{"id":946061,"date":"2025-12-31T13:20:18","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T13:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.polygon.com\/?p=443884"},"modified":"2025-12-31T13:20:18","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T13:20:18","slug":"crimson-deserts-wild-combat-left-me-skeptical-at-gamescom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcader.org\/news\/crimson-deserts-wild-combat-left-me-skeptical-at-gamescom\/","title":{"rendered":"Crimson Desert\u2019s wild combat left me skeptical at Gamescom"},"content":{"rendered":"
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With one of the game industry\u2019s most popular MMOs, Black Desert Online,<\/em> under its belt, developer Pearl Abyss is shifting to a single-player open-world action game with Crimson Desert<\/em>. As someone who dabbled with Black Desert<\/em> but lacked the dedication to stick with it, I\u2019ve been looking forward to Crimson Desert<\/em>\u2019s solo-minded approach and I enthusiastically embarked on a hands-on slice of the game during Gamescom. Yet while Crimson Desert<\/em> teems with dangerous, mythical threats, my fiercest opponent reared its head on a systems level.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Crimson Desert<\/em> unfolds on the vast continent of Pywel and puts players in the bloodstained shoes of brooding mercenary Kliff. A band of fellow swords-for-hire accompanies Kilff on his mission to save this beleaguered land, though I didn\u2019t see much of it in the Gamescom demo, which focused on melee action via four selectable boss fights.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Although Crimson Desert<\/em>\u2019s vibe evokes the gritty fantasy of Game of Thrones<\/em> (and Kliff heavily resembles Jon Snow with face paint), its gameplay comes across more playful. Imagine combining fast-paced hack-\u2019n-slash action with WWE 2K grappling and a dash of monster scaling \u00e0 la Dragon\u2019s Dogma or Monster Hunter. Kliff can hack apart foes by stringing together melee combos using his sword or weapons the enemies drop. Hilariously, he can also execute a range of pro wrestling moves, from a running dropkick to a giant swing to even a straight-up RKO.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Kliff also boasts maneuverability in the form of the Crow\u2019s Wing, essentially a glider that aids in traversal. A precision focus ability slows time, allowing him to carefully pick off targets using his bow. He can climb atop larger adversaries and stab weak points to bring beasts to their knees. Pearl Abyss has gone out of its way to make every swing, slice, and impalement look cool, as nearly every big attack produces a shower of colorful particle effects. <\/p>\n

Each of the four boss battles in the Gamescom demo offered a distinct challenge. I tackled the Staglord first, a sword and shield-bearing lord who provided a relatively easy and straightforward challenge. The second boss, a speedy scarecrow-like masked menace called the Reed Devil, proved the most maddening foe. His ability to quickly dart around a wheat field and take potshots from afar meant keeping him in view was disorienting. When I got him in my crosshairs, he often struck first or changed position. The windows of opportunity to retaliate seemed small, and since most attacks caused Kliff to leave his feet, simply recovering meant losing the chance to retaliate. <\/p>\n

The battle against White Horn, a yeti-like beast sporting massive horns, was reminiscent of facing the Great Ape in Sekiro<\/em>. This monster threw himself at me with a wild and unpredictable melee assault. He also unleashed ice storms that froze Kliff in place, leaving me vulnerable to attack. I found success with a more hit-and-run defense to stay out of his sizeable reach for as long as possible. The final foe, the Queen Stoneback Crab, was a giant crab made of rock. This battle channels Shadow of the Colossus<\/em>, requiring players to scale a crystal-laden shell to attack weak points that will presumably bring it to its knees. I say \u201cpresumably\u201d because, unfortunately, my hour-long session concluded before I could see this fight to its conclusion.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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