It’s a great day for many reasons, but perhaps none more so than seeing the release the second part of the Features Overview series for Crimson Desert. The first one focuses on the story and exploration – who are the Greymanes, how they end up separated, what is Kliff’s purpose and so on. This one is a lot more straightforward, focusing on combat and progression. We’ve seen glimpses of the former over the past couple of years, whether it’s Kliff RKO-ing fools out of nowhere or heaving them into the abyss (and we don’t mean the one in the sky). But what else do you need to know about taking the fight to your enemies? Let’s dive in, starting with my personal favorite…
Nitoryu
We’ve seen Kliff running around with all manner of melee weaponry over the months. A sword and board set-up, a spear, even a pitchfork – but now we have confirmation that he can dual-wield as well. A brief shot on the mountainside shows a pair of blades, and based on the left one’s curvature, we can assume that they’re completely separate. Does this mean being able to mix and match different swords together? One can certainly hope, but for now, seeing them in action, just slicing and dicing through enemies with grace, is satisfying enough.
Damiane and Oongka
The developer didn’t come out and say it, but a quick peek at the skills menu has seemingly confirmed the identities of the two other playable characters: Damiane and Oongka. Sadly, we didn’t get a look at their skill trees (though thankfully, their skills are a different matter), but it’s nice to have some clarity after all the teases.
Damiane’s Weapons
But that’s not all, as we also got to see a few of Damiane’s other weapon types. While she debuted with a Greatsword and short-range pistol, she can also equip a rapier and small buckler for even speedier hits. If that wasn’t enough, Damiane can pull out a musket for even longer range fire, which can unleash a more damaging shot after a short delay. The Greatsword also reappears later, and the sheer force that it hits with is as impressive as it is devastating.
Oongka’s Weapons
Till now, we’ve mostly seen Oongka with a two-handed axe, but near the end, in the titular Crimson Desert, we can see him tangling with multiple soldiers using a large hammer. It’s another two-handed armament which can knock enemies into each other. Charge up for long enough and swing for the fences to send multiple flying.
Unique Armor for Damiane and Oongka
Briefly seen in the last Features Overview, but much more obvious this time is that the other playable characters have their own armor sets. While Oongka didn’t showcase anything distinctly new, Damiane sported a more regal outfit with a white cape, gold gauntlets and pauldrons, and even a gold headpiece. Another has similar pauldrons, a helm and gauntlets, but on a pure black outfit. With the sheer number of clothing and armor sets seen for Kliff thus far, you have to wonder just how much higher that total will be when factoring in the others.
Izuna Drop and Leap Slams
Of course, we also can’t forget about one of the newer combat abilities that Damiane displays: A spinning kick, but before the enemy can be knocked back, she instantly grabs him and unleashes an Izuna Drop, Ninja Gaiden-style. It’s a thing of beauty and directly segues into an execution. Then there’s Oongka, who can bodyslam an enemy just like Kliff or leap slam around with his giant axe like a Barbarian. Brutal but extremely effective, especially against crowds.
Fists of Fury
While it seems you can only equip two weapons at a time – at least evidenced by Kliff’s inventory showing only two – that doesn’t mean your enemies can’t catch those hands. Clotheslining an enemy in the face and knocking them to the ground isn’t enough – you can also unleash shoulder tackles that send foes flying, chokeslam them or break their backs. What seems to be a knee lift can be extended into a thrust kick. At one point, Kliff unleashes a series of punches that would make Star Platinum proud.
However, one thing that sticks out is Bare Hands having its own damage stat. Perhaps there’s a way to train them further or unlock upgrades for the more bare-knuckle-minded fighter? Of course, just being able to seamlessly switch between all these different weapons is impressive enough – scope out Kliff parrying an attack with the sword and shield before switching to the spear for a follow-up attack.
Element-ary, Of Course
If having enemies taste cold steel isn’t enough, why not something warmer? Harnessing the elements allows Kliff to unleash all kinds of powerful effects, like an area-of-effect lightning attack that can fell three clumped-up foes at once. A quick peek at the elemental wheel also showcases fire, ice, wind, and what could be nature (which seemingly leaves brief afterimages after attacks). Even if you’re not keen on burning or freezing enemies, use wind magic for a quick lift into the air and land on a mass of enemies with a dive kick, as the impact sends them flying.
Mounted Combat
We’ve seen the Dwarven mech and the havoc it can wreak, and the dragon mount that Kliff can soar through the skies with. There’s even a bear among other choices. However, you don’t necessarily need your own. Use the grapple and yank an enemy off their own mount to commandeer it for yourself. What I particularly like about the mounted combat is that Kliff isn’t just commanding the bear to attack – he’s also adding in his own sword swipes into the mix.
Reset Stats
Going back to the Skills menu for a brief moment, the developer didn’t really show much by way of the different nodes, aside from the one meant for increasing stamina. However, alongside a button to enhance them, you can also reset stats. This seemingly indicates the potential for refunding any Abyss Artifacts and shifting them around, perhaps prioritizing more health over stamina for tankiness. If true, it also means you can test out new skills whenever and build craft to your heart’s content.
Learning From the Best
Remember how Kliff learned how to fish by observing someone doing the same thing (instead of threatening him, which would have been very bad)? It ventures beyond additional tasks and extends to learning new skills. By observing what seems to be a hologram of an individual executing the Force Palm, Kliff can pick up the skill for himself. But it gets better – you can even learn new skills mid-combat from enemies. So take that flying belly flop that one enemy unleashes and add it to your repertoire.
New Flying Gadget
Kliff seems to be the only playable character who gets those wraith-like wings to navigate through the air, but characters like Damiane have their own gadgets. In one shot, we see her using what seems to be a propeller for gliding, which can spin even faster to fly. Will Kliff also have access to this? Does Oongka get his own unique gadget? Whatever the case may be, there’s no shortage of ways to traverse Pywel.
Top-Notch Swords
Fancy a better weapon? Visit the vendors throughout Pywel to purchase them, but that’s not the end. Take them to the Blacksmith for refinement, increasing their attack stats. You’ll need to mine the materials necessary for upgrading, but some of them may require taking out challenging bosses, hunting wild animals, completing quests, or venturing off the beaten path.
Abyss Gear
Weapons can also be customized with Abyss Gear – augments that provide additional effects like increased attack speed, critical hit chance, and even more damage against Stronger foes. And if the same pattern follows, the best Abyss Gear may be obtained from slaying the toughest enemies.
Mecha Pterodactyls?
You would think we’ve seen it all with Crimson Desert, especially after the reveal of a pilotable mech and a mechanical dragon. But among the bosses encountered in the world is what seems to be a small fleet of mecha pterodactyls. Maybe these are just aircraft to take down – a trippy sight regardless. And if that’s not enough, a giant serpent-like creature, brimming with energy, can also be fought. By comparison, the giant white spider seen in some ruins feels like child’s play, but who knows what else awaits in Pywel?
