I'm not going to lie – I'm pretty curious Crimson DesertNo matter how big it looks. Learning that its open world is bigger than that Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption 2 Didn't really move me that much, just because I've heard it so many times before and I've come to learn that the scale doesn't matter that much. I wouldn't say I've ever been disappointed by a world of that size, because the perfectionist in me doesn't like having a bunch of activities to complete and collectibles to find. However, as soon as you step into the open world Alden Ring and Breath of the WildMy value system has been flipped on its head and my standards have changed. Now that I see what can be accomplished with a world as large as that, and how much restraint can still produce something worthwhile, Crimson Desert I still have one thing to prove.
Pearl Abyss recently published its first feature overview Crimson Desert On its YouTube channel, details the game's open world and the many things players can do in it. While I was fascinated by what I saw, when it was over I stopped to ask, “What kind of open world would this be?” That question wasn't about what it would look like, what kinds of activities there would be, or how I would get around the vast world—all of that was covered in the video. Rather, it is a question of what Crimson DesertOpen world values in terms of player motivation. Will exploration really be driven by genuine curiosity, or will Pywel ultimately be mapped through icons and objectives that turn exploration into just another checklist?
Crimson Desert claims it values curiosity, but I'm curious if that really makes a difference
To be fair, the first major overview of Crimson Desert I'm blown away, and I don't mind if some consider it nothing more than the result of some unchecked hype. I've already seen a lot of the game, but every little detail is just revealed by Pearl Abyss Crimson Desert Looks like another great open world experience that I can't wait to sink my teeth into. Also, what the developer has to say about how exploration will work in Pywel's game setting intrigues me even more. But the cautious side of me thinks there is a catch.
“In Pywel, exploration is more than travel — it's discovery,” the developer said during the video. “Whether it's undiscovered points of interest, hidden treasures, or just finding a vantage point to take in the view, there's plenty to entice your curiosity to wander. With sights, mysteries, and surprises along the way to grab your attention and no hard path, you can go anywhere that captures your interest.”
And in itself, that all sounds promising. The idea of having endless freedom to explore Pywel to my heart's content and do whatever I want is right up my alley. There's one small problem though – something that every modern open-world game promises. Also, points of interest, hidden treasures, and vantage points are nothing new, so Crimson DesertAn open world needs something other than numbers or completion percentages to make those quests actually worth pursuing. That should factor into the claim that the world will capture my attention and pique my curiosity, but I'm a little worried that it won't be considered at all.
The open world of Crimson Desert can end up as a glorious map with beautiful overlays
At one point, almost every open-world game suffered from the same problem: bloat. When a game's map is enlarged to fill it with more content, it can end up feeling overwhelming, tedious, and a bit boring. However, I would argue that open worlds can actually get away with an absurd amount of content, as long as the map takes a minimalist approach to revealing that content. When players enter a world full of activities and collectibles without a map, they won't know any better.
But when a game's map tells you where each of those activities and collectibles are, the fulfillment of finding them organically is quickly lost. Instead of curiosity-guided exploration, players follow icons and engage with the world because the map tells them to, not because something catches their eye. That's the line Crimson Desert One must tread carefully if one is truly curious.
People like me, who for some reason must complete everything in the game, find it hard to ignore maps bloated with icons. But when we're thrown into a world that doesn't tell us where everything is and instead believes we'll find it all ourselves, we can easily dismiss the idea of missing something because we don't know it's there. In that case, ignorance is truly bliss. However, with Crimson Desert Indicating that I can go wherever my curiosity takes me, if I open a map and all I see are icons, exploration will be less about curiosity and more about completion.
Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Alden Ring taught me that open worlds can be different
Then again, I don't mind when the open-world map is filled with hand-holding icons that tell me where to find every activity and treasure chest. I completed 100% Assassin's Creed ValhallaIf that's any indication of my preferences, and though I haven't done so yet. Assassin's Creed ShadowsI return regularly with the goal of completing everything on it one day. However, while I enjoy seeing my completion percentage increase when I complete a quest or find a new collectible in an open-world game, I still crave experiences that truly remove the railings and allow me to be fully responsible for what I discover and where I end up. Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Alden RingFor me, it is a perfect example, and I hope Crimson Desert follows in their footsteps.
Like other games Kingdom Come: Redemption 2, Sableand long dark They are also excellent examples of minimal but environmentally detailed map philosophy.
What really separates these titles from other open-world games is that even when you open their maps, you're still not told where to go. Their maps are designed in such a way that they have clear visual cues written on them that will pique your curiosity as much as you can see in the distance without dragging the map. They don't overwhelm you with markers or objectives. Instead, they give you just enough information to pique your interest, letting the world guide you instead of a checklist. in Breath of the Wild and Tears of the KingdomFor example, this means relying on visible landmarks and the pin the player is placed on, whereas Alden Ring Shows your world in pieces and leaves many quests unmarked even after filling the map.
That's important because it actually makes exploration a choice rather than a directive. You move toward something because it looks interesting, not because the map told you it was there. That's the difference I expect Crimson Desert Understands when it finally shows what its map actually looks like. In the first features overview, it showed off its factions map, which seems to remove everything but the game's factions. But there was also a tab labeled “Environment” and I was hoping it would reveal something close to a map. Alden Ringwho or Breath of the Wildwho
Until what Pearl Abyss shows Crimson DesertWho's full map actually looks like this, the question of work versus curiosity will hinge on everything the game promises. The world itself looks amazing, the scale is undeniable, and the gameplay looks fun, but all of that matters less to me if exploration is guided by a bunch of icons. But if Pywel really believes in players to wander around, notice, and decide for themselves what's worth pursuing, Crimson Desert Can stand with the best modern open world.
- 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
