After back-to-back patches last week, the Crimson Desert development team only has one for this week – and at over two months of post-launch support, it’s beyond ridiculous at this point. How much further can it go in terms of new additions aside from adding New Game Plus? Is there any point in even asking?
Regardless, patch 1.08 is here, and once again, it’s fairly sizable, addressing several long-standing complaints while improving other areas, and adding things that you didn’t even know you wanted. Whether the time to slow down is tomorrow, next week or next month, let’s dive into ten of the biggest changes with this update, starting with one of the most requested…
Dedicated Tool Slot
One of the most annoying elements of the secondary weapon slot has finally been addressed, as tools finally get their own dedicated slot. No more cycling through two-handed swords to get to your pickaxe; no more frenetic shuffling past the broom, the axe, the mallet (why do you still have that?) to get to your two-hander. Tools are now in their own slot right beneath secondary weapons, with masks and circlets now residing in the Armor tab – which isn’t the most ideal for some quick thievery, but you win some, you lose some.
The Pond
While having a literal zoo with different pets and farm animals is one thing, it felt incomplete without a place for all the fishies. Rejoice, because you can now construct a pond at the Howling Hill and Pailune Camps. Any fish can be released into the pond – the more of a specific species, the greater their numbers will increase. Legendary Fish can also reside in the pond and won’t be removed under any circumstance, with the caveat being you can only have one (plus you can no longer get rid of them or sell them). If you’ve ever wanted your own personal aquarium or just a place to harvest fish for future meals, then this is a very welcome addition.
New Small Animals and A Baby Wyvern
And to further accommodate those who like creature collecting, 20 new species of small animals have been added, including a small griffon-like creature and a baby Wyvern. The latter is even more interesting because there are plans to let you raise and use it like a mount in a future update. We are officially in the “How to Train Your Dragon” arc. Perhaps the same thing could happen for the griffon? Either way, if you were hoping to expand on the miniature zoo back in camp with the likes of the rabbit-like beings from the Abyss and whatnot, now’s your chance.
Firearms for Kliff
Kliff finally discovered something more powerful than friendship – a gun. More specifically, muskets and shotguns. That’s right – he can now use both firearm types, expanding on his build potential. And one of those builds involves the Abyss Gear that has a chance of not consuming an arrow when used, since it now applies to bullets. So if you want to dash around, constantly unloading shotgun shells into a boss without mercy, have at it. Is the next step to allow Oongka and Damiane to use bows? It would certainly fit with the latter’s sense of agility, which is a good time to mention that both characters can now execute Focused Aerial Rolls for even faster traversal.
Superior Branches and Instant Refinement
The Sturdy Tree Branch has always been an unusual weapon choice – what it lacks in damage, it makes up for in Attack Speed Lv 3 and Movement Speed Lv 3, which applies passively even if you’re not using it. This makes it perfect for those relying on a two-handed weapon since it gets both buffs. Well, now you can craft a Superior Branch using regular or special tree branches at Refinement Level 10 because…well, why not? Perhaps more significant is the instant equipment refinement at the Blacksmith. No more having to confirm the materials.
Re-blockade for Bandit Camps and Ruins
Re-blockading, introduced in patch 1.05 and allowing enemies to reoccupy previously liberated areas, has been expanded. Alongside forts and quarries, you’ll now encounter re-blockaded ruins and bandit camps. There’s still a way to go in terms of adding every major liberated area to the list, but for now, this should further ensure that you never run out of enemies to practice new builds on. Or for attempting Superior Branch-only runs like a madman.
Secondary Keys, Reassigning Inputs and More
The UI improvements continue to roll in, and there are actually some pretty welcome changes. For example, you can now freely assign the shortcut keys for Inventory, Skills, Photo Mode (which now defaults to P), the Map, and Menu to your liking. All input keys can now have secondary keys assigned if you so desire. And perhaps most underrated of all – the prompt to pet an animal only pops up when you’re aiming at them with the cursor, and can be cancelled if you dodge roll.
Blackstar Improvements
No, the cooldown on Blackstar hasn’t been reduced, nor has its usage duration been lengthened, but look at it this way – at least the camera movement while aiming during flight is improved. The overall controls and camera perspective also feel better, making the actual act of flying that much more enjoyable. If that wasn’t enough, you can now use Blinding Flash on Blackstar, and while this may not seem all that significant, it’s an ideal crowd control tool when you need some breathing room from the enemies on the ground (especially those spamming projectiles).
Raytraced Sun/Moon Light Shadows
There is the usual range of graphical fixes here and there, from distant vegetation occasionally flickering to this weird iridescent (their word, not mine) that would sometimes appear on the ground. But the biggest features include ray-traced sun/moon light shadows, and the latter sounds just perfect for the new Night Tone Mode. You can toggle it in the Settings under Graphics. On the smaller but still significant side, placing objects on water surfaces now enables indicators, making the entire process that much smoother.
Separate Map Markers for Locations
Wrapping it all up is my personal favorite new addition to the map – you can now place separate markers depending on your location. On its own, that sounds exactly like the current system, but the keyword is “location.” This change ensures that the mainland and the Abyss have separate markers, and they’ll only appear when viewing those locations. Furthermore, tracking markers will now appear on the minimap, ensuring even easier navigation.
Of course, as always, there’s more. Damiane’s chain attacks after dodging while unarmed are better, making her even more of a melee menace; fish traps now allow for actually catching fish; some 2D visual assets have been replaced to “better align with the game’s art direction”; and some of Kliff’s helms now look even better. At this point, asking whether the player base is satisfied is irrelevant – the development team will continue updating Crimson Desert until it can’t, sleep and vacation time be damned. It’s getting concerning at this point.
Anyway, tune in next week when the next patch drops, and probably adds a whole new region, complete with 20 new bosses or something. Which is sarcasm, but at this point, given the run that this team is on, is it really?