Everything We Know About Crimson Desert — the Korean Answer to The Witcher 3

Next year will bring plenty of promising projects based on well-known franchises, but it’s also worth keeping an eye on new IPs. Quite often, these games end up being the best of the best: no need to look far — just remember the recent Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is seemingly poised to sweep every major GOTY award. And in 2026, a similar pleasant surprise may well be Crimson Desert — a highly anticipated single-player RPG from the creators of the MMORPG Black Desert.

Crimson Desert takes place on a continent called Pywel. The king of its largest nation falls into a coma, triggering a brutal struggle among various factions trying to seize control of his lands.

The protagonist is Kliff — a mercenary from the Greymanes, a band attacked by a group known as the Black Bears. Many of Kliff’s companions, who had become like family to him, are killed, but the hero and a few of his brothers-in-arms survive. The player’s task is to avenge the leader of the Black Bears and rebuild the Greymanes by reuniting fighters scattered across the continent.

Although Crimson Desert is officially positioned as grounded, realistic fantasy, it carries a certain Dungeons & Dragons-like spirit: fairy-tale creatures and medieval backdrops coexist with battle mechs and steampunk robotic dragons. Early previews note that the developers use this contrast to highlight the cultural richness of Pywel: the dwarves’ impressive technological prowess — crafting complex machines — is one way to distinguish them from other inhabitants of the continent.

The developers explicitly acknowledge that their primary inspiration was The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Like CD Projekt RED’s cult classic, this Korean project is an open-world action RPG with a hardened protagonist traveling across picturesque lands on horseback, moving from town to town while fighting bandits and monsters. In settlements, the hero can trade, take on quests, and accept contracts that promise monetary rewards. Kliff will also be deeply involved in Pywel’s politics, taking mercenary jobs for various local factions.

But it doesn’t stop with The Witcher. The game was announced back in 2019, has been in development for many years, and during that time many other hit titles have influenced the team. Today, you can spot DNA from series such as The Legend of Zelda, Assassin’s Creed, Dark Souls, Dragon’s Dogma, as well as blockbusters like the God of War reboot, Ghost of Tsushima, and Red Dead Redemption 2. It’s shaping up to be a mixed stew of many different games, and it’s still unclear how harmoniously these mechanics and ideas will fit together. Nevertheless, the promised content ranges from 50 to 80 hours.

A great example of how eagerly Pearl Abyss borrows successful ideas is the presence of floating sky islands reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (2023). In Crimson Desert they’re called the Abyss Islands, and players can reach them through special portals that open after discovering rare artifacts. Above the clouds, players will find unique locations, whether it’s the home of an important NPC or a shrine with puzzles much like those in Zelda. And Kliff returns to the ground exactly like Link in Tears of the Kingdom: by free-falling straight down.

There’s nothing wrong with this kind of borrowing. If developers see a strong mechanic or concept, why not use it? Besides, Crimson Desert offers unique ideas of its own, such as piloting a battle mech armed with machine guns, a rocket launcher, and an EMP blast. You won’t find that in The Witcher 3 or Ghost of Tsushima.

The combat system is arguably the freshest part of the game. Unlike many other open-world RPGs, Crimson Desert offers an impressive number of options, enabling players to approach battles in highly personal ways.

Where most similar adventures limit you to light attacks, heavy attacks, dodges, and blocks, Pearl Abyss builds everything around multi-button input combinations. Kliff’s moveset is closer to that of a fighting-game character than a typical RPG hero.

Sword strikes, spells, aerial attacks, grabs— all of these can be woven into special chains. Jump-casting propulsion launches the character upward. Transitioning from bow aiming into a dodge triggers a brief slow-motion effect. Grabbing enemies allows for wrestling-style throws.

There are also elemental interactions reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: lightning deals increased damage to wet enemies, fire spreads across surfaces and ignites wooden structures (archers on watchtowers can be eliminated by setting the tower ablaze), and frost magic can freeze water into ice.

Mounts also play a role in combat — and not just horses. Kliff can ride and fight atop a bear, a velociraptor, or a dragon capable of flying and breathing fire. Plus, don’t forget the battle mech mentioned earlier. The concept of an “open-world sandbox” appears to be the core focus here.

Pearl Abyss packed so much into Crimson Desert that its sheer ambition effectively becomes its defining feature. It will be intriguing to see how it all turns out. Fortunately, the wait isn’t long: the game launches on March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

What do you think of the project? Share your thoughts in the comments.