Crimson Desert (PS5)

Crimson Desert from PEARL ABYSS is an open-world action adventure set in the land of Pywel, and this PS5 disc brings the enhanced version of the game to your living room. The edition features new cutscenes and story moments, expanded voice-over and language support, and the improvements added since the game first launched, including new content, mounts, pets and customisation options.

A world of discovery in Pywel

Pywel is built to be wandered. Green plains and woods give way to arid deserts and rugged mountains, and between destinations you run into landmarks, ancient ruins and hidden treasures that pull you off the main path. The story takes you skyward as well, to a mysterious realm called the Abyss, where a mystical imbalance threatens the world and needs to be put right.

You follow the continent's stories through quests, encounters, challenges and battles, and you decide how to get around. Mounts range from horses to a dragon and even mechs, and you can scale cliffsides and walls, then leap from them to glide.

Combat and gameplay

• Combat with no single path to victory: grow your skills, weapons and equipment and choose how to use them
• Weapons including swords, spears, greatswords, axes, dual wields and various ranged weapons
• Powerful abilities and elemental enhancements you can chain into combinations
• Duels against bosses, large-scale battle clashes and quick skirmishes
• Daily life in Pywel: gather resources, cook, fish and hunt to restore stats and strengthen your gear
• Mounts, pets and customisation options to shape your own journey

Why play it on PS5

This is a PS5 disc, and the game is listed as PS5 Pro Enhanced for owners of that console. The DualSense wireless controller is part of the design: vibration is required and trigger effects are supported, which gives the weapon swings and impacts a physical presence in your hands. Remote Play is supported too.

It is a single-player experience, with a MENA rating of 18, so it is aimed at adult players. Arabic on-screen text is supported, alongside a long list of other languages.

Game details

Crimson Desert is a strong pick for anyone building a library of PlayStation 5 games. Pair it with a spare pad from the PlayStation controllers collection, or look through the PlayStation consoles range if you are still deciding which console to play it on.