Pearl Abyss's massive open world action game Crimson Desert is hours away from unlocking for players, and the critic reviews have come in for gamers to digest while they wait.
Crimson Desert hit Metacritic last night with a whopping 85 critic reviews, landing at an overall average score of 78. While 74 percent of the reviews are positive, 25 percent are mixed, and there are four perfect scores in there, along with 10 at a score of six out of 10 or below. So, yeah, it's a bit all over the place.
Destructoid's own review, scored at 8.5, praised the game for its "fantastic, content-rich open world where player freedom is the number one priority," while lamenting that "a lack of polish breeds frustration."
To summarize, almost all reviews say the game features a giant open world full of things to do, but whether those things are fun is a matter of opinion. As for the game's storyline and plot, there weren't many positive comments to be found. All of the reviews are of the PC version, and there has not been any footage of the base PS5 or Xbox Series X|S made available ahead of launch.
Crimson Desert reviews round-up
Vice - 10/10
"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."
Forbes - 9.5/10
"But if the question was if Crimson Desert could really be that big and really play that well and really keep you entertained the whole time, the answer, for me, is unequivocally yes."
Windows Central - 9/10
"Crimson Desert is 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. Despite granular misses, Pearl Abyss has showcased what gameplay freedom truly means."
Destructoid - 8.5/10
"Crimson Desert features a fantastic, content-rich open world where player freedom is the number one priority. There's so much to do and so many places to go to that it's easy to get lost among its ancient ruins, mystical forests, and snowy mountains. A lack of polish breeds frustration, but nothing can shake up the firm foundations of this incredible title."
GAMINGbible - 8/10
"Crimson Desert is by no means a perfect game. It’s an amalgamation of perhaps slightly too many ideas, and that makes for a weirdly paced experience that demands a lot of the player without offering much in the way of help. And yet, it left me in awe more times than anything else I’ve played in recent memory with its dazzling open-world. Crimson Desert may not be the best game you'll ever play, but it’ll certainly be up there as perhaps the most memorable."
Game Informer - 7/10
"[Crimson Desert is] a beautiful, exploration-rich open-world game that’s a clear technological achievement, hampered by a cornucopia of little frustrations and a stark lack of narrative depth."
GameSpot - 7/10
"Crimson Desert is a frequently thrilling game, elevated by an open world well worth exploring and hard-hitting combat that delights with its depth and emphasis on player expression. It might not always be the most cohesive game, mixing high fantasy with steampunk and sci-fi elements, but there's nothing else quite like it, and I can't help but be impressed by how little restraint Pearl Abyss has shown in its commitment to delightful absurdity. In some respects, Crimson Desert might not be too good to be true, but it's a world worth getting lost in."
Eurogamer - 6/10
"A vast world and even vaster array of MMO-like activities mix with glittering fidelity in Crimson Desert, but what good is it without much character, texture or charm?"
Shacknews - 5/10
"Crimson Desert is an exercise in excess, and it is worse for it. If you believe more is always better and are so enraptured by 'world big' that you are willing to overlook substantial, glaring flaws (and there are many), you’ll love Crimson Desert. Perhaps the most damning thing I can say about Crimson Desert is that it is an enormous game with a ton of content, and I spent most of my time with it wishing I was doing anything else."
Will you be picking up Crimson Desert? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Crimson Desert reviews are in, and the score spectrum is almost as big as its gargantuan world map appeared first on Destructoid.
