Crimson Desert in action looks like a sort of janky Assassin's Creedlike where you explode stuff a lot
Look at him leaping everywhere on his horse
First announced three years ago, medieval-ish low fantasy-ish action adventureCrimson Desert made an appearance at Opening Night Live for Gamescom tonight, and boy do you have a horse in it. Also you can explode things with what looks like comical ease. Crimson Desert's older sibling is Black Desert Online, that MMO that has a really pretty character creator, and the big daddy dev Pearl Abyss say that Crimson Desert is still a work in progress but, hooooo, they're showing off that horse, alright.
The fact sheet I have before me tells an epic tale of a power vacuum and an ensuing struggle for the thrown of Akapen, among the ambitious of Pywel. So. Pretty serious stuff, I think you'll agree. Especially since the young prince flees to the distant region of Kweiden. You're not the prince, though, you play a merc called Kliff, out for revenge after your merc pals fall victim to a deadly trap.
Functionally what this appears to mean is that you gallop around a Eurocentric-ish fantasy land getting in fights and exploding things and climbing around hanging off walls like an Ubissassin. To look at it reminds me a bit of the mid-series AC games when it got a bit silly and they had to reboot the whole bastard again, only there's more magic and medieval hot air balloons. I'm told there's also cooking, hunting, mining, gathering, fishing, crafting, and horse taming to get involved with. The trailer shows you can certainly pick up cats, at any rate.
Crimson Desert will be released at some point, no doubt.
For more of the latest news and previews from Gamescom 2023, head to our Gamescom 2023 hub. You can also find everything announced at Opening Night Live right here.