Crimson Desert Now Has 'Mostly Positive' Reviews On Steam

Following a launch that was met with divisive opinions from both players and critics, Crimson Desert has now managed to claw its way up to a mostly positive review rating on Steam. Crimson Desert launched for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on March 19, but its lackluster story, clunky controls, and overwhelming number of features have meant that Pearl Abyss’ latest release isn’t for everyone.

In a year filled with massive releases, which even includes new Resident Evil, Grand Theft Auto, and Forza Horizon entries, standing out from the crowd is no easy feat. However, Pearl Abyss has managed to make Crimson Desert one of the most anticipated video game launches of 2026, largely thanks to its massive scope, stunning open-world, and baffling number of gameplay features. Although some of the game’s most impressive elements have been overshadowed by controversies, Crimson Desert has still managed to sell more than 2 million copies in its first 24 hours.

Should You Play Crimson Desert with Keyboard and Mouse or Controller?

It’s a matter of preference, but there are some things to consider for both input methods when playing Crimson Desert.

Crimson Desert Climbs to Mostly Positive On Steam

Alongside some impressive sales figures, Crimson Desert pulled in some impressive figures on Steam, peaking at more than 248,000 concurrent players during the game’s first weekend. However, reviews from players were initially mixed, with many complaining about the overwhelming number of systems, clunky controls, and a pretty lackluster plot. Over the weekend, as more and more players experienced Crimson Desert‘s ambitious open-world, reviews have continued to flood in on Steam. As spotted by The Gamer, Crimson Desert now has a mostly positive Steam rating, with more than 20,000 user reviews at the time of writing. In total, 77% of all English reviews on the platform are positive.

Balance the critic averages

Easy (6)Medium (8)Hard (10)

It’s clear that Crimson Desert isn’t for everybody, with the overall sentiment being that it takes roughly 10 hours before the gameplay finally clicks. But there’s no denying that even those who are enjoying Pearl Abyss’ latest release still have concerns over certain elements. Earlier today, the developer released a brand-new update for Crimson Desert that was aimed at addressing some of players’ biggest gripes. Patch 1.00.03, which is available to download now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, includes tons of bug fixes and adjustments to keyboard and mouse controls.

Crimson Desert‘s controls have been one of the biggest complaints to come from players following the game’s launch last week, and Pearl Abyss is well aware of the issue. While patch 1.00.03 has already made some much-needed improvements, the developer also noted that this is not the end of control improvements. “We will continue to improve both controller and keyboard/mouse controls moving forward,” Pearl Abyss said in the patch notes for Crimson Desert‘s newest update.

Pearl Abyss also recently responded to the controversial use of AI in Crimson Desert. While the world is full of intricate details to discover and explore, it didn’t take long for players to notice that an in-game painting was seemingly created using generative AI. Pearl Abyss then confirmed the speculation in an official statement, apologizing to fans as it revealed that some 2D visual props were created as part of an early-stage iteration using experimental AI generative tools. The studio said the use of AI allowed it to rapidly explore tone and atmosphere in the earlier phases of production, but that these assets were never intended to be in the full release of the game.