Crimson Desert previews after 12h playtest
Crimson Desert previews go live after massive 12-hour play sessions
On March 4, major Western and Asian gaming outlets published their first large hands-on previews of Crimson Desert.
Developers from Pearl Abyss organized extended preview sessions for journalists, allowing them to spend significant time with the game and form a more detailed opinion about the upcoming action RPG.
According to participants, the sessions lasted up to 12 hours of gameplay, including access to both the opening hours of the story and a fully unlocked late-game save. This allowed journalists to test the progression systems, combat mechanics, exploration, and even some of the more extreme end-game abilities.
The previews confirm many of the features previously shown in trailers. Players explored the vast world of Pywel, experimented with the game’s dynamic combat system, and tried several advanced mechanics such as dragon riding, mech suits, and character switching.
Early impressions suggest that the project’s technical readiness matches the developers’ claims. The open world appears rich and interesting to explore, while combat systems and gameplay mechanics are considered deep and well designed.
However, some journalists noted that the story presentation and overall pacing currently feel somewhat uneven, leaving a slightly mixed impression despite the strong gameplay foundation.
Crimson Desert is scheduled to release March 19 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
Interest in the game continues to grow: the upcoming title from Pearl Abyss has already been added to Steam wishlists more than three million times.
You can watch one of the full preview breakdowns below.