Crimson Desert Review: Story Buried in the Sandbox

Phasmophobia has sold more than 30 million copies across PC and console since it launched in Early Access in 2020. Developer Kinetic Games shared the milestone alongside confirming the return of Crimson Eye, its annual Halloween event, which is now live and runs until 1st November.

Crimson Desert looks like a perfectly fine game. I've not played it, and I don't intend to, so my perspective is based predominantly on trailers and reviews from my industry peers. Which, as it happens, also generally seemed to reach a consensus of "yeah, it's fine. " Sibling site European Gamer certainly seemed to think so, as did others. But if you ask the European CEO of developer Pearl Abyss Lybee Park, the difference between critic and user scores comes down to the fact that the former didn't have the "the fair chance to explore" the game in full during the review period. Speaking to The Game Business, Park explained, "I do believe both parties have fair points, especially critics. They had to play the build that is not the exact same version as the launch game. They also had limited time. Usually, the classical approach when they review the game is following the main quest line. But our unique charm is spread all over our in-game world. All those tiny details that are hidden… I don't think critics had a fair chance to explore those during the review period. "

The first post-launch patch for Crimson Desert is here, and the list of changes is promising, even if it doesn't go far enough to address some deeper issues. Crimson Desert has been out for a few days now, and as positive as its been received by many players, the game suffers from several fundamental issues that anyone who’s played it has called out.

We're merely days away from the end of the first quarter of 2026, and Crimson Desert has come in clutch to join the list of big sellers. Crimson Desert, the open-world action RPG off-shoot from Korean MMO Black Desert Online, has officially launched, nearly six years after it was initially revealed. The game has been building up a lot of momentum over the years, which recently coalesced to turn it into one of 2026’s most anticipated titles.

Finally, a PC specification list that actually indicates resolution and framerate targets, and doesn't leave console players behind. Crimson Desert is a little over one week away from release, and developer Pearl Abyss has delivered the official, final list of specs for the game. The twist is that the specs not only include useful information for PC players, they also cover similarly relevant details for console players, who traditionally don’t get mentioned in those reveals.

Austin Manchester is a writer and editor living in New York City. At Polygon, he covers gaming and entertainment news, reviews new video games, interviews behind-the-scenes talent, and more. He enjoys discovering hidden gems and sharing them with Polygon's audience. Previously, he was the gaming editor for AIPT Comics and has written for other outlets like XDA, How-To Geek, and The List. He enjoys soulslikes, character-driven RPGs, and third-person shooters plucked straight out of the Xbox 360 era. He also likes to flex his non-video game nerdy knowledge sometimes, whether that's explaining who's who in the new Wolverine game or recommending a comic book series about a sentient sword.