Like the Greymanes at the start of its story, things didn’t go too well for Crimson Desert at the time of its launch. The game had its problems, but the rapid response from the developer helped alleviate fears that it was going to fade away into the background as other titles came around to pull away its player base. It’s been around three weeks since then, and Pywel is now an entirely different beast altogether. And it looks like the developer is just getting started.
The first two patches for the game were noteworthy for a long list of players requested changes that showcased a willingness to engage with the ones who matter most to any great game: the people playing it. And now, the new developer update from the developer has taken things up a notch, catapulting Crimson Desert to a game that’s more than just a redemption story (both in Pywel and the real world) instead of a half-hearted content update that it could have easily fallen prey to.
But what makes its upcoming changes to life in Pywel so meaningful? Let’s find out!
Change From Within
It’s always great when promises to improve are met with speedy action. Crimson Desert has done just that, turning things around for its sandbox-style gameplay loop in a way that has showcased a pattern of fast responses to specific player complaints. Flying around in Pywel is now so much better thanks to adjustments to Stamina consumption, a change that directly feeds into one of the game’s strengths which is exploration.
We remember having to constantly look out for vendors when we reviewed the game, our inventory filled up with all the loot we were picking up off the bodies of our foes, and from the world. We’re hoarders, and hated the idea of having to let things go just in case they turned out to be important later. But then, a huge chest that was exclusively our own got added to the camp. And yet, getting to it was a tad annoying as it was right behind an NPC. It’s now been moved to our tent, where getting to it has become so easy it’s almost second nature to stop by it whenever we decide to kick back and hang out with our fellow comrades.
We got an option to hide our helmets and hoods even while we reaped the defensive advantages they gave us, a detail that might seem insignificant but created a world of difference to players who took that option for granted in their games. These are just a few examples of how the developers have monitored what players have been saying about the game, and worked pretty hard to make so many changes, and make them fast.
The latest update reflects an ongoing commitment to make Crimson Desert a tale for the ages. But like any great adventure, there’s still a long way to go. But let’s dive into what’s coming in the near future first.
Patching Pain Points
One of the biggest issues that is currently plaguing Crimson Desert was that Pywel could get pretty quiet once you spend enough time liberating areas from the influence of hostile factions. There are only so many armies to take on, and formidable opponents to defeat, after all. Besides that, the fact that Damiane and Oongka can’t access many areas thanks to their lack of Axiom abilities is quite annoying, as you need to switch to Kliff who might be halfway across the map depending on where you left him.
Well, those issues are now going to become strengths for the game once the planned rollout of fixes is complete, along with a host of other changes that can make Pywel a place you keep coming back to for more.
Boss Rematches and Re-Blockading
It’s odd that the factions you repel take the loss as quietly as they currently do in Pywel. Having them attempt to reassert control in such areas not only makes sense from a narrative standpoint, but is a great way to improve replayability. It also kind of addresses issues around Damiane and Oongka’s skill trees as it could get easier to farm out Artifacts for their upgrades, while also allowing for testing new builds.
The same goes for bosses, as you can potentially attempt to take on enemies that Damiane and Oongka were previously locked out of for story purposes. Although giving the two of them a greater role in the story might be too much of a challenge, these two changes could make playing them a whole lot better. That’s going to work very well with another upcoming change.
Damiane and Oongka Getting Axiom-esque Skills
This is a big one, as it could help make exploring and engaging with Pywel as either of these characters a whole lot better. It’s probably going to help mitigate the frustration surrounding how Kliff becomes the focal point of the story despite the fact that his comrades were always presented as equally playable characters. Well, this is going to work very well with returning invasions and boss rematches to make playing them as viable an option as it can be.
Multiple Difficult Settings
This helps Crimson Desert become immediately more accessible to a wider audience, who may not have appreciated its the one-size-fits-all approach it took to combat. This is a change that showcases flexibility from the team, and one that could very well make the game one that those looking for more out of its combat system would greatly appreciate.
Hiding Shields And Weapons On Your Back
Although this one’s merely cosmetics, it’s still something that a lot of players have been complaining about. Although Kliff’s trusty Grey Wolf Shield might be a part of his epic journey, it did break the immersion just enough for it to be an annoyance, especially when many of us were dual-wielding swords for that barrage of attacks. It shows an understanding that in an experience that aims to be as cinematic as this one, these little details matter more than one might imagine.
Other Miscellaneous Additions
Continuing refinements to managing your gear, materials, and key items alongside additions of new outfits, mounts, pets, and armor for both existing and new mounts and pets are all a part of the planned rollout, and are very welcome additions that allow for improved player expression in a game that’s already pretty strong on that front.
All of these changes are ones that players have been clamoring for, but why does this batch of updates resonate with them as much as it has?
The Bigger Picture
You only have to look at what’s come before the latest announcement to answer that question. We already touched upon the addition of private storage at the Howling Hill Camp, and improvements to controls and stamina management that made exploration easier. But equally important are quality-of-life changes such as improved health restoration from food, improved puzzle clarity, the ability to store multiple selected items with ease, reduced fast travel and revival loading times, new summon able mounts, the expansion of private storage, and of course, the option to choose movement controls among other fixes.
When the latest planned changes are held up against the ones that were introduced so swiftly and efficiently before, they’re a showcase of a team that has earned credibility, snatching a victory from the jaws of a defeat that seemed imminent in the game’s early days. It’s impressive that these changes were all backed up by statements from the developer that took accountability for player complaints, and how its assertion that it is monitoring community feedback is directly backed up by practical action that has stood out in terms of both its quality and quantity.
They’re all important parts of Crimson Desert’s future, as they directly improve its replayability, its accessibility, how flexible it is to different preferences from its players, and of course, the goodwill that the developer is earning with each passing week. That last part is why we believe this one’s a benchmark in how a developer should respond to player backlash, and act on addressing it with grace and intelligence.
Crimson Desert’s team hasn’t relied on silence, vague promises, or meaningless additions to the game, a problem that continues to plague modern gaming in situations where things don’t go as planned for developers. Its efforts at damage control are a perfect example of what post-launch recovery for a game should be, with the integration of the game’s community into that process. The team is giving every Greymane out there everything they need to enjoy their time in Pywel, and make the adventure feel like it’s truly their own, and doing it with a speed that has turned skepticism to optimism for an adventure that always carried potential.
Like Kliff’s ability to inspire the best in his fellow comrades, Crimson Desert can, and perhaps should, be what other titles that struggle with teething troubles should look to for inspiration in the future. Its ambitions and scope are not bolstered by a recovery effort that is as epic as all of what Pywel is able to throw at those who try to uncover everything it hides so well. And on that note, we take our leave as there’s a very interesting ruin in the distance, and we must answer its call as we wait for things to change for the better yet again.
Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.
