In my eyes, the massive open world of Crimson Desert has one more thing to prove

I'm not going to lie – I was totally intrigued Crimson Desertno matter how massive it appears to be. He discovers that his open world is bigger than Skyrim and Red Dead Redemption 2 it didn't really excite me, simply because I'd heard it many times before and found that the scale didn't matter all that much. I wouldn't necessarily say I've ever been disappointed with a world this size, because the completionist in me doesn't mind having tons of activities to complete and collectibles to find. However, after stepping into open worlds like Elden Ring and Breath of the Wildmy value system was turned upside down and my standards changed. Now that I've seen what can be accomplished with large worlds like these, and how much restraint can still create something worthwhile, Crimson desert I still have one thing left to prove.

Pearl Abyss recently released the first feature overview for the Crimson desert on his YouTube channel, detailing the game's open world and the many things players will be able to do in it. While I was blown away by what I saw before it ended, I was left wondering, “What kind of open world is this going to be?” The question is not about what it will look like, what activities there will be, or how I will move around the huge world – all of that was described in the video. It's more a question of what Crimson desertopen world values in terms of player motivation. Will exploration really be driven by genuine curiosity, or will Pywel end up being mapped with icons and objectives that turn discovery into another checklist?

Crimson Desert claims to value curiosity, but I wonder if it will really matter

To be fair, the first main overview Crimson desert it blew me away and I don't mind if some see it as nothing more than the result of some uncontrolled hype. I've already seen a lot of the game, but every little detail revealed by Pearl Abyss does Crimson desert looking like the next big open world experience I can't wait to sink my teeth into. Additionally, what the developer said about how exploration will work in Pywel's game environment makes it even more enticing to me. But the cautious side of me feels there is a catch.

“Exploration in Pywel is more than travel – it's discovery,” the developer said during the video. “Whether it's finding undiscovered points of interest, hidden treasures, or simply a vantage point to take in, there's plenty to entice your wanderlust. With sights, mysteries, and surprises to catch your eye along the way, and no strict path, you can go pretty much anywhere that takes your fancy.”

This all sounds promising in itself. The idea of having endless freedom to explore Pywel at will and do whatever I want to do is right up my alley. There's one small problem though – that's pretty much what every modern open-world game promises. Moreover, points of interest, hidden treasures and viewpoints are nothing new, so Crimson desertAn open world needs something other than numbers or completion percentages to make these discoveries truly worthwhile. Here his claim that the world will hold my attention and attract my curiosity should be taken into account, but I am a little afraid that it will not be considered at all.

The open world Crimson Desert could end up being just a glorified map with a beautiful overlay

At one point, almost every open-world game suffered from the same problem: bloat. When a game's map gets bigger just to cram more content into it, it can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and ultimately a bit boring. However, I would argue that open worlds can actually get away with having an absurd amount of content if the map takes a minimalist approach to revealing that content. When players enter a world full of activities and collectibles without a map, they don't know any better.

But when the game's map shows where each of these activities and collectibles are located, the fulfillment that comes with finding them organically vanishes immediately. Instead of exploration being driven by curiosity, players end up chasing icons and engaging with the world because the map tells them to, not because they're interested. That's the line Crimson desert he'll have to tread carefully if he wants curiosity to matter.

People like me who just have to complete everything in the game for some reason have a hard time ignoring maps that are cluttered with icons. But when we're thrown into a world that doesn't tell us where anything is and instead trusts us to find it all on our own, we can more easily dismiss the idea that we're missing something because we don't know it's there. In that case, ignorance really is bliss. However, with Crimson desert indicating that I can go where my curiosity takes me, if I open the map and only see icons, the exploration will be less about curiosity and more about completion.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Elden Ring taught me that open worlds can be different

Again, I don't mind the open world map being cluttered with handheld icons telling me where to find every single activity and treasure chest. I have reached 100% completion Assassin's Creed Valhallaif that's any indication of my preferences, and although I haven't done it yet with Assassin's Creed ShadowsI return to it regularly with the goal of one day completing everything in it as well. While I enjoy watching my completion percentage increase when I complete a quest or find a new collectible in an open world game, I still long for experiences that truly remove the railing and allow me to have full control over what I discover and where I end up. Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Elden Ringfor me they are a perfect example of that and I hope Crimson Desert follows in their footsteps.

Other games like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Sableand Long darkness are also great examples of this minimal but ecologically detailed map philosophy.

What really sets these titles apart from other open world games is that even when you open up their map, you're still not told where to go. Their maps are designed to have clear visual cues written on them that pique your curiosity as much as what you might see in the distance without pulling out the map. It won't overwhelm you with markers or goals. Instead, they give you just enough information to pique your interest and let the world follow itself rather than a checklist. IN Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdomfor example, this means relying on visible landmarks and player-placed badges Elden Ring it reveals its world in fragments, leaving most discoveries unmarked even after the map is filled.

This is important because it actually makes research a choice rather than a guideline. You move towards something because it looks interesting, not because the map told you it was there. That's the difference I'm hoping for Crimson desert he'll understand when he finally shows what his map actually looks like. In the first feature preview, it showed off its faction map, which looks like it basically removes everything but the game's factions. But there was also a tab called “Environment” and I'm hoping it reveals something closer to a map like Elden Ringor Breath of the Wild'with.

Until Pearl Abyss shows what Crimson desertThe whole map actually looks like the question of chores versus curiosity will hang over everything the game promises. The world itself looks stunning, the scale is undeniable, and the gameplay seems fun, but all of that will matter less if exploration ends up being dictated by a pile of icons. But if Pywel really trusts players to wander around, notice, and decide for themselves what's worth chasing, Crimson desert could end up alongside the best modern open worlds.