CRIMSON DESERT

Bloody battlegrounds set the stage for a mythic quest

Within seconds of starting Crimson Desert, we're thrust into a fiery battle and insulted by a chorus of roaring brutes in bear-head hats. As swirling embers fill the air and illuminate a grassy arena, a slick cutscene blur into frenetic combat, but not before we're led through a breakneck tutorial - a crash course in dodging, swordplay and a surprising Spartan kick. It's a harsh first lesson, covering Pearl Abyss's new vision for combat post-Black Desert Online. Yet, even with such a punishing first impression, we can't help smiling as we're pounded to death with bats, axes and good old-fashioned fists.

Unlike its older MMORPG sibling, Crimson Desert is growing in a more focused direction. A single-player campaign centres on a gruff protagonist, Kliff, exploring the expansive land of Pywel along with his band of merry mercenaries. But Crimson Desert doesn't leave everything behind: as well as a slew of life-simulator systems such as cooking and crafting, Pearl Abyss has promised extracurricular activities such as hunting and animal taming at launch.

It's an ambitious swing framed in a textbook fantasy setting that's difficult to get a bead on during our strictly combat-focused session. In lieu of any meaningful preamble, we're dropped into an ethereal hub and asked to pick between four boss fights that will appear ambiently in Crimson Desert's open world.