Every Feature Confirmed for Crimson Desert So Far

Crimson Desert is without a doubt one of the most anticipated games of the year, and quite possibly, one of the most anticipated of the decade. Ever since bits and pieces of footage from the game began making the rounds on the internet, many fans have shared the sentiment that Crimson Desert looks “too good to be true,” simply because of how sprawling it is and the fact that it seems to let players do almost anything they can think of. Since then, early previews of the game have confirmed that it is, in fact, real, though whether the “too good” aspect of those first impressions is still up for debate.

While Pearl Abyss hasn’t revealed everything players will be experiencing in Crimson Desert, the developer still hasn’t shied away from giving fans just enough information to whet their appetite for what is to come when the game launches on March 19. From deep dives into the game’s many features via a few “features overview” videos to regular posts and clips on social media, players have been given plenty of glimpses into Crimson Desert‘s expansive world already.

Crimson Desert Is Jam-Packed With Features

Crimson Desert is a massive game, and because of that, even limiting every feature confirmed to “so far” is still going to result in a lengthy list. Pearl Abyss has already been straightforward about just how much players will have to do in the open-world action-adventure game, and it seems that up to this point, the developer has only revealed a handful (proportionally speaking) of what players can expect. With a sizable open world and floating sky islands to explore, as well as an extensive list of systems like combat, progression, crafting, cooking, and fishing, it seems Crimson Desert players may never run out of things to do.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

Who’s That Character?

Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.

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Every Crimson Desert Feature Confirmed So Far

MASSIVE, SEAMLESS OPEN WORLD – Massive seamless world with multiple regions across a war-torn medieval fantasy land.
THREE PLAYABLE CHARACTERS – Players initially control Kliff, but can eventually unlock Damiane and Oongka.
COMBO-BASED COMBAT – Dynamic swordplay featuring combos, grapples, and environmental attacks.
MAGIC AND SPIRIT POWERS – Elemental and supernatural abilities enhance combat.
LARGE-SCALE BOSS FIGHTS – Battles against giant creatures, mechanical enemies, and mythical beasts.
HORSEBACK COMBAT – Mounted fighting and travel across the open world.
SKILL TREE PROGRESSION – Character abilities improve through RPG-style progression.
CLIMBING AND GLIDING – Parkour-style traversal with vertical world exploration.
SKY ISLAND EXPLORATION – Floating islands act as key exploration zones.
VARIED MOUNTS AND VEHICLES – Ride creatures like dragons, or even mech suits.
FISHING AND HUNTING ACTIVITIES – Optional survival-style activities in the world.
CRAFTING AND COOKING SYSTEMS – Gathering resources to create items and meals.
INTERACTIVE OPEN-WORLD EVENTS – Environmental storytelling, encounters, and dynamic world activities.
DESTRUCTIBLE ENVIRONMENTS – Objects and terrain react to combat and physics interactions.
DYNAMIC WEATHER SYSTEM – Environmental conditions affect visuals and atmosphere.

Crimson Desert’s Open World Is Massive, Highly Interactive, and a Core Part of the Experience

The star of the Crimson Desert show is undoubtedly its seamless open world, which the developer has already confirmed is twice the size of Skyrim‘s open world and larger than Red Dead Redemption 2‘s map. Ahead of the game’s launch, Pearl Abyss has showcased what it has often called the game’s “interactive world,” on account of how much there is for players to interact with, even apart from standard game activities like quests and crafting. The open world feeds directly into Crimson Desert‘s progression as well, with players finding valuable items called Abyss Artifacts while they explore that they can use to unlock new skills and stat boosts for each of the game’s three playable characters—Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka.

As players explore Crimson Desert‘s open world, they can do so on horseback, other mounts, or by simply parkouring their way through it. In fact, the game seems to take a Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom approach to exploration in that way, not just because of the horseback riding, but because players can climb almost anything in Crimson Desert, use a glider-like set of wings to soften falls or cover ground in the air, and even leap from the sky islands in an almost identical fashion to TotK.

There are also plenty of activities to do in Crimson Desert‘s open world, like fishing and hunting—both of which can offer resources for cooking and crafting, or be sold for coin. Certain objects in the environment can even be interacted with using special abilities, with one already revealed that resembles Tears of the Kingdom‘s Ultrahand almost to a tee. And in the midst of all this exploration, Crimson Desert aims to immerse players in its world with its day-night cycle and dynamic weather system, which features animations like wind and rain.

Crimson Desert’s Combat Offers a Flexible Range of Playstyles

While Crimson Desert‘s open world is certainly a highlight of the whole experience, the game wouldn’t be anything without its engaging combat. According to Pearl Abyss, the action-adventure title’s combat is “full of possibility,” as players can theoretically approach battles in the way they choose. With individual skill trees for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka—and unique playstyles between the three of them—Crimson Desert offers a flexible approach to combat that ultimately puts players in charge.

Based on what has been revealed so far, Crimson Desert features at least 50 unique bosses for players to tackle as they complete quests and explore the open world. There are no difficulty options in the game, however, which means these encounters are likely to challenge just about anyone, requiring more mastery than an unlocked skill tree. To defeat these bosses, as well as the game’s rank-and-file enemies, players will need to take full advantage of Crimson Desert‘s combo-based action combat system, which requires inputting specific key/button sets to execute special skills.

As previously mentioned, there is far more to expect from Crimson Desert once it launches on March 19. Everything mentioned here is only what has been confirmed by Pearl Abyss up to this point, presumably in order to avoid spoiling the experience. Nevertheless, with a massive open world filled with plenty of things to do and a combat system that not only aims to challenge but reward, Crimson Desert is packed with features, clearly aiming to impress.