A new Crimson Desert leak may have revealed early impressions of Pearl Abyss’ upcoming open-world action game. According to reports, Spanish YouTuber Revenant briefly shared details from what appears to be a review copy before the content was removed.
The impressions, originally discussed in a now-deleted podcast episode, quickly spread across gaming communities before the video was taken down. While the information hasn’t been officially confirmed, the leak offers an interesting glimpse at what players might expect from the highly anticipated title.
Crimson Desert Leak Highlights Combat and Massive Scale
According to the leaked impressions, Crimson Desert’s combat system is one of its strongest elements. The gameplay reportedly blends character-action mechanics similar to games like Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden with a large open world.
The system appears to emphasize player expression and situational attacks. For example, grappling enemies from different angles triggers entirely different animations, such as throws or suplex moves depending on positioning.
Players can also interact heavily with the environment during combat. The leak claims that objects like trees — and even enemies themselves — can be used as improvised slingshots during battles.
This kind of flexibility suggests a combat system designed to reward experimentation rather than strict builds.
A Massive World With Strong Atmosphere
Another highlight mentioned in the leak is the game’s massive scale and vertical world design.
The structure of the world and its missions has reportedly been compared to Red Dead Redemption 2, while the freedom of movement and systems draw comparisons to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom.
The reviewer reportedly spent around 50 hours in the game and had not yet left the first region, suggesting the game world could be significantly larger than expected.
Atmosphere also seems to play a major role. The impressions describe strong environmental storytelling, extremely dark nighttime lighting similar to Dragon’s Dogma, and a soundtrack that rivals The Witcher 3 in scale and quality.
Steep Learning Curve and Quality-of-Life Issues
Despite the positive impressions, the leak also mentions several potential drawbacks.
The game reportedly provides very little handholding, resulting in a steep learning curve during the first several hours of gameplay. While it isn’t described as a Souls-style game, mastering the combat reportedly requires learning its rhythm and mechanics over time.
Several quality-of-life issues were also mentioned, including:
- A confusing inventory system
- Quest items remaining after quests are completed
- Limited inventory space
- No camp storage system, with only a bank available for currency exchange
Another unusual mechanic mentioned involves enemy camps. Once a camp is cleared, enemy bodies reportedly disappear, meaning players must loot enemies before finishing the fight.
Early Verdict: “An Unpolished Diamond”
Despite the issues, the reviewer reportedly described the game as an “unpolished diamond.”
According to the impressions, the game could potentially score around 80–85 on Metacritic from critics, largely due to the learning curve and quality-of-life limitations. However, if those issues are addressed, the score could reportedly climb into the 90s.
The reviewer also claimed the game could become their favorite open-world game ever, even above titles like Elden Ring, Red Dead Redemption 2, and The Witcher 3.
While the Crimson Desert leak has not been officially confirmed, the impressions have already sparked major discussion among fans waiting for the game’s release. Earlier this year, developer Pearl Abyss also had to address confusion surrounding the game’s launch timeline after denying several Crimson Desert release date rumors.
More News
PlayStation Store Pricing Test May Charge Some Players More
Palworld Developer Teases Possibility of a “Palworld 2.0” in the Future
