Crimson Desert Is Real, Complex, and Potentially Great | Push Square

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After various «too good to be true» showcases during livestreams in the past, we can now officially confirm that Crimson Desert is an actual, real video game. In a 60-minute session on the Gamescom showfloor, we pressed all the buttons on a PS5 controller connected to a PC and things happened on-screen — it's not smoke and mirrors; the promising footage showcased in years gone by really is the game Pearl Abyss is developing right now.

Or, rather, the combat portion is. The developer out of South Korea shipped a demo to Gamescom all about the fighting in Crimson Desert. There will be a huge open world connecting all the battles together, along with many other systems, features, and mechanics, but the studio has chosen to focus on enemy engagements for a German residence in Hall 6.

We don't think the final game will take this approach, but outside of an introductory cutscene and fight against standard enemies, we were then escorted in-game to a computerised, Animus-like environment where we could approach four portals containing different boss fights. They were the Staglord, Reed Devil, White Horn, and a big Queen Stoneback Crab.

Almost immediately, it became clear we were not going to be able to fully wrap our heads around how combat works in the one-hour session. While you have a standard light and heavy attack, and a dodge and block, fights gain significant complexity from a raft of extra systems and moves you can perform using Devil May Cry-esque button combos. Where our PS5 controller rested before we picked it up for the session was a graphic plastered on the wall detailing just some of the extravagant attacks on offer. From spinning attacks and foot sweeps to magical abilities, it felt like we were only scratching the surface of what the full title will have to offer. Combos up to three or four button presses long were put on the external poster, revealing what we could look forward to once we've mastered the basics.

Frantic and fast-paced most of the boss