Summary
It’s been a while since it last surfaced, but Pearl Abyss' upcoming titleCrimson Desertis shaping up nicely. While initially pitched as an action-MMO in the same universe as the developer’s other MMOBlack Desert Online,Crimson Deserthas been reimagined as a singleplayer game since then. As seen in the Gamescom 2023 trailer, players are free to roam a massive map as Kliff, a mercenary trying to find his comrades and the hidden truths about his past and the world he inhabits.
Along the way, Kliff can interact with townsfolk, survive in the wilderness, climb or fly just about anywhere, and have all sorts of adventures in the continent of Pywel.Crimson Desertis extremely ambitious, even compared to the fusion ofaction and MMO traits thatBlack Desertdeployed. Thanks to that, there’s no release date in sight, though the game looks like it’s making progress. Some help focusing its development may come fromCrimson Desert’s various open world inspirations, one of which is more obvious than the rest.
RELATED:Crimson Desert Could Be More Than This Generation’s Witcher
Tears of the Kingdom’s Sky Islands Return In Crimson Desert
The various survival simulation elements inCrimson Desertcould be said to resembleRed Dead Redemption 2, and various other parts of the title draw comparisons to popularopen world titles likeSkyrimorThe Witcher 3. However, all of that is nothing in the face of the many elements shared not just withThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but also its recently-released sequelTears of the Kingdom. It’s surprising how much it resembles the recentLegend of Zeldatitle after both spent years in development, sharing a strong emphasis on sky islands and different methods for flight.
While the chances of a subterranean map inCrimson DesertlikeTotK’s Depths are low, the game almost seems to be a direct response toTears of the Kingdom’s 2021 gameplay reveal trailer. Judging by available footage, certain regions of the world have tightly-packed groups of sky islands that can be reached through portals, hot air balloons, skydiving, and possibly other methods like the protagonist’s shadowy wraith form. These seem like an idealized version of the morethinly-spread sky islands inTears of the Kingdom, though it’s too early to say if this is accurate, or if these weren’t always planned forCrimson Desert.
Crimson Desert Gives Many Breath of the Wild Elements Its Own Twist
SettingTears of the Kingdom-specific comparisons aside, there are plenty of similarities toBreath of the Wildas well. First and foremost,Crimson Desertis takinginspiration fromZelda’s acclaimed open world freedom approach. It seems players can approach problems from any angle, and will be met with the appropriate resistance, such as a castle launching explosives at a falling Kliff. How far this approach goes is unclear, but ifCrimson Desertcan recapture the magic ofZeldaallowing players to define their own story progress, it should impress many.
Plenty of other details are present, such as dynamically capturing horses, climbing certain surfaces freely, and, perhaps most conspicuously, interacting with the world through special powers. Chances ofCrimson Desertreplicating Ultrahand are low, especially with how broad its many mechanics are, but something functioning similarly toBreath of the Wild’s Magnesis Runeis featured in the Gamescom trailer. Many modern open world games are recognized for borrowing elements like climbing, gliding, and Shrine-like mini-dungeons fromBotW, soCrimson Deserthas a lot to prove if it wants to stand out from the rest.
Crimson Desertis now in development for PC and consoles.
MORE:Why It Seems Like Every Game is Copying The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Lately
