Unveiling Crimson Desert: Discover its Clear Zelda Inspirations and Beyond

Highlights

Crimson Desert boasts an extraordinary open-world environment, where players can assume the role of the valiant mercenary Kliff and embark on a quest to uncover the enigmatic mysteries of his personal history. With a colossal map at their disposal, gamers can explore boundlessly, indulging in an immersive single-player experience with unparalleled ambition.

Drawing inspiration from various open world titles, Crimson Desert shares a striking similarity with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, particularly in its emphasis on sky islands and player freedom.

With the goal of capturing the same sense of open world liberation found in Breath of the Wild, Crimson Desert enables players to tackle challenges from any direction they choose. Additionally, it incorporates unique features such as the ability to dynamically capture horses and interact with the world using special powers. To truly distinguish itself from other contemporary open world games that have borrowed aspects from Breath of the Wild, Crimson Desert has a lot to prove.

It has been a considerable amount of time since its last appearance, but Pearl Abyss' highly anticipated game, Crimson Desert, is showing promising progress. Originally intended to be an action-MMO set in the same universe as their previous MMO, Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert has undergone a complete transformation into a singleplayer game. In the recently unveiled trailer at Gamescom 2023, players are introduced to Kliff, a mercenary on a quest to rediscover his lost comrades and unravel the hidden truths of his past and the world he calls home.

Throughout his journey, Kliff has the freedom to explore a vast and immersive world as he interacts with the locals, survives in the wild, and traverses any terrain by climbing or flying. Set in the captivating continent of Pywel, Crimson Desert exhibits an unprecedented level of ambition, surpassing even the amalgamation of action and MMO elements found in Black Desert. Despite the absence of an official release date, the game is visibly progressing well. It is likely that Crimson Desert draws inspiration from numerous open-world experiences to aid its development, with one particular influence standing out among the others.

Tears of the Kingdom's Sky Islands Return In Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert bears resemblance to Red Dead Redemption 2 in terms of survival simulation elements and draws comparisons to popular open world titles like Skyrim or The Witcher 3. However, its similarities with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and its recent sequel, Tears of the Kingdom, are even more striking. It is surprising how much it resembles the recent Legend of Zelda title, especially considering the years of development both games have undergone, with a strong emphasis on sky islands and various flight methods.

Although the chances of a subterranean map in Crimson Desert like Tears of the Kingdom's Depths are low, it seems that the game is a direct response to Tears of the Kingdom's 2021 gameplay reveal trailer. Based on available footage, certain regions of the game world contain tightly-packed groups of sky islands that can be accessed through portals, hot air balloons, skydiving, and possibly other means such as the protagonist's shadowy wraith form. These regions appear to be an idealized version of the more scattered sky islands found in Tears of the Kingdom. However, it is too early to determine if this is accurate or if these elements were always planned for Crimson Desert.

Crimson Desert Gives Many Breath of the Wild Elements Its Own Twist

Putting Tears of the Kingdom-specific comparisons aside, Crimson Desert shares many similarities with Breath of the Wild. One major similarity is its open world freedom, inspired by the acclaimed approach of Zelda. Players can tackle challenges from various angles and will face appropriate resistance, such as a castle launching explosives at a falling Kliff. The extent of this approach is unclear, but if Crimson Desert can recapture the enchantment of Zelda by allowing players to shape their own story progress, it is likely to impress many.

There are also numerous other noteworthy details, such as the dynamic capture of horses, the ability to freely climb certain surfaces, and, most notably, the interaction with the world through special powers. While it is unlikely that Crimson Desert will replicate Ultrahand, given the broad range of mechanics it offers, the Gamescom trailer showcases something resembling Breath of the Wild's Magnesis Rune. Many modern open world games incorporate climbing, gliding, and Shrine-like mini-dungeons inspired by BotW, so Crimson Desert has a significant challenge in distinguishing itself from the rest.

Crimson Desert is now in development for PC and consoles.