A brand new 13-minute gameplay video of Crimson Desert has been released, giving fans a closer look at Pearl Abyss’ ambitious RPG. The footage highlights exploration, fast-paced battles, and even a boss fight against Cassius Morten, a leader of the Drunken Black Bears in the Calphade region.

Originally planned as an MMORPG, Crimson Desert shifted to a single-player focus during development. Many fans, including early testers, welcomed this change, praising the game’s combat for being action-driven and more forgiving than punishing titles like Dark Souls or Elden Ring.

Crimson Desert gameplay

The combat isn’t the only highlight. The PC version is reportedly very well optimised, running without stutters during previews. Pearl Abyss is also pushing technical boundaries with realistic water simulation, ray tracing effects, volumetric fog, and advanced cloth and hair physics. Even vegetation reacts dynamically to player movement and wind.

This strong technical focus adds to the already positive impressions from hands-on sessions. Previewers noted how fluid the combat feels and how polished the world looks, suggesting the extra development time is being put to good use.

Crimson Desert is scheduled to launch in Q1 2026. On PC, it will support DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation from day one. If these previews are anything to go by, Pearl Abyss may be on track to deliver one of the most visually and mechanically impressive RPGs in years.

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