Crimson Desert is finally here, and the reviews are…fine. Doesn’t matter, though, because as of writing, the game has sold over three million copies. Questionable A.I. usage, crappy story, and convoluted control schemes be damned. I was fully planning on being one of those millions. I had set aside a crisp Canadian Borden in the hopes that I’d be whisked away into an incredible open-world, one that rivalled the likes of The Witcher 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Breath of the Wild. Titles that many, myself included, consider to be some of gaming’s finest. But I held off on hitting that purchase button on Steam for two reasons. One, I realized those weren’t the comparisons I was making—they were ones made by, well, you, and I simply got caught up in the hype. And two…

I’ll get to Elden Ring in a bit. First, let’s talk about expectations, because boy, did all of ya’ll set them incredibly high for Crimson Desert. Lofty expectations for a game being made by a developer who, up until now, was ostensibly only known for creating an MMO titled Black Desert Online. Being made for a game by a developer with no real experience in the single-player, triple-A space. The thing is, I knew this. When Crimson Desert was revealed at The Game Awards back in 2020, we saw a trailer that looked almost too good to be true. A sprawling high fantasy open world, dynamic combat that looked like it had weight, incredible visuals, puzzles, monsters, dragons—you name it, this game seemed to have it. It even had Generic White Dude Protagonist #4.

After that reveal, I hadn’t really thought about or looked into Crimson Desert much until just a few months ago, when the game had gone gold. For me, up until then, it was a “wait and see” situation. Predominantly because I was aware of what Pearl Abyss had done before, and even though they’d had quite a bit of success with Black Desert Online—a game I dabbled in and somewhat enjoyed on my phone back in 2018—I was not going to set my expectations all that high. This, as I would quickly learn, was not the case for all of you. Reddit posts and comments under gameplay videos were rife with folks beaming with excitement. In awe of what we’ve seen thus far, and writing in such a manner you’d think this game was going to be the second coming of gaming Jesus. It was hard not to get caught up in the frenzy. So, against my better judgment, I bought a ticket aboard the hype train. 

Then, March 18th, 2026, arrived. The date on which the embargo for Crimson Desert would be lifted. A day before the game’s official launch. Which, if history serves, should have been a warning. The hopeful side of me, the side that had now been fully enwrapped in the hype, was expecting the game to settle in the late-80s on aggregate sites like OpenCritic, with the delusional side thinking it might even sneak into the low 90s. The little bit of the skeptical side of me that was left was expecting it to hover around the low-80s. Well, looks like that skeptical side won (annoying bastard). Actually, he may have even been a little optimistic with his prediction because, as of writing, Crimson Desert stands at a 78 on Metacritic. 

The biggest complaints about Crimson Desert from the critics I’ve read and watched are that the game has incredibly clunky controls, tedious gameplay loops, frustrating quest design, botched pacing, and an awful story with terribly generic characters. Even those who did enjoy the game admit that it can take upwards of 20-30 hours before the game and all of its obtuse mechanics “click.” So basically, what you’re telling me is, the people who made Black Desert Online have essentially made Black Desert “Offline.”

Still, an aggregate score of 78 isn’t bad—far from it. And I also don’t mind giving a game some time to stick, mainly because I’d be curious to see what I feel once it hopefully does. So, I opened up Steam with the full intention of heading over to the game’s page. But something stopped me. A big banner with a cartoon chicken pulling the tail of a cartoon dinosaur (dragon?), with the words “Spring Sale” above them in beautifully bold and wonderfully pink lettering. I was going to resist; refrain from giving in to Lord Gaben’s temptations, but alas, I am only human.

“Just a quick look,” I said. A gander, an innocent perusal, then I’ll go right back and add Crimson Desert to my cart. I have a $100 to spend, and that is where I am going to spend it. Well, you’ve read the title, you know that is, indeed, not what happened. No, what happened was I saw a Game of the Year award winner, one that I had yet to play, on sale for 30% off. A game many consider to be an all-time great and arguably From Software at their finest. I also saw Red Dead Redemption 2 for $20, a game I love and have been meaning to replay to see Arthur Morgan’s story at 60fps on a PC. I also saw a couple of other titles I’d been wanting to try out for a handful of dollars. Four games, one of which was Elden Ring, for the price of one Crimson Desert. I knew what the right decision was, and so I made it. What I didn’t know, however, was just how right it was. I’d only find that out once I actually sat down and began my journey as The Tarnished One.

There have only been a few games over the course of my lifetime that have made me feel a true sense of childlike wonder and curiosity. One such game was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Frankly, there hasn’t been a game since that has given me that same sensation—until now. The moment I stepped foot out into Limgrave, my jaw dropped. Not only was this world gorgeous, but everything in my field of vision, at any given time, piqued my curiosity and made me go, “Oh, I wonder what’s over there.” (Death, sweet child, death is over there). 

Speaking of death, though, this is one aspect that I always dread before going into a Soulsborne. I love the genre and have played quite a few titles within it, and wouldn’t change how developers approach it in terms of difficulty. That being said, it’s an aspect that’s always been a barrier for me. A barrier that I am happy to masochistically bang my head against because of how much I love the gameplay loop and visual aesthetic of many of these games. At one point, however, I do feel fatigued by the repetition of grinding out Souls (or Blood Echoes or Will or whatever the developer wants to call their version of it); feeling like I have no option but to repeat the same area, over and over again, just so I can level up to tackle the big baddie that’s been kicking my ass for a week (Looking at you, Hundred-Eyed Daoist Master).

In Elden Ring, however, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. Not because it’s not difficult (it is), but because of how big this open world is and how many different options you have in terms of character builds and, most importantly, exploration. If you’re struggling with an area or a specific enemy, that’s okay, you can head off in one of a dozen other directions and find some other secrets and mini-dungeons to explore. I, foolishly, entered Stormveil Castle at level 13 and got my ass handed to me by Margit. In other Soulsbornes, this would usually mean I’d have to retread my path, fighting through the same enemy encampments over and over, and levelling up until I could beat him. Now, I can just say, “You know what, Margit, Imma get your ass later, let me go check out what’s happening all the way over at the Weeping Peninsula.”   

What I also love is how steeped in lore and narrative this game is. From Software has always been great at telling their stories through oppressive yet enchanting environments and cryptic NPCs, and that trend continues here. I’m captivated by these lands, these Gods, and these massive Golden Trees, and can’t wait to see and understand all of it. I can’t believe I’ve been putting off playing Elden Ring for so long. In only a few hours, I can already tell this is going to be an all-timer. Hope all of you are enjoying your time playing Crimson Desert, picking up coins one at a time and playing as dollar store Jon Snow (Seriously, why is the man’s name Kliff? With a “K,” no less). I, on the other hand, am going to keep busy making my girl Moura the best Vagabond Sorceress in The Lands Between.