Crimson Desert is an open-world action-adventure game that’s set to release on PS5, Xbox, and PC on March 19. Developed by Pearl Abyss, the company behind Black Desert Online, it looks seriously ambitious in all the best ways. It’s available for preorder now (see it at Amazon) in two editions and includes a preorder bonus, the contents of which are detailed below. Let’s take a look.
Crimson Desert Standard Edition
Crimson Desert
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Physical Copy – $69.99
Steelbook Edition – $69.99
Digital Copy – $69.99
The standard edition comes with the game itself, plus the preorder bonus you can find detailed below (it’s a shield). The only current deals available for the game are for the PC (Steam) version, which you can at some third-party storefronts listed above.
Crimson Desert Deluxe Edition (Physical)
Physical Copy – $89.99
Physical copies of the deluxe edition of Crimson Desert come with the game, the preorder bonus, as well as the following items:
Physical Items
- Deluxe Edition Box
- Deluxe Edition Limited Edition Steelbook
- Letter from the Developer
- Greymane Brooch Pin
- 3 Character Photo Cards
- 3 Patches
- Map of Pywel
Digital Items
- Kairos Plate Set: Kairos Plate Helm, Kairos Plate Gloves, Kairos Plate Boots, Kairos Cloak, Kairos Plate Armor
- Balgran Shield
- Exclaire Horse Set: Exclaire Champron, Exclaire Barding, Exclaire Saddle, Exclaire Stirrups
Crimson Desert Deluxe Edition (Digital)
Digital Copy – $79.99
The digital deluxe edition of the game costs $10 less than the physical version, but it lacks the physical goodies. Here are the digital items it includes:
- Kairos Plate Set: Kairos Plate Helm, Kairos Plate Gloves, Kairos Plate Boots, Kairos Cloak, Kairos Plate Armor
- Balgran Shield
- Exclaire Horse Set: Exclaire Champron, Exclaire Barding, Exclaire Saddle, Exclaire Stirrups
Crimson Desert Preorder Bonus
Preorder the game on any platform and in any edition, and you’ll receive the following digital item:
Preorder the PS5 version, and you’ll get the following digital items:
- Grotevant Plate Set: Grotevan Plate Helm, Grotevan Plate Armor, along with Grotevan cloak, gloves, and boots
What Is Crimson Desert?
Crimson Desert is a medieval fantasy-themed game set in the land of Pywel, where you play as Kliff, captain of the Greymanes, as the ruthless Black Bear army executes a brutal attack that leaves the Greymane forces scattered. Your job is to explore the world to reunite with your comrades and rebuild what’s been lost. As you do so, you’ll forge new alliances and discover even more dangerous threats looming over the land.
The journey takes you through all sorts of environments, from plains to deserts to mountains. You can ride mounts ranging from horses to wolves and dragons. You even have a Zelda-style glider that lets you leap from mountain peaks and soar over the land.
Although there’s some debate on social media about whether Crimson Desert is an RPG, developer Pearl Abyss doesn’t label it as such. It calls Crimson Desert “an open-world action-adventure game.” That’s because it doesn’t have character leveling or experience points. You do expand your capabilities, but you do so by finding items in the open world, like in an action-adventure game like Zelda or a Metroid.
Based on the trailers, it does look like a hodgepodge of popular game elements. It has an extensive combat system, an explorable open world, puzzles, giant monsters to fight, and more. Here’s hoping the game is not too good to be true.
Other Preorder Guides
Chris Reed is a commerce editor and deals expert for IGN. He also runs IGN’s board game and LEGO coverage. You can follow him on Bluesky.
