Ahead of its showing at Gamescom this week, we've been handed seven whole minutes of Crimson Desert gameplay. Just to refresh your memory, this is the open world action adventure from South Korean developer Pearl Abyss. When it was first revealed all the way back at The Game Awards in 2020, many questioned the project's legitimacy — and continued to do so as it received several stunning trailers across the years that followed.
But here we are, with actual raw gameplay to gawk at. The clip follows protagonist Kliff as he searches a snowy mountain for missing kids. He has to deal with some bandits before fighting a huge boss monster called White Horn.
In short, Crimson Desert still looks crazy. This is obviously a combat-focused clip, but the ambition is clear to see. Kliff comes equipped with a sword, shield, and bow. He can block, dodge, slash, and two-hand his blade if the situation calls for it. But you can also jump atop the beast Dragon's Dogma style, stabbing it with your trusty knife.
Our only criticism here is the sheer amount of screen shake. Maybe it's something you'll get used to in the finished product, but going by this gameplay, it just seems so overdone. We recall the studio's previous game, Black Desert — the action MMO — suffering from a similar visual decision.
Anyway, the potential remains massive when it comes to Crimson Desert. Hopefully we'll see even more of it at Gamescom (and a release date would be nice).