Summary
After fans waited years for any updates toCrimson Desert,Pearl Abyss broke its silence with an action-packed trailerthat promises to create one of the finest experiences in the RPG genre. Compared with the likes ofThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen,Elden Ring, and evenRed Dead Redemption 2, the standards in the realm of fans' expectations have risen in rapid fashion.
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While many have chosen to remain skeptical as to what will be included in the game’s full release based on the trailer, fans' eyes are also fixated on the modern-day prerequisites of an RPG and narrative-driven title, and whetherCrimson Desertwill adhere to these.
5Story
Without question,Crimson Desert’s narrative will be one of the most pivotal aspects. Given the shift from an MMO early in development, which would go hand-in-hand withBlack Desert, to a single-player narrative-driven RPG title, the execution of the story by Pearl Abyss will now become an integral matter in terms of its scrutiny and potential success.
With the brief details of its story being revealed with its initial reveal trailer in 2019, it suggests possible inspirations of many popular games and TV series, withGame of ThronesandFinal Fantasy 16comparisonsbeing made due to their high fantasy settings and characters. If Pearl Abyss can executeCrimson Desert’s story in a convincing and plausible manner, it could stand as a reason to purchase alone for a large majority of fans.
4Combat
Considering the major success of titles such asElden Ring,Ghost of Tsushima, andDevil May Cry, and the execution of their combat systems, this is also another aspect that could make or break the experience ofCrimson Desertfor fans. Combat in RPG games has become more and more important through the years and despite each game containing its own unique style ofcombat with some that not many fans are accustomed to such asBaldur’s Gate 3,it is an aspect that must receive some form of depth.
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While the recent gameplay trailer certainly contains combat sequences that have been more than enough to leave fans gobsmacked, fans are hoping that developers at Pearl Abyss can achieve a combat system that gives all players unique playing styles. This would potentially mean a plethora of classes and options to choose from, or a great deal of weapons and accessories to use and multiple skills to unlock throughout the journey.
3Micro Transactions
Players who are familiar with Pearl Abyss' previous gameBlack Desertwill be aware of the heavy focus on microtransactions given its free-to-play and MMO nature. Before its switch to a single-player title, expectations among fans were that the same would be replicated inCrimson Desert, but since this is no longer the case, fans are hoping it means this won’t be present whatsoever.
Given the controversy surrounding microtransactions in single-player titles over the last few years andeven some multiplayer games such asDiablo 4, it would be best for Pearl Abyss to completely refrain from any in-game store implementation, as this could single-handedly lead to negative feedback regardless of the game’s overall performance.
2AI System
Supposing that Macduff’s mercenary group and companions will journey with him through the majority ofCrimson Desert’s runtime, the AI’s behavior would be incredibly integral here. Despite the praise of compared titles such asDragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen, many of its major issues lie in the pawn system, with allies either completely ignoring commands and given instructions or jumping off cliffsides to their death while players are looting.
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If companions are to play an important role in Pearl Abyss' upcoming RPG, developers must ensure that they do not act as a burden to players in their maneuvers or actions. While it is essential that this is executed with the player’s allies, this also applies to enemies and their behaviors, especially within the realm of combat encounters, as this stands as a major component of immersion levels.
1Variation
Most importantly, forCrimson Desertto live up to the expectations and standards that have been set by its trailers, ahigh level of variation across the board should be present. In its combat, narrative, exploration, customization, and many of its fundamental elements, developers and players would greatly benefit from introducing a variety of different outcomes, animations, and choices where possible.
Monotony is a major issue fans have voiced their concerns over in a variety of triple-A titles which are more notably multiplayer games, so if this were to be present in an open-world RPG title, it would likely leave many frustrated. IfCrimson Desertis set to be a long game for fans to experience with a vast open world to explore, avoiding any repetition in all aspects, particularly locations and enemies, will be paramount toward its success. Given the fact thatCrimson Desertis Pearl Abyss' first single-player game, fans will be maintaining hope that developers can deliver.
Crimson Desertis currently in development for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
