Can Crimson Desert Patch Its Way to a Cyberpunk 2077-Style Victory?
Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Crimson Desert has suffered something of a rocky launch. Its vast open world, full of opportunity and flexible inventive systems, is impressive, but its awkward controls, punishing difficulty spikes, and baffling approach to inventory management burst the bubble of immense hype that had been built over years, resulting in “mixed” Steam reviews and an equally mixed critical reception . But there’s also no denying developer Pearl Abyss’ dedication to making things right. Its response to player feedback has been extraordinary, delivering some of the most extensive initial patch work that we’ve seen this generation within days of launch. It’s unclear if the development team has had to break their backs to do this, but their work has already paid dividends: user reviews on Steam have shifted into “very positive” territory, and the company’s stock price – which plummeted in the wake of uneven critic scores – has begun to bounce back . All this...