- According to reviewer Blaine Smith, Crimson Desert still has more than half of the map left to explore, even 205 hours into the game.
- Smith stated that when the fetch quests are taken into account, the game may take 400 hours to 100%.
- Hence, the Pearl Abyss title is arguably the biggest game ever developed.
Crimson Desert has had a polarising launch so far, with reviews of the game ranging from excellent to average. The middling scores even plunged developer Pearl Abyss’ stock by a whopping 30% and criticised the game for its poor execution, flawed combat mechanics, and horrible narrative.
However, Crimson Desert has managed to fulfill one promise it made before release: delivering a breathtaking, enormous open world. If one reviewer’s playthrough is anything to go by, you will need at least 300 hours to explore the humongous map of Pywel completely.
Why it matters: Crimson Desert is not everyone’s cup of tea, and initial reactions have made this very clear. But if you love massive open worlds with depth, beauty, and unlimited exploration, there is no better game than the action-adventure title.
In a post on X, journalist Blaine Smith revealed that he isn’t even halfway through achieving 100% completion in all areas of Crimson Desert, after spending 205 hours playing the game.
The reviewer added that he had done all of the faction-based quests with a narrative in only half of the area, while the other half of the map is still untouched and ripe with new storylines, more than 200 hours into his playthrough.
Moreover, Blaine Smith explained that he only accounted for the more tangible side quests in claiming that he is done with half of the Crimson Desert map. Meaning, even in the area he has supposedly finished, there are still countless fetch quests and small side activities that will require dozens of hours.
Players could need about 300-400 hours if they want to finish every single side quest, storyline, activity, and fetch quests in Crimson Desert on the way to 100% completion. Hence, it makes sense why Pearl Abyss developers couldn’t figure out how long it’ll take to beat the open-world game, as it is arguably the biggest ever.
Do you think Crimson Desert has fulfilled its promise of being an action-packed single-player experience? Tell us in the comments below or head to the Tech4Gamers forum for discussion.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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