You’ve probably heard by now that Crimson Desert is a tough game. In fact, you might have even experienced it firsthand if you’ve been playing it, especially if you’ve managed to get to its first big ego check of a boss fight. Some reviews have even given Crimson Desert a lower score on account of its difficulty, which is understandable, but perhaps only from a certain point of view. Difficulty is mostly subjective, but games have been known to stretch that idea by pitting players against bosses they couldn’t hope to overcome due to obscure mechanics or impossible learning curves. Crimson Desert does tend to look like one of those games if you approach the main story’s boss fights too early, but there are ways to work around those difficulty spikes, and it starts with not trying to play it like a Soulslike game.
Firstly, Crimson Desert isn’t a Soulslike, no matter how difficult it can be at times. However, that’s precisely why you might be tempted to play it like one, spamming dodge until your fingers cramp. But I can confidently say that’s the wrong way to play this game, even though it makes you think it’s the correct way. Trying to approach Crimson Desert in the same way you might approach a game like Elden Ring or Dark Souls is going to cause you to fail repeatedly, to the point that you might feel like giving up. I had a handful of moments like that myself when I played through it. But once you play it as it’s intended to be played, things get much simpler.
Crimson Desert Review: A Remarkable Open World That Often Asks Too Much
Crimson Desert offers one of the most impressive worlds in gaming, but the deeper you go, the more it asks you to meet it on its own terms.
Stop Spamming Dodge Crimson Desert and Start Blocking, Parrying Instead
Many of Crimson Desert‘s bosses are so chaotic and move around arenas so quickly that your natural reflex is probably going to be to hit that dodge button. It’s what we usually do when we’re being attacked in a Soulslike game, after all, so why not? Plus, if I have plenty of stamina to do so, then I might as well, right? But the problem in Crimson Desert is that there are no invincibility frames when you dodge from what I’ve experienced.
Who’s That Character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
In Soulslike games, you at least generally have some i-frames after a dodge that will allow you to avoid being hit while the dodge is being executed. Even though spamming dodge is discouraged in those games because it eats up your stamina, it’s still one of the most effective ways to avoid damage. In Crimson Desert, the lack of those frames means you can still take damage while dodging, so not only will you use a fair amount of stamina in doing so, it could all be a waste if it’s not done at exactly the right time and in the right direction. Timing those i-frames still matters in Soulslike games, but it arguably matters even more in Crimson Desert.
Blocking and Parrying Attacks Is the Best Solution to Crimson Desert’s Challenge
So, what you should do instead—as the game actually encourages you to do fairly early on—is block and parry. Thankfully, the ability to do so isn’t limited to you having a shield equipped, which means you can do it with a variety of weapons. But the main benefit to at least parrying an attack is that successfully executing it will briefly stun enemies, which is all but necessary in a game as challenging as Crimson Desert. Even bosses are subject to a temporary parry-induced stun, making learning their attack patterns all the more worth it so you can throw up that shield or sword at precisely the right time.
I actually didn’t learn this until I was around 30 hours into Crimson Desert, facing what I would consider to be one of the most difficult early bosses in the game. Despite being an optional boss, I knew I needed to tackle it because all the other reviewers were saying it dropped an extremely powerful weapon that made future encounters much easier. But what ultimately made the fight so challenging was not just that the boss moved too quickly, but that I wouldn’t stop dodging. Because no matter how much I dodged, he somehow found his way through and hit me anyway.
Note that parrying attacks in Crimson Desert does require the Keen Senses skill in the Spirit tree, which is also useful for more effective dodging.
As a result, I started disciplining myself to parry. All of a sudden, attack sequences that seemed endless and unavoidable were capable of being interrupted, giving me just enough of an opening to strike. In the end, that fight went from being one where my heart was racing and my breaths were short to one where I felt smarter, more powerful than the boss. Where my first 10–20 attempts saw me removing insignificant portions of his health bar, my final attempt saw me depleting it within around 60 seconds.
If You Truly Insist on Dodging in Crimson Desert, There Are Skills That Can Help
Now, if you just absolutely must dodge in Crimson Desert because you can’t quit the habit for some reason, there are skills that can help with that. Keep in mind that these skills will not suddenly give your dodges i-frames or make them overpowered maneuvers. They will simply allow you to move more quickly around the battlefield and make it easier for you to avoid attacks.
Best Skills for Evasive Combat in Crimson Desert
- Evasive Roll
- Focus
- Keen Senses
Firstly, the most important thing you can do is invest in your Stamina stat first, and then your Health stat alongside it. This will allow you to dodge more frequently and also survive the frequent onslaughts you’ll get from bosses. However, the three skills you’ll want to focus on apart from those stats are Evasive Roll, Keen Senses, and Focus—all of which are in the Spirit tree.
Evasive Roll is one you’re likely to acquire early on in the game, but if you want to get it even earlier than that, it only costs one Abyss Artifact. This actually allows you to execute an appropriate dodge, where pressing the evade button/key will allow you to roll away and potentially avoid an attack. Focus is another great skill to invest in for dodging, as it allows you to slow time enough that you can avoid being hit. That being said, Focus is still just as useful, if not more so, for parrying attacks in Crimson Desert.
The main benefit to at least parrying an attack is that successfully executing it will briefly stun enemies, which is all but necessary in a game as challenging as Crimson Desert.
The most important skill on this list, however, is Keen Senses—an absolute must if you want to rely on dodges during combat. When Keen Sense is upgraded, you can execute a timed dodge right before getting hit that will remove you from the attack and prevent it from hitting you. It’s honestly one of the most satisfying maneuvers to pull off in Crimson Desert‘s combat, but it does take practice, and it still can’t be spammed without consequence. Even with those dodge-based skills, though, the most effective way to succeed in Crimson Desert‘s toughest boss encounters is by getting skilled at parrying attacks.
At a glance, Crimson Desert can feel like it’s asking you to play it the same way you would a Soulslike, but that assumption is what can cause so much unnecessary frustration. Once you stop relying on dodging as your primary defense and start doing what it actually says you should do, the game becomes far more manageable. Its toughest fights aren’t about reacting faster or rolling more often, but about reading, timing, and taking control of the encounter. Learn that early, and what once felt punishing starts to feel deliberate, giving you the kind of confidence that only comes from understanding how the game actually wants to be played.
- Released
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
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Pearl Abyss
- Publisher(s)
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Pearl Abyss
