Obsession and Madness is the 58th main mission in Crimson deserttaking place in chapter 4 of the main story, which can be a bit more complicated to solve if you don't know. Picking up right after the Spire of the Stars, you were sent into the Abyss to find Octavius, who had been swallowed by a rift and may still be alive somewhere inside.
The main challenge here is a pillar puzzle that asks you to use Axiom Force to bridge your way to a raised island, although there is a faster alternative route that skips most of this.
Explore the Abyss
The 'Obsession And Madness' mission in Crimson Desert begins when you arrive in the Abyss after passing through the Rift at the top of the Spire of the Stars.
Once you gain control of Kliff after Octavius disappears, step on the Abyss Nexusglowing floor plate right in front of you. This will register it as a fast movement point, so if you fall at any point, you can warp straight back instead of starting from scratch.
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Find whoever is responsible for the rift
After exploring the Abyss, your next task is to track down whoever is responsible for the rift that took Octavius. The quest marker is located on a large elevated island above you, and in the Crimson Desert there are two ways to reach it and complete Obsession and Madness: by completing the pillar puzzle or using the Force Palm to climb straight up.
How to solve the Pillar Puzzle
Turn right from the Abyss Nexus and interact with wire slot on the large pole to attach your Axiom Force and lift it up. This will move the camera to an aerial view from above with the controls displayed in the lower right corner of the screen. Use L2/R2 (or LT/RT on Xbox) to select a pillar and press X/A to raise it.
Activate the middle pillar first, as picking up the pillar closest to your platform will pull it towards you. From there, walk along each raised pillar to find another Axiom Force slot and continue your journey forward until the platforms are connected to the far end.
Force Palm And Flying
You can skip most of the puzzle by jumping and chain Force Palm three times in a row in the air (something the game never explicitly tells you is possible).
Two sets of three midair Force Palms will get you to the main platform without ever touching the puzzle controls. Force Palm consumes Spirit, which is recharged by holding L3 + R3.
If you have put enough points into Stamina, Direct climbing along the walls of the pillars is also feasibleand “Double jump.”A skill from Kliff's green skill tree still makes the climb easier.
How to complete a task
Once you reach the top of the raised island, head up the stairs. at the summit jump and use Force Palm in the air above the glowing pressure platform to activate it.
This triggers a cutscene that reveals who the perpetrator was and ends the Obsession and Madness quest for the Crimson Desert.
The pressure platform requires a Force Palm in the air – just step on it and press interact nic. After the cutscene, Obsession and Madness ends and the next quest, 'Cast Shadow', starts automatically.
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