First Crimson Desert Reviews Are In: Scores & Metacritic Average
First Look: Crimson Desert Metacritic Review Scores Revealed
March is proving to be a massive month for gamers, especially with the highly anticipated release of Crimson Desert. Expanding the massive universe of the hit Black Desert Online into a premium, full-scale offline experience, Pearl Abyss has been cultivating this ambitious project for over five years.
Today, the embargo has lifted, and major gaming outlets worldwide have started publishing their reviews. Let’s take a look at how the game is performing critically.
The Metacritic Consensus: A Divided Reception
Currently, Crimson Desert holds an average score of 78/100 on Metacritic, based primarily on the PC version. The reviews span the entire spectrum, showcasing overwhelmingly positive praise, mixed feelings, and some harsh criticisms.
The High Praise:
- VICE (5/5): Praised the game for delivering a magical world that immerses players in a level of freedom comparable to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
- The Outerhaven (5/5): Stated that the game sets such a high standard for open-world experiences that it might take a long time before a worthy rival appears, noting that it is surprisingly bug-free.
- Gameliner (5/5): Highlighted the breathtaking graphics and vibrant, living world packed with activities. They noted that while the story might not be the standout feature, the sheer joy of exploration makes up for it.
The Mixed Reactions:
- GameSpot (7/10): Found the game to be exciting but felt the main storyline was unimpressive, pulling their score down.
- Screen Rant (7/10): Appreciated the massive ambition behind the game’s scale but felt many of the quests failed to be truly engaging.
- Insider Gaming (7/10): Pointed out that the combat system felt a bit clunky and unsmooth.
- IGN (?/10): Interestingly, IGN has held back on giving a definitive numerical score for the time being.
The Harsh Criticism:
- Critical Hits (4.5/10): Delivered the lowest score in the initial batch, heavily criticizing the characters for feeling shallow and one-dimensional, comparing their depth to standard NPC quest-givers in a generic MMO.
Initial Review Score Roundup (Updated March 19, 18:49)
Here is a quick snapshot of the scores from various major publications:
| Publication | Score | Publication | Score |
| Gamers Heroes | 100/100 | MMORPG.com | 9/10 |
| VICE | 5/5 | Destructoid | 8.5/10 |
| The Outer Haven | 5/5 | Press-Start Australia | 8.5/10 |
| Gameliner | 5/5 | GameSpot | 7/10 |
| Forbes | 9.5/10 | Insider Gaming | 7/10 |
| Gaming Trend | 95/100 | Game Informer | 7/10 |
| This Is Game (KR) | 9/10 | Screen Rant | 7/10 |
| Level Up | 9/10 | The Gamer | 4/5 |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4.5/5 | Critical Hits | 4.5/10 |
| Comic Book | 4.5/5 | IGN | No Score Yet |
About Crimson Desert
Originally announced in 2019 as an MMORPG sequel to Black Desert, the development team eventually shifted their entire focus to creating an offline, single-player narrative adventure. The story follows Macduff, a hardened mercenary traveling through the vast and majestic continent of Pywell, as he struggles to overcome the traumatic memories of his past.
Crimson Desert officially launches on March 20 (Thailand time) across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Players who pre-order either the Standard or Deluxe Edition will receive the exclusive Khaled Shield as an in-game bonus item.
