I need save the world, but I can’t be bothered with that right now. I’m on a mission to adopt 27 more cats. I’m in a village, with my eyes on my next prospect: a portly calico cat who is only identified in-game as “lazy cat.” I plan to name him Potato when I catch him.
I took this cat in my arms, gave it a few pets, and fed it many large pieces of bird meat. Then I put the cat down. He tumbles into the street. I give chase, go through a door, accidentally shoulder-butt a maid who staggers back and shouts, “Fuck you, you fucking whore!”
It’s worth it. I catch the cat, give it one more pet, then put on a beautiful hat with a feather coming out of it. The potato has plume.
In Crimson desert, you play as Kliff, an aptly named slab of marble. Over and over again, you are told that you are the biggest and best boy in the world, and that you are here to save the oppressed and save the world. You’re a big badass, of course. There are plenty of exciting fights here, as juicy as they come. Kliff can annihilate enemies with any sort of weapons, body shots, or trick shots with a bow and arrow. Everything is great. But I dressed him in a mask with no defense stats that makes him look like a snail or something very Adventure time-heart. My Kilff is a real softie, and this game really shines in the slower, softer moments.
Photography: Boone Ashworth
One of the biggest sins in video game design is when developers put a cute animal in the game, but don’t let you pet it. Crimson Desert yes, and fulfill this desire by allowing yourself to pick up any kitten, cuddle it in your arms and caress it for as long as you want. This is how you train them: pet them and feed them giant chunks of bird meat.
You can adopt 30 animals in your camp. I I intend to catmaxx so much so that it risks giving my fellow campers toxoplasmosis. (I don’t know if this is a feature of the game, but given how large and unexpected this sandbox turns out to be as you play, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s possible.)
Crimson Desert it looks like 16 games mixed into one: the creativity of Breath of the Wildthe beauty of Red Dead Redemptionthe crazy and fun fight of The Dogma of the Dragonthe visceral stagnation of Assassin’s Creed. The DNA of all these elements is genetically modified to produce a beautiful, strangely competent baby. Somehow everything seems to work.
At least a few weeks after launch, anyway. The game got off to a rocky start, with bugs, obtuse UI design, and an opening so convoluted and frustrating that I almost gave up on the game altogether. But developers Pearl Abyss have released a steady stream of patches and tweaks to correct some truly odd design decisions and directly address player concerns. (However, you still can’t name your pets in-game, which is criminal.)
I tend to enjoy the opening hours of games like this the most: that feeling of wonder, of exploring a new place and trying to figure out how the systems work. Eventually, the games prove to be over. You see all the locations. You learn all of the guards’ paths and enemy attack moves, and things start to feel very samey. It took me 60 hours Crimson Desert and I still constantly wonder what I will find next.
Adulthood sometimes makes it difficult to enjoy open world games. Giant expanses with seemingly endless checkpoints and icons to hit are a huge waste of time and can seem off-putting. Even if it’s not quite like Ancient Ring, Crimson Desert can spark similar constant curiosity about what’s next, how powerful the next weapon is, or how the heck to fight with it this guy is going to leave.
Pearl Abyss has indicated that it eventually wants to create a multiplayer mode. I’m sure it will be great, even if it eliminates some of the weirder and more interesting corners of the world. I’m okay with waiting. It’s nice to see a single-player game succeed, and I don’t want what a live service model will necessarily change in the game.
Photography: Boone Ashworth
It’s both one of the stupidest and goofiest games I’ve ever played, but also one that somehow captures the scale and grandeur of seeing Peter Jackson’s film. Lord of the Rings films at the cinema at 13. I rounded the corners and saw imposing scenery that rivaled Minas Tirith. I have the same feeling of awe, even though I know you can climb and explore these places.
And this crossing is also wonderful. You can travel across the map, glide through the air, and jump into mountains four times with your nature magic. You also have the best horse in the game, who can drift through Tokyo corners, fall on his belly in a powerful slide, and jump off cliffs with little repercussions. Riding a horse is incredibly fun, but I rarely use my mount because there are other, better methods of traversing. (I won’t spoil them.)
As a single-player game, it’s an incredible sandbox. It’s a game that makes me laugh like crazy, because all in one move I slide horse-first off a cliff, jump across a chasm, slash at a pack of bandits, then clothesline and hit a particularly unlucky criminal twice in a row. Then I walk slowly and admire the forest as the wind blows through the trees and swirls the leaves on the path, while the little bunnies hop next to me. Potato rests on my shoulder as I walk, emitting a soft little meow every now and then.
Crimson Desert it’s something else. He could use more cats though.
