The launch of Crimson Desert was tumultuous, to say the least. Indeed, Pearl Abyss’s title faced criticism regarding its controls, visuals, and rather minimalist storyline.
Fortunately, the South Korean studio took the necessary steps to address some of these issues. This effort has paid off, as players are now very satisfied with the overall experience.
As a result, the Metacritic user average is now 8.8/10 based on over 11,600 reviews. Shortly after release, that same score hovered around 6/10. This makes it the second-highest-rated game released in 2026 by online users, behind Resident Evil Requiem.
Finally, on Steam, reviews are now “very positive”, with 82% of the 77,100 published reviews being favorable.
