Reading:Crimson Desert devs are addressing all your complaints (and then some) in a long list of planned updates, which includes adding difficulty options
One of Crimson Desert’s most frustrating issues is running out of enemies to kill, which isn’t an issue I thought we’d have in a massive open-world game. Pearl Abyss, I want to turn Kliff into a cannonball and body slam enemies like an anime character, and I can’t do that if there are no enemies left to kill. That’s a sentiment shared by an increasing number of players as they make it out of Hernand and start clearing up the map.
Just three weeks after launch, Pearl Abyss is addressing these fan requests straight up—and working on even more upgrades we never asked for—with a preview of changes coming in future updates. These updates will roll out gradually from April through June.
The most important change is what’s called ‘re-blockading’, where enemies will reclaim locations you’ve previously liberated to provide consistent fights, even into the late game. It’s the perfect opportunity to master (or show off your mastery of) Crimson Desert’s unexpectedly deep combat system.
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You will also be able to rematch bosses. It’s unclear whether you’ll get any new rewards for doing so, but Pearl Abyss highlights that it’s a chance to see how much you’ve improved and studied bosses’ moves, so it sounds like the answer is no.
And to tie both of these together, you’ll soon be able to change your difficulty, picking between easy, normal, or hard. It’s nothing fancy, but it’ll certainly help bolster the enemy against end-game Kliff as he comes barreling into their camps to kick them out for a second time.
Pearl Abyss also says to “stay tuned” as it’s working on new combat-focused content. So, even more opportunities to flex your builds at some point in the future.
On that note, Damaine and Oongka, the other playable characters, are getting an upgrade. As cool as they are, they did feel a bit like an afterthought compared to Kliff. In response to this feedback, both characters will be getting new abilities “equivalent” to the gruff Greymane’s Force Palm and Axiom Force powers.
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That’s all well and good, but Crimson Desert’s Achilles heel is its UI and basic systems. Look no further than the lack of item storage at launch, which was quickly remedied with a storage box. Now, that box is getting a facelift. There will be new storage options specific to food, gear, gatherables, and collections (quest items, recipes, and the like), to ease the pressure on item management. That’s a big win.
Other planned updates include:
More pets, mounts, and mount armour
UI improvements like font size adjustments
Further refinements to the controls
Improving the quality of distant scenery
Crimson Desert is a much-improved game over its launch counterpart from just three weeks ago, and it’s been great to see Pearl Abyss react to fan feedback, even if it’s shaved off some of the hard edges inherent in the developer’s original vision.
