Crimson Desert Echoes Zelda and Assassin's Creed With Its Action-Packed Open World

ign.com:

Last month I went hands-on with Crimson Desert to try out some of its brutal boss battles. I left the demonstration impressed by its fast combat system and spectacular monster designs, but curious as to what the wider world and gameplay of Crimson Desert looks like. What happens between those epic clashes? Now, thanks to a 53 minute gameplay video from developer Pearl Abyss that’s available to watch here on IGN exclusively, I have a much clearer picture. If Crimson Desert’s combat is a mix of God of War and Dragon’s Dogma, then its wider gameplay is more reminiscent of modern Assassin’s Creed and other quest-driven open world adventures.

The gameplay video introduces us to Kliff, Crimson Desert’s protagonist who sports a gruff Scottish accent and a no-nonsense attitude. After a prologue establishes a bloody conflict between the Greymanes and the marauding Black Bears, Kliff’s major goal is made clear: explore the continent of Pywel in search of his surviving Greymane allies who have been scattered following the battle. Kliff also presumably wants revenge against Myurdin, the demo’s first boss fight, considering the Black Bear chief seemingly murdered him. Quite how Kliff remains alive after having his body filled with arrows and his throat slit is a mystery left for the full game.

The bulk of this preview demonstration is set in Hernand, a medieval town populated by a fun range of fantasy races that wouldn’t look out of place in any Tolkienesque fantasy story (look out for the giants and the antlered elf-like beings among the crowds). Similarly, Kliff’s interactions around its beautifully rendered streets are very much what you’d expect of a modern open world adventure game – there’s a horse you can whistle for, NPCs to be spoken to (via cutscenes, there's no dialogue options here) and hostile regions to infiltrate. That last one is where Crimson Desert has a little fun, as the demo shows Kliff changing into Hernandian Banquet Attire in order to walk past a castle’s