Crimson Desert is finally releasing, but here's a review roundup so you can gauge if you want to buy it or not.
After six long years of patiently waiting, it’s finally time for Crimson Desert to be released. Originally a follow-up MMORPG to Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert is a massive open world action-adventure game that looks to be a Game of the Year contender in 2026. While players will have to decide for themselves how they feel about the game, the review embargo has lifted, giving us a glimpse into what critics have to say.
To see a full review roundup for Crimson Desert, including scores from top outlets and the game’s current rating on Metacritic, keep reading the guide below.
Crimson Desert review roundup
The review embargo for Crimson Desert lifted at 6 PM ET on Wednesday, March 18. While there will likely be additional reviews rolling in throughout the rest of the night and the week, the “Critic Review” section for Crimson Desert on Metacritic isn’t going to change too much past what we currently see.
As of right now, here are dozens of the most prevalent reviews for Crimson Desert:
- Gameliner – 10/10
- Gamers Heroes – 10/10
- The Outerhaven – 10/10
- DualShockers – 9.5/10
- Forbes – 9.5/10
- GamingTrend – 9.5/10
- But Why Tho? – 9/10
- Areajugones – 9/10
- ComicBook – 9/10
- Destructoid – 8.5/10
- IGN Benelux – 8.5/10
- IGN Brasil – 8.5/10
- Gamereactor UK – 8/10
- Gaming Boulevard – 8/10
- GamesRadar+ – 8/10
- GAMINGbible – 8/10
- IGN Adria – 8/10
- IGN France – 8/10
- TechRadar Gaming – 8/10
- Radio Times – 8/10
- TrueGaming – 8/10
- Checkpoint Gaming – 7.5/10
- Meristation – 7.5/10
- Player 2 – 7.5/10
- CGMagazine – 7/10
- Game Informer – 7/10
- GameSpot – 7/10
- Insider Gaming – 7/10
- Screen Rant – 7/10
- IGN Deutschland – 6/10
- WellPlayed – 5.5/10
- Gamekult – 5/10
- Critical Hits – 4.5/10
Following the initial wave of reviews, Crimson Desert is sitting at a 78 on Metacritic, but only in the PC section. It appears PS5 and Xbox Series X|S codes were not provided to reviewers by developer Pearl Abyss.
As the game launches on March 19 and beyond, we should see more critical reviews roll in, and then we’ll finally see reviews for the console versions. With the early sentiment around Crimson Desert being far more positive than negative, the overall score for the game should trend up on the critical side. As for how the general player base feels about Crimson Desert, we’ll have to wait and see.