Pearl Abyss’ ridiculously ambitious open world action RPG Crimson Desert has looked like an intriguing prospect (to say the very least) since the moment it was first unveiled, though given that very ambition, the game has also attracted some skepticism over whether it’s actually going to be able to deliver on its many lofty promises. Recent days, however, have seen Pearl Abyss showcasing a host of new gameplay footage for the action RPG at Gamescom, which has been accompanied by significant new details on what to expect from Crimson Desert- and it’s safe to say that it continues to look promising. Here, we’re going to talk about why, as we go over 10 key takeaways after what we’ve seen of the game.
QUEEN STONEBACK CRAB
The bulk of the Crimson Desert gameplay coming out of Gamescom was focused on boss fights, with four different bosses shown off. The first of these was the Queen Stoneback Crab, which is apparently an early game boss. Sort of like a Breath of the Wild Stone Talus, she’s essentially a giant rock crab that you have to take down by exposing and then attacking three of its weak points. That, in turn, is done by climbing over its back while it tries to attack you, similar to Shadow of the Colossus, while geysers of water shoot out of its back- get caught in one of them and you’ll be thrown dozens of feet into the air.
STAGLORD
Another boss showcased at Gamescom is Staglord, a brute of a man wearing a cape and a stag crown, while being equipped with a sword and a shield. As you would imagine, this is a very different fight from the one against the Queen Stoneback Crab, taking on a mano-a-mano approach, and challenging the player with more vicious and up close attacks to dodge and block. This fight also has multiple phases, and definitely looks to be much more of a challenge than the aforementioned rock crab.
REED DEVIL
Then there’s the Reed Devil, which is a fight that takes place in a field of reeds, with your foe being a mysterious masked and cloaked figure with all manner of supernatural powers, from being able to vanish in a smoke of cloud to using hard-hitting, high-flying attacks. This, too, is a multi-stage fight, with a later stage seeing the Reed Devil using trickery and hallucinations to throw off protagonist Skiff. Another interesting detail to spot during the fight is that the reeds amidst which it takes place can be seen being dynamically chopped throughout the fight.
WHITE HORN
The fourth and final boss that Pearl Abyss showcased at Gamescom was the White Horn, which is a giant ape-like create with white, flowing fur and huge, antler-like horns- a terrifying monstrosity, to say the very least. Taking place in the middle of a snowstorm against what cuts a massively intimidating figure, this is probably the best boss fight that was showcased for the game at Gamescom. Fans of Sekiro’s Guardian Ape (of which there’s no shortage) will find it familiar- though it’s probably safe to assume that Crimson Desert isn’t going for anything remotely close to that sort of approach to challenge.
COMBAT BASICS
Let’s rewind and talk about the basics- because there’s a lot to talk about here. Crimson Desert’s combat is clearly going to be one of the biggest draws of the experience, and based on what’s been shown so far, it’s going to be fast, aggressive, and gleefully over-the-top. Players will have access to light and heavy attacks on the R1 and R2 buttons, while you can also expect dodges, blocks, parries, and ripostes to take an important role. You can also kick enemies at any time, which, when done right after a jump, turns into a two-footed kick. There’s also an equipment wheel that players can bring up to quickly swap between different weapons, items, and equipment.
MORE COMBAT DETAILS
Crimson Desert’s combat is going to be quite action-focused, though players will still have to manage a stamina meter, with blocking and using skills requiring stamina (more on the latter in a bit). In addition to stamina, players will also have to keep an eye on a Spirit meter, which is what’s used for the Force Palm ability, which you use by pressing in the right stick. Force Palm does exactly what its name suggests, shooting out a wave of energy from your palm. You can, of course, use it in combat, but you can also use it during traversal to give yourself vertical boosts, especially if you combine it with jumps of your own.
BOW
The gameplay that’s been shown for Crimson Desert at Gamescom suggests that the sword and shield combination is going to be your primary way of dealing with foes in combat as far as weapons are concerned, though players will also have access to a bow. It can be whipped out in combat anytime, and players will also have access to different ammo types, such as explosive arrows, freezing arrows, and what have you. Again, it seems safe to assume that melee combat will be your primary form of engaging the enemy in this game, but similar to, say, Breath of the Wild, you will also have ancillary ranged options available.
SKILLS
On top of your basic combat moves, in Crimson Desert, you’ll also be able to pull off combos or special skills through specific multi-button inputs. For instance, there’s the Neckbreaker attack, which is essentially an RKO, while something like the Blinding Flash skill is used to blind and briefly incapacitate enemies. There’s Precision Focus, which lets you shoot arrows in slow motion while you dive to the side; Flurry Slash, which unleashes a deadly combo of sword swipes; Turning Slash, which deals a vicious blow at the enemy before then hurling them away; and more.
GLIDING
In a post Breath of the Wild world, it’s become increasingly common for open world games to feature some sort of a gliding mechanic, and it looks like Crimson Desert is doing that as well. Multiple times through the newly released gameplay, we can see the protagonist, Skiff, turning his cloak into what look like large, tattered raven wings, which he then uses to slowly glide to the ground. Whether or not the game will place any limitations on how freely this mechanic can be used remains to be seen.
GRAPPLE HOOK
Something else that we spotted (specifically during the Queen Stoneback Crab boss fight) was what looks like a grappling hook, with Skill at one point pulling out a white, ghostly strand that he uses as a rope to swing through the air around the boss. Again, we don’t know how frequently this mechanic can be used, but it’s yet another gameplay option that players can choose to engage with- an area where Crimson Desert is already looking quite densely packed.