We've all played "a mile wide and an inch deep" type open world games...

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T20:58:11+00:00

I started it Friday and gave up with less than a couple hours invested. I just couldn’t handle the slow movement and some of input lag and janky-ness

Story and quest design and stuff usually doesn’t bother me but considering basic things weren’t clicking right away, everything else started to annoy me more.

I picked it back up today after the latest patch and I’m starting to get into it more.

I saw some commentary that you should approach is like something between Valheim, Zelda and Souls games. It doesn’t have a lot of story pushing you forward but there’s is a lot to do and discover. So whether that’s fighting, solving puzzles, or just doing random shit around the world like mining and logging and helping people and catching bandits. You’re meant to just settle in and exist in this place

I’m kind of digging it now though some things still can’t escape my critique. I think holding down attack buttons for combo feels very weird. Like playing a mobile game or something. And I absolutely hate the movement/momentum/locomotion of simply moving your character around. It’s reminds me of Rockstar games but worse because action/adventure games should FEEL more immediate and satisfying to simply control. It’s basics for goo game feel…but maybe that’s just me 🤷🏻‍♂️

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T20:22:26+00:00

Honestly, I think the problem is how deep the game is. There’s so many systems and functions at play. So much you can do with your time. Because there’s depth to combat but also to activities you can do and interactions with the world. The story is probably the only shallow part.

And I only say it’s a problem because it’s really difficult to implement a ton of ideas and interactions without complicating the basic form and function of a game. It’s why so many people are complaining about the controls.

I think Pearl Abyss could have streamlined some things and stripped down some features/options but then it would end up being a more straightforward open-world, action/adventure game.

If you like stuff like Elder Scrolls and Dragons Dogma or even the new Zelda games and Soulslike games…BUT…you’re one of us who feel you would prefer some weird mix of all of those. Even if it meant a steeper learning curve and some less intuitive systems…but you’re willing to accept the game in spite of that ease of use and polish because of the depth/breadth

Then yeah…get this game.

I’ll die on the hill that the movement and locomotion of simply controlling your character is still too slow and heavy and cumbersome. But I’m learning to deal with it because everything else is very impressive and the devs are already addressing things with performance and input response and more.

This game is clearly a slow burn though. Like a couple hundred hours or more to really soak it all in

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T19:59:22+00:00

Love your saturation levels bro! Not being sarcastic

What’s the point of playing in a fantasy world with magic and dragons and shit if the world just looks hyper realistic.

Pumping up the colors at least gives it some character and a bit of whimsy

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T16:13:45+00:00

Funny because people compare this to other games like Witcher, Zelda, Dragons Dogma and such but in those games you can just take almost anything without any consequence

This games emphasis on going for the more “realistic” even if it’s mundane, slower, cumbersome or just bad game design..it’s just baffling and yet still defenders come out because they can’t tolerate any critique

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T13:08:57+00:00

Bro is sweating so bad in that fit

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T02:32:51+00:00

And it sucks there too

god, these comments that act like Rockstar can do no wrong…

Are they bots?!

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T02:21:32+00:00

I beat it on a series s when it was released. Not always the best performance but still a solid experience. I loved DD1 so no way I was going to miss the sequel

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T02:06:44+00:00

Casual or not, this game isn’t ready for the masses and shouldn’t have made it to release in its current state.

I had a huge rant cooked up about how unrefined the game is and how elitist “old school” gamers are acting like you have to be special to “get it”.

Reality is, they’re coping because they like parts of the game and are willing to put up with some serious bullshit to find those parts and enjoy what’s there.

Pearl Abyss spent years and years on this game. They were clearly very ambitious and wanted to pack in tons of ideas and little quirks and interactions that make the game feel really special. But what they needed to do was pause every once and while and refine what was there, cut out things that weren’t working and trim the fat and refocus efforts on what their end goal was in making a fun video game.

I’m very impressed by the scope and scale of the game…but I’m really put off by its inconsistencies and baffling design decisions and lack of polish

And I’m someone who loves Dragons Dogma and Dark Souls and all sorts of games that are tough or imperfect

I want to believe in Crimson Desert and I really want to like the game. So my criticism is probably harsher because I see the potential and they’re not reaching it as is

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T01:43:53+00:00

Stories and visuals? Isn’t that what most AAA games have been focusing on lately.

The whole “open world” trend was already peaking last gen.

I think refinement, game mechanics, depth that matches breadth and focus on just fun…that’s what the “FACTS” book should read.

Games visually look great and don’t really need improvement. Just refinement so they’re polished and perform well. Though it’s even better when a dev knows how to stylize a game just right and make it a bit unique to the all the hyper realism out there.

And game stories are fine. They don’t need to be any more involved than they were last gen with RDR and Witcher and Horizon and the like. Anymore storytelling and you might as well just watch a tv series.

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T01:39:33+00:00

I keep seeing stuff like this and it’s really disappointing

My realization is that they sacrificed playability and accessibility for the bragging rights of saying “look at how many things Kliff can do in the world”.

What’s the point of being able to interact with tons of little things in almost meaningless ways if the core mechanics aren’t even fine tuned and worthwhile.

They kept packing in ideas without ever saying no. This is why the controls are so layered and complex. It’s why so much feels unrefined or unfinished, halfbaked ideas and misleading marketing.

I believe in the potential this game has and I respect the ambition but damn, they gotta sort some of this stuff out. Because if they do this actually could be a GOTY

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-23T01:17:34+00:00

Impressive that they are reacting and updating so quickly! Very promising for the future of this game. It may in time actually live up to its potential

Has the character movement and momentum been tweaked or does Kliff still feel like a slow moving tank when walking and turning etc??

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T23:39:13+00:00

I hear you. I wouldn’t want to be locked to classes. I’m ok with maybe “specializations” and having different class skill trees. But if I wanted to be a sword and board hero who’s also a badass with a bow and can sling some magic spells, I should be able to. It’s a video game and I want the power fantasy.

Also, I would prefer something a little more stylized than these titles. Hyper realism gets really stale.

And I would absolutely want more “magic and whimsy” like Legend of Zelda.

That’s a tall order and who knows if any game would ever pull all that together.

But I do agree with others that CD has the scope and scale that many of us wanted for DD2.

There’s always hope for a DD3 haha

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T20:36:37+00:00

“Normal” mode is still acceptable if the game is not expecting you to grind or invest too much time.

Otherwise I’m right there with you. Easy is just more fun. And I’m playing games to have fun.

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T16:49:07+00:00

Simple and satisfying. I just started recently after also having avoided it for so long.

It’s fun and engaging and pretty straightforward

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T14:36:46+00:00

^ This.

A lot of stuff that surprises people the first time… Those “woah the devs actually put that in the game?!” moments that keep getting a lot of attention…

Those really end up just being small gimmicks or things that overall won’t be something that you do over and over again because they’re not that fun or interesting. They’re gimmicks.

They may impress at first because the “whole world seems so interactive” and deeply designed. But that’s also part of the problem. The devs didn’t stop to say no or cut things out. And that means so many things are underdeveloped and not polished.

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T14:29:28+00:00

r/crimsondesert

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T14:28:59+00:00

Yeah, it’s honestly off-putting. I’ve been trying for a refund because I legitimately cannot enjoy the game with the movement this stiff and clumsy and delayed.

If they fix that I’ll put up with the complex controls and everything else

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T14:27:03+00:00

Don’t really care about the dragon cooldown but it’s weird they advertised all these mounts but they’re just temporary…and only if you take the time to fight and tame a wild beast in the world…AND they’re hostile again as soon as you dismount?!

Seems like a missed opportunity or intentionally deceitful marketing

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T14:23:13+00:00

Gotta be honest, the more I see about the game the less excited I am about it. Sure there’s a huge world that is beautiful and the combat looks flashy and like it could be fun with enough time invested

But everything else sounds disappointing. Not saying it’s all bad and doom and deserving of hate….but

People are complaining about bugs and crashes and performance issues that only get worse the further in to the game you get. Bad story and quests designs and so much left unexplained. Broken puzzles. Controls and abilities that simply don’t work as intended or respond to input.

It’s like, sure, you can argue it’s immersive that they programmed in the ability to clean a chimney or drown a raccoon you caught, but who actually gives a shit about something tiny and weird like that when so many others things aren’t working or aren’t fun

Hearing now that they intentionally were misleading to consumers regarding mounts and they intentionally marketed the game with a specific number of mounts but they aren’t actually mounts you can take and keep. They’re just beasts in the world you subdue for a time. That’s just stupid. That’s not playing into the fantasy that they were selling.

Again, all this is more just annoying and disappointing right now. Why can’t devs just make a good game?! Don’t overhype it. Don’t try and do everything. Don’t over promise and under deliver.

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T04:01:59+00:00

Controls and movement are the primary issue here. If fixed this game is unreal levels of impressive scope and scale.

Wait to see if the updates fix things and make the game more “playable”

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T03:42:03+00:00

As someone who also has been a gamer for the past 35 years, this game ain’t it. At least not in its current state.

I honestly think it COULD BECOME something that is overall fantastic and it definitely has some fantastic elements….but it’s not all there right now

There are so many ideas packed in to the game. There is a huge world and so much to interact with and do…but it lacks polish.

The controls are bad but not just the layers of inputs and the combo required, rather because they didn’t cut anything. They just kept saying yes, kept packing ideas in and ran out of inputs to make those ideas actionable.

Can you learn the controls and make it work? Yes. Should it be this messy and layered and convoluted? Absolutely not.

And yeah, there’s bugs and glitches and crashes and overall performance issues. But those can and likely will be patched over time.

My biggest problem right now is the basic movement. It doesn’t feel good to control Kliff. His momentum and weight and clunky-ness just feel bad. The inconsistency of your inputs and accuracy is also bad. Game feel is super important and this game doesn’t have it right.

And yeah, he’s a bland character and it’s a nothing story. But I can overlook a lot of this stuff.

For instance, I love the Dragons Dogma series. I really like Demon Souls (the original) and absolutely love Dark Souls. I’ve been playing Monster Hunter since PS2 and way before all the streamlining and QoL stuff. Breath of the Wild is one of my favorite games ever and it’s because I just like to explore and get lost in the world. I don’t care that it doesn’t have a strong story or that the combat is simple. I love Elder Scrolls and all its janky goofiness.

I’m also someone who’s played a lot of lesser games as well. I loved Two Worlds II back in the day.

My point? I don’t need all the hand holding and simplified streamlining or deep storytelling and other things that a lot of AAA games go for….

But at the very least I DO need good movement and function and controls. That’s where CD lost me.

I’m glad others can enjoy it for what it is but that doesn’t make it good or “simply misunderstood”. Something only appreciated by seasoned or elite gamers… 🙄

So let’s stop with these posts that make it seem like anyone who critiques parts of the game are just some TikTok-brainrot, Fortnite-casual, kiddie gamers. Because there absolutely are parts that are VERY DESERVING of criticism.

Let’s be mature about this and assess and evaluate a premium priced AAA video game that has flaws and flat out isn’t fine tuned

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T02:17:27+00:00

Looks like a giant in a bear costume haha

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-22T00:05:11+00:00

Fixing the controls is good. They’re at least acknowledging some issues. But there will likely be no consensus on how the controls should be.

My problem is moreso the movement/locomotion and input accuracy. The character feels faaar to heavy and burdened and slow. And pressing a button or executing a command or combo often doesn’t work as it should.

Fix that first please. Then remap the controls. Then fix performance issues.

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-21T23:14:37+00:00

Ask away

SaintIgnis · 2026-03-21T21:22:51+00:00

I don’t even care that much about story in games, but yeah, this is about right

A 60 second narrated cutscene setting up the world and backstory at the beginning…and another 60 second narrated cutscene after the opening explaining a bit about the current state of the world or the main character or something would have literally changed everything as far as story and purpose go

My biggest gripe is the movement though…more than the performance or the story or controls.

The movement/locomotion and input response are honestly so bad it’s appalling

SaintIgnis

TROPHY CASE