Crimson Desert Debuts to “Mixed” Steam Rating, Peaks at 239,045 Concurrent Players

PC launch numbers on Steam aren't the worst of Pearl Abyss's open-world title, but the response isn't exactly mind-blowing either.

Hype can be a funny thing – one moment it’s carrying a release to reportedly solid pre-order numbers, the next it’s tanking shares. Such is the case with Crimson Desert, which currently has 78 Metascore – not bad, but many probably expected better. Then there’s the Steam numbers, as the open-world action-adventure peaked at 239,045 concurrent players shortly after release.

Again, not bad, but considering the sheer amount of hype, one has to wonder if recent reviews may have made some players wary. We’ll see when the weekend rolls around, but even more intriguing is the Steam rating. It’s rated at “Mixed” currently, with about 67 percent of 5,328 reviews giving it the thumbs-up.

Among the complaints are the complexity of the controls, with no option to remap them and the user interface. Inventory management is also a problem, but the development team plans to allow storing some items with the housing function. Those hoping for a compelling story should also think twice – check out our review for more details on why.

Regardless, Pearl Abyss will release additional patches and continue to improve the experience – how extensively remains to be seen. In the meantime, you can read our analysis on the visuals, arguably Crimson Desert’s biggest strength next to the combat.

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