Crimson DesertAs the game's average user score continues to rise, release issues may already be in the rearview mirror. After years of anticipation, Pearl Abyss' open-world action-adventure had a lot riding on it, but it didn't quite get off to the start that the developer or its players had hoped for. Despite those initial problems, Crimson Desert With impressive sales figures and a Metacritic user score that continues to trend in the right direction, it is popular among gamers.
Thanks to some controversy surrounding the lack of console footage and the addition of Denuvo anti-tampering software, some players began to worry about the game within weeks of its launch. While none of those issues would prove to be a major thorn in Pearl Abyss's side upon release, crimson desert's lower-than-expected critic reviews hit the developer's stock, sending share prices down nearly 29% in a day. Once the game was out, many users cited similar frustrations in critical feedback, taking issue with the game's UI and controls, but Crimson Desert Won't sit down for long.
Thousands of Crimson Desert fans are rallying for permanent mounts
Crimson Desert players push for changes to how the game's mount system works, saying it doesn't meet the expectations set by developer Pearl Abyss.
Crimson Desert's user scores have steadily improved since its release
While Crimson Desert Initially met with mixed player response, as Redditor GoranjeWasHere points out its user score on Metacritic has risen since its release. On launch day, the game averaged a 7.7, which is by no means negative but not game-of-the-year material, as some might have expected from the title. Three days later, however, the score had improved to 8.0, pushing it from the “mixed” zone to “generally favorable”. By the time GoranjeWasHere posted his conclusion, it had climbed to 8.4, and at the time of writing, less than 24 hours later, Crimson DesertThe Metacritic user score sits at 8.6.
A similar overall trend has been revealed on other platforms as well. Less than a week after its release, Crimson DesertSteam reviews went from “mixed” to “mostly positive” and when looking at English-language reviews it went back to “very positive”. The game is also currently sitting at 100% player rating on OpenCritic. Considering how this growth has happened across the board, it seems like players have really come around Crimson Desert, and This is not just an example of Metacritic flooding users with positive reviews. That's not to say that everyone is showering the game with praise, as it still has its fair share of critics and even positive feedback mentions minor concerns, but general impressions have improved greatly as more reviews have rolled in.
Part of the lift can only come from more people spending more time with the sport, which also increases the extremes. Updates to Pearl Abyss in response to player criticism have also helped. It didn't take long Crimson Desert to address its biggest problems and improve its controls. The developers have also maintained communication with the fanbase, acknowledging their complaints and promising more patches and customizations to come. Depending on how these future updates go, it's possible that player reviews may continue to climb even higher, but it's hard to predict how long this will last. Crimson Desert It can keep a hot streak.
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Regardless of where the improvement comes from or how long it may take, it's a welcome change for Pearl Abyss. Reviews aside, the game's sales performance has been strong, too, so much so crimson desert's developer's share price soared by 27.76% after investors saw how well the game was selling. It's already sold over three million copies, and if its reviews are any indication, things can only go up from here.
- issued
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March 19, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, drug references, intense violence, strong language
- developer(s)
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The Pearl Abyss
- Publisher(s)
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The Pearl Abyss
