Ex-Rockstar Dev Praises Crimson Desert Rivers
Ex-Rockstar Developer Praises Crimson Desert: “Better Rivers Than Red Dead Redemption 2”
If you have been following the development of Crimson Desert, you likely know that the game has faced its fair share of criticism and drama. From debates over the main character Kliff’s design to complaints about clunky controls, the game is constantly being compared to Red Dead Redemption 2 (RDR2) regarding world details and NPC behavior. Many gamers have been wondering just how far this title can actually go.
However, Crimson Desert is suddenly catching everyone’s attention again in a major way. A former developer who literally helped build the world of RDR2 has stepped forward to heavily praise the game’s incredibly realistic river systems.
High Praise from an Industry Veteran
David O’Reilly, a former artist at Rockstar Games who worked directly on the visual elements of Red Dead Redemption 2, recently shared his reaction to Crimson Desert. He specifically focused on a detail many players might overlook: the water physics.
O’Reilly stated bluntly that the river system in the game is absolutely incredible. He noted that the development team appears to be using a real-time fluid simulation to calculate how the water flows, distributes, and reacts to the surrounding environment.
“I say this as someone who helped make those rivers, I am so happy to see this. They truly understand rivers, and this technology pushes the quality of in-game water to the next level. It is fantastic.”
The biggest takeaway that left fans shocked was his direct admission: he believes Crimson Desert finally features better rivers than Red Dead Redemption 2. ### Why Are In-Game Rivers So Hard to Make? You might be wondering why “water” is getting this much hype. In game development, realistic water is notoriously difficult to program. It is not just about looking pretty or reflecting light; it involves complex physics. The water must flow naturally, collide with surfaces, fill spaces realistically, and react dynamically when characters move through it.
Creating a “river” is even harder because it needs a natural sense of direction and force, blending seamlessly into the environment to make the open world feel truly alive.
While O’Reilly did point out a few minor, weird visual bugs in the water system that he plans to discuss in a future video, his overall reaction is a massive win for the game. If Crimson Desert can maintain this high level of environmental detail, it has a very strong chance of stepping out of RDR2’s shadow and establishing its own legendary identity in the open-world genre.
