Pearl Abyss spared no expense with Crimson Desert, making it one of the biggest and most expansive RPGs in history. The sheer volume of content in the game has already set players up for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. Leading up to its launch, players expected a massive open world, cinematic storytelling, and deep combat systems. Yet now that Crimson Desert is in players’ hands, it seems it isn’t quite living up to their lofty expectations.
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The post-launch conversation has shifted, with early reviews and fan reception aiming criticism at its lack of story, confusing UI, complicated controls, and performance issues. This is concerning on its own, considering Pearl Abyss’ history, but it becomes even more worrisome when looking at the studio’s future. While Crimson Desert is an ambitious game, there is another title that I fear will suffer because of Crimson Desert’s launch. This reception will have a major impact on the development of the upcoming DokeV.
A Middling Launch & Disappointed Fans
The biggest issue surrounding Crimson Desert is how far it feels from its original promise. What was marketed as a narrative-driven experience has instead been criticized for lacking a strong, cohesive story. Players have pointed out that while the world is visually impressive, it does not feel anchored by compelling characters or meaningful progression. This is made even more frustrating considering how lackluster Kliff is as a protagonist. With his bland character, there is no excuse Pearl Abyss didn’t allow players to create their own characters.
The user interface has also become a major point of frustration. Menus feel cluttered and unintuitive, making it difficult to manage inventory or navigate systems. In a large-scale RPG, UI design is critical to the overall experience. When it becomes a barrier, it can quickly pull players out of the game. Pearl Abyss even somehow didn’t give players a meaningful way to store equipment and gear, though this was quickly patched in after Crimson Desert’s launch.
Performance issues further compound the problem for console players. Reports of bugs, frame drops, and inconsistent behavior have made it harder for players to fully engage with the world. Combined with controls that feel unresponsive or overly complex, the result is a game that struggles to deliver on its ambitious vision. These are not minor complaints. They are fundamental issues that affect how the game feels moment to moment. Pearl Abyss was given feedback about this, yet the final product launched with them anyway, showing a disconnect between players and the developer.
Crimson Desert’s Impact On DokeV
These issues already had me concerned about Crimson Desert, but they carry more weight when I look at DokeV. It is equally, if not more, ambitious and full of potential. It blends creature collection with an open world inspired by MMOs. I can’t help but compare it to Pokemon and Pearl Abyss has already set huge expectations. I imagine a world where there are actual, meaningful interactions with the creatures I tame, especially when the first trailer showcased different uses for travel and combat.
Crimson Desert’s poor UI and controls have me worried about how this will be handled in DokeV. Not only that, but the performance raises the question of how this will affect the game’s modern setting, where there will not only be the player, but various creatures on screen at once. Pearl Abyss has already said that Crimson Desert’s reception will affect DokeV’s development, meaning we could absolutely see the same problems plague it.
However, there is a silver lining. Pearl Abyss could learn from these mistakes and make the necessary improvements ahead of DokeV’s launch. The game is not expected until 2027 at the earliest, so there is ample time to implement the lessons learned from Crimson Desert. Pearl Abyss has already shown its flexibility with DokeV, having changed it from a full-fledged MMO into a single-player title. Still, it remains to be seen if Pearl Abyss will learn from Crimson Desert’s launch.
Pearl Abyss Can’t Repeat This Again
One of the biggest concerns is that DokeV could inherit the same problems that players are currently experiencing in Crimson Desert. Performance optimization, UI clarity, and control responsiveness are not issues that can be solved overnight. Pearl Abyss has to rectify these issues, not just with updates and patches to Crimson Desert, but before launching DokeV. Failing to do so could have a huge impact on how players receive the ambitious game.
There is also the challenge of scale. Crimson Desert showed that Pearl Abyss can create huge worlds that feel alive. But the modern setting of DokeV could pose a bigger task, especially when considering how it will implement its creatures. These will likely have even more interactions with the world than the various limited mounts of Crimson Desert. This additional layer of complexity needs to be handled perfectly and balanced across combat, exploration, and more.
In the end, it is hard to say how Crimson Desert will affect DokeV. I am optimistic that the studio will take the lessons learned to heart, but part of me is still concerned. I’ve always dreamed of a true competitor to Pokemon, one that has a world that feels truly alive and lets me interact with my partner creatures in expressive ways. Pearl Abyss’s support of Crimson Desert will go a long way toward providing some of these answers regarding DokeV. But after seeing how Crimson Desert has been received, it is fair to question whether Pearl Abyss can deliver on that vision without repeating the same mistakes.
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