiery explosions, and large-scale warfare run smoothly. The only noticeable flaw was occasional NPC pop-ins, especially when riding a horse quickly, but that was rare.

Complex Controls and Gameplay Mechanics

One thing that pulled me out of the moment was the control scheme. Jumping into the game mid-story without a tutorial made it challenging, and the controls are quite complex for a third-person action game. With so many actions available, many require multiple button sequences. For example, interacting with NPCs requires focusing with one button and then pressing another to talk — no simple one-button approach.

A memorable moment was lifting a giant post with magic during battle preparation. The button inputs involved several steps: entering focus mode, aligning correctly, then pressing multiple buttons in sequence to lift and plant the post. This complexity also extends to boss fights, where success depends more on remembering button combos than on combat strategy.

Flashy, Dynamic Combat

Combat in Crimson Desert offers impressive freedom, mixing swordplay, martial arts, magical acrobatics, and elemental powers. Kliff can wield fire, ice, or lightning, switching elements on the fly to tackle different enemies. Directional inputs influence combat moves, adding depth similar to fighting games. For example, throwing enemies can be done in multiple ways depending on button combinations and direction.

One particularly cool attack involves jumping on magical platforms and smashing down from above — visually stunning, even if I wasn’t mastering the strategy. I also discovered Kliff’s web-swinging ability, reminiscent of Spider-Man, which added a fun vertical dimension to battles and exploration. Plus, there’s Breath of the Wild-style climbing and quirky moments like bending a tree to catapult yourself.

Why Crimson Desert Feels Unreal

I honestly don’t understand how Crimson Desert is a real game. Pearl Abyss didn’t just make a visually stunning game — they tried to make a game that’s everything at once. It feels like an ambitious brainstorm session where every idea was included rather than trimmed down.

While I can’t yet say if all the features come together into a game I want to play, I’m impressed by the sheer extravagance and spectacle. Crimson Desert is a technical marvel and a bold open-world experience that you have to see to believe.

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Related: Pearl Abyss' New BlackSpace Engine Makes Crimson Desert Look So Realistic It's Scary