Pearl Abyss is getting close to the finish line with Crimson Desert and the studio has dropped a 15 minute gameplay video meant to give players a clearer picture of what they are actually buying into. It is part story recap, part world showcase and part “here is what you will be doing when the map opens up”.
Instead of focusing on one big set piece, the video tries to sell the full package: the setting, the stakes and the way exploration and combat blend together inside a seamless open world.
Kliff’s War starts small and quickly spreads
The main character is Kliff, a Greymanes warrior from the northern region of Pailune. His story begins after a fragile peace breaks apart, leaving the Greymanes scattered and their homeland slipping away. The early goal sounds personal: pull the faction back together and take back what was lost.
But it does not stay personal for long. The more Kliff moves across the continent, the clearer it becomes that Pywel is being dragged into a wider conflict that reaches far beyond one region’s politics.
The Abyss and the fragments falling into Pywel
The supernatural angle comes from the Abyss, a mysterious realm that is sending fragments crashing into Pywel. Those fragments are not treated as simple disaster debris. They are valuable, dangerous and tempting enough that some groups want to exploit them rather than stop them.
Kliff’s journey is framed around restoring balance and cutting off the people who see the Abyss as an opportunity.
Five regions, one continent, no “walls” between them
Pearl Abyss has talked a lot about scale and this video reinforces that Pywel is designed as one continuous space. The continent is split into five regions: Hernand, Pailune, Demeniss, Delesyia and the Crimson Desert itself.
The main quest is still your backbone, but the structure is not trying to force you down a single path. You can roam in different directions, pick up faction driven missions and run into everything from smaller character focused jobs to larger conflicts like fortress sieges and full battles.
Exploration is not just walking
Movement looks like a big part of the game’s identity. You travel on horseback, climb terrain and glide to cover distance. Later on, traversal apparently gets even wilder, with options that include a missile firing mech and, eventually, a dragon.
Pearl Abyss also leans heavily on the idea of “rewarded curiosity”. Hidden treasures, puzzles, ancient mechanisms and points of interest are described as deliberate distractions, the kind of things meant to pull you off the main road because you want to see what is there.
Combat variety and more playable characters
The footage shows a bit of everything on the enemy side: regular soldiers, sorcerers, wild creatures, even machines. It makes fights feel unpredictable, shifting from straightforward brawls to moments that go full fantasy.
One important confirmation is that two more playable characters unlock as the story progresses. Each is said to have their own combat style, skill set and weapons, which could help the game avoid that mid campaign feeling where you have “seen the whole toolkit” too early.
The size debate and why it might not matter
Recently, Pearl Abyss has been vocal about just how large Pywel is. In an interview, Will Powers argued that map size does not translate cleanly into how a world feels, but still offered clear comparisons: at least twice the playable area of Skyrim and larger than Red Dead Redemption 2.
He also pointed out the obvious trap: a huge world is only impressive if it stays interesting. That is why the studio keeps highlighting interaction and activities rather than just the ability to say “our map is bigger”.
One advantage Crimson Desert has over those comparisons is speed. If you can truly travel by dragon, then crossing long distances should feel less like a chore and more like part of the fantasy.
Role playing without heavy choice systems
If you are expecting classic RPG choice and consequence where your decisions reshape the narrative, the messaging here is cautious. The studio’s angle is that role playing comes from your progression, the routes you take and the quests you stumble into.
In other words, the game wants you to build your own version of the journey through the systems and the side content, even if the main story remains largely fixed.
Release date and platforms
Crimson Desert is launching globally on March 19 2026 for PC via Steam, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Mac.
I write for Need4Games, mostly keeping track of what’s coming next. I cover showcases and release updates, put together quick lists when you just want the highlights, and I’ll post Steam deal roundups when the sales get wild. I play a lot of games, so I tend to look at games through that lens. No overthinking, just: what it is, why it’s interesting, and if it’s actually worth your time. I also stream now and then on Twitch.
