Another Crimson Desert patch has officially gone live, and make no mistake – it’s a big one. Okay, maybe “fairly sizable” is a more accurate assessment, but consider for a moment that we’re currently in the fourth month of post-launch support (give it up for day 108). Between boss rematches, difficulty settings, new skills, balance changes, tons of new mounts and pets, re-blockading, and whatnot, how much more could the developer possibly add?
As it turns out, quite a bit. Version 1.13 adds new armor sets, but not just any, and Damiane and Oongka have seen their functionality increased further. New crafting recipes abound – including for items that really tie the room together – and even the dying system has received some enhancements. Without further ado, let’s dive into ten new features you need to know, starting with.
Oongka and Damiane In the Abyss
If you’ve ever played Oongka and/or Damiane, and scoffed because the floating isles of the Abyss were effectively closed off, the latest update fixes that problem. Both characters are now free to enter the previously Kliff-only world – a much-welcome change, especially if you’re using the isles to explore from the sky. Of course, this has resulted in some bosses (like the Clockwork White Horn and Draven, the Crowcaller) having their positions changed when challenging them to a rematch, but it’s worth it.
Boss Armor Sets
Perhaps the biggest new addition with Ver 1.13 is boss armor. Yes, you read that right, and it’s not even just a handful. Gregor’s Knight of Carnage armor, split across five pieces; five pieces of Tarandus the Ashen’s sick outfit (antlers and all); even two pieces from Demeniss’s grand general armor are available to equip for Kliff and Oongka (the latter now able to equip most of the former’s outfits). Lest you think Damiane would be left behind, she gets two outfits and one piece of the Masked Liberator armor. Granted, some sets (like Goyen’s) are remaining, but the developer has made some pretty great progress.
Dozens of New Equipment Pieces
And that’s not all, as 16 new pieces of armor and three pieces of headgear separate from the new boss armor have been added for Kliff and Oongka while Damiane gets eight new pieces. In total, there are 39 new pieces of equipment to hunt down. The developer says you can obtain them through quests, Achievements, shops and “other sources,” and if you’ve progressed enough through the story, some should appear as unlocked rewards. You can even stop by your friendly Back Alley Vendor to find a few pieces. Suffice it to say that the fashion game, aka the true endgame, is even bigger than ever.
Kuku for Kuku Gear
But if you need even more options for Damiane and Oongka, they can now equip Kuku sets previously meant for Kliff. That includes Marni Laser Helm, the Breeze-Step Boots (which means Meteor Kicks for days in your hand-to-hand combat as Damiane) and Rishi’s Boots alongside the Lightning-Resistant, Flame-Resistant, and Ice-Resistant armor sets. Besides more build variety, the inclusion of the latter three means you can shore up any resistances during specific boss fights.
Crafting Recipes for Elemental Armor
Remember the Frostcursed Plate Armor that every YouTuber and their mother was including in Crimson Desert thumbnails for the first month or so (and for good reason because it looks absolutely sick)? You can still run around and find it on your own, but you can now craft it courtesy of a new recipe. In fact, the Scorchflame Plate Armor and Lightning Bolt Plate Armor have also received crafting recipes. While not quite as fashionable, the fact that you can more easily access them for higher resistances, especially when mainlining as Kliff, is a welcome addition.
Hiding the Minimap and Status HUD
Among all the new additions and changes, especially for the user interface – which has come a long way since launch – it’s interesting how the developer never added an option to hide the minimap or your status. It may have taken months, but lo and behold, you can now fully immerse yourself in the boots of Damiane, Oongka and Kliff by turning off both. Head into Settings, then Other and the Gameplay tab to do so. And while it may seem counterintuitive, not all who wander are lost, especially with the sheer amount available to discover in Pywel.
New Special Attacks for Certain Enemies
Of course, if we’re talking about changes that weren’t exactly on the tippy-top of fan requests, there have been new special attacks added for specific enemies. We’re talking about the Flame Knight, the Wyvernflames, the Savage Fangs, and the Goldenscale Bandits. Why? Maybe it’s to provide even more variety when tackling re-blockaded forts, ruins, quarries and whatnot while upping the challenge. Or to surprise those who thought they would have an easy time disposing of them. Either way, be careful.
Bird of Prey (and Gathering)
The Iron Eagle and Phoenix can equip the Sigil of Valor, which means they can now attack your enemies. But even more intriguing is the Hunter’s Sigil. Ever wanted to gather items or retrieve specific prey from afar with your bird? This allows you to do that. Perfect for larping as a hunter on a casual shooting/meat-gathering trip.
Dyeing Disguises, Weapons and Secondaries
Even with its sheer selection of dyes and recoloring elements, Crimson Desert was missing a few notable options. Rejoice, for you can now dye certain disguises, even if it breaks the overarching lore and purpose of not drawing attention. But even better is the majority of weapons and secondaries can also be dyed, further increasing the number of fashion options.
Slideshots with Muskets and Pistols
Beyond the usual fixes – like an issue where you couldn’t use sliding attacks with specific gear loadouts – muskets and pistols have received a much-needed quality of life change. They can now be fired while sliding, and while it might not seem like a massive overhaul, it adds another mobility option for ranged fighters, especially when low on Spirit. Besides, the sheer style of sliding towards enemies while shooting them in slow-motion is tough to deny.
There are so many other improvements, like Oongka now being able to complete puzzles with Scatter Shot, new crafting recipes for four types of carpets, and, perhaps most adorably, summoned pets now resting in bed with your character. You also don’t need to worry about Focused Aerial Roll constituting a crime near NPCs, so if you want to harass the local populace without any consequences, now’s your chance.
However, it’s worth noting that Version 1.13 has affected performance, especially on the base PS5, even if you turn off chromatic aberration, depth of field, and whatnot. It seems to vary during certain sections – exploration seems better than the cities – but Xbox and PC players should also beware of potential performance hits. The issue has yet to be acknowledged, but given the development team’s quick turnaround, it should probably be fixed in the next patch, if not sooner.
It’s a shame given how much the current patch has added, but also somewhat expected, given the sheer number of variables, systems and whatnot. What else could be added, especially since the current roadmap ends in September (besides story improvements)? Your guess is as good as ours, but we’re excited all the same.
