Today's the day for Crimson Desert — it releases late this evening at 6pm ET / 10pm GMT, and therefore the first reviews started going live last night for the PC version specifically (there are no Xbox or PS5 reviews until after launch).
As you may seen, there's been some disappointment around the 78 Metacritic rating that Crimson Desert currently possesses, but it's still good enough to place 38th in the outlet's Best Games This Year. Not amazing, but not terrible.
Let's take a look at some of those PC reviews for Crimson Desert:
Vice (5/5)
If you are someone who wants a more linear or cinematic, story-driven campaign, Crimson Desert might not be for you. However, if you loved the sense of freedom and discovery that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild had, then Crimson Desert is the next big game in that genre. Pearl Abyss has truly created something special here, that I suspect we’ll be talking about for years to come.
Windows Central (4.5/5)
Crimson Desert is the kind of game that usually only comes along once in a generation, so singular in its ambition that it will define the gaming conversation for weeks, if not months, to come. Despite granular misses, Pearl Abyss has showcased what gameplay freedom truly means.
Destructoid (8.5/10)
Crimson Desert features a fantastic, content-rich open world where player freedom is the number one priority. There is so much to do and so many places to go to that it's easy to get lost among its ancient ruins, mystical forests, and snowy mountains. A lack of polish breeds frustration, but nothing can shake up the firm foundations of this incredible title.
GamesRadar (4/5)
Crimson Desert is messy, but as you untangle its mechanics and compensate for its flaws, elements of genius and wonder make the experience worthwhile. Take time to leave the beaten path and find out which of its many facets appeals to you, and you'll discover a game that's far better as a sandbox than as a story.
PC Gamer (80/100)
It's by far one of the most interesting games I've played. Do I think it's a masterpiece? No. But its scale is genuinely something to marvel at. Trying to dissect and critique its imposing mountain of systems and features is like trying to explain how I feel about each individual leaf on a redwood tree. Small fragments of something grand, and whose foliage I'm still yet to take in as a whole. But I'm desperate to continue studying it nevertheless.
GameSpot (7/10)
It might not always be the most cohesive game, mixing high fantasy with steampunk and sci-fi elements, but there's nothing else quite like it, and I can't help but be impressed by how little restraint Pearl Abyss has shown in its commitment to delightful absurdity. In some respects, Crimson Desert might not be too good to be true, but it's a world worth getting lost in.
Game Informer (7/10)
I wish Crimson Desert had stripped away some of its superfluous systems, simplified the combat, and really honed in on exploration and puzzle-solving. The quiet moments atop mountain peaks and wandering through bustling city streets, with the little stories therein, are truly something special. However, the game’s lack of a meaningful main narrative and overreliance on padding things out undoubtedly hurt it.
Eurogamer (3/5)
Make no mistake, Crimson Desert is a technically proficient game with killer combat (pesky lock-on aside). Yet its characters and story are fatally undercooked. And for all Pywel's spectacular visual construction which impresses in its gigantic scale and gleaming prettiness, it lacks a certain distinctiveness.
Shacknews (5/10)
Crimson Desert is an exercise in excess, and it is worse for it. If you believe more is always better and are so enraptured by “world big” that you are willing to overlook substantial, glaring flaws (and there are many), you’ll love Crimson Desert. Perhaps the most damning thing I can say about Crimson Desert is that it is an enormous game with a ton of content, and I spent most of my time with it wishing I was doing anything else.
In terms of the Xbox reviews, players will obviously start sharing their impressions once the game goes live on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S later today, but we're not expecting any official reviews from critics until a little bit after that — as far as we know, Xbox codes don't go live for anyone (including reviewers) until the public release.
We will attempt to bring you some Xbox console footage of Crimson Desert as soon as possible though, as we know there's a lot of interest surrounding how well it'll perform on both the Series X and S. Stay tuned for that ASAP!