New mechanics revealed in ‘Crimson Desert’ gameplay trailer recall ‘Tears of the Kingdom’ and most other games

The new open-world RPG Crimson Desert has had a long journey to playability.

Originally announced as an online multiplayer experience back in 2019, the title gradually became a single-player game set in the same universe as developer Pearl Abyss’ flagship MMO Black Desert Online. The game was then delayed indefinitely to accommodate the massive shift in direction, per IGN.

But a new gameplay trailer shown at Gamescon Opening Night Live has revealed another reason Crimson Desert is taking so long: It does all the things.

Looking like a cross between Elden Ring and Ghosts of Tsushima in its traversal and combat, the game seemingly wrings every single possibility from its medieval fantasy setting.

You can engage in sword combat with enemies, thin out hordes with a bow and arrow, fight on horseback, and dodge catastrophic explosions capable of toppling structures in the game world. You can also hijack carriages like you’re trapped in a 12th-century Grand Theft Auto spinoff, climb massive beasts like it’s Shadow of the Colossus all over again, and even engage in some quality fishing to take the wind out of Zelda: The Wind Waker‘s sails.

But a closer point of reference for Legend of Zelda fans is the recently released Tears of the Kingdom, which flipped its map upside down by adding sky islands to Hyrule’s endless vistas. Sure enough: Crimson Desert has those too, and they appear to be even larger and more complex than Nintendo’s take on the idea.

Before you ask: Yes, you can dive off the sky islands and fall back to earth. You don’t even need a paraglider, as your character appears to develop the ability to fly at some point in the game — and his horse seems to always be waiting to catch him when he swoops close enough to the ground.

Also reminiscent of Tears is the wild physics engine on display here — where your character appears capable of destroying anything in his path that isn’t made of stone, with enough force and creativity.

Has Pear Abyss thought of everything? It appears so. But what’s helpful to remember about open-world games is that the amount of stuff you can do matters little if the activities aren’t fun and meaningful.

Judging from this trailer, Crimson Desert looks like a promising way to spend a hundred or so hours. But we’re hoping the main chunk of the gameplay isn’t dedicated to unlocking parts of the map by clearing enemy bases or completing barely distinguishable fetch quests.

Tears of the Kingdom succeeds chiefly because it encourages exploration through its play mechanics rather than firm directives. There must be a reason to stab toward the next horizon in Crimson Desert — besides that our cursors tell us to.