When Crimson Desert first launched on March 19, 2026, it was met with a flurry of user reviews, with them ranging from incredibly positive to downright critical. That naturally led to the game receiving ‘Mixed’ reviews on Steam, but five days later, they’ve shot up to ‘Very Positive.’
For context, Insider Gaming reviewed Crimson Desert and scored the game a 7, meaning it was believed to be Very Good. You can check out the full review here, but there have been plenty of updates to the game since, and it’s playing a huge part in user reviews on Steam.
Crimson Desert Patches Improve User Reviews
That’s most likely largely thanks to the rapid rate at which Pearl Abyss has been dishing out patches for the game since its launch. Patch 1.00.03 was the biggest one so far, as it drastically lowered the difficulty for some bosses, whilst fixing huge concerns like fast travel and Strongholds.
It’s a steep turnaround that seems to echo the user sentiment that the longer you play it, the more enjoyable it gets. Whether that’s a viable take is for you to decide, but there’s no denying that the majority of Steam users seem to be having a great time with Crimson Desert.
That’s not to say that the game hasn’t had its fair share of controversies. Just a few days ago, fans discovered numerous cases of AI-generated art throughout the game, and plenty of fans are still battling with the control scheme.
However, Pearl Abyss quickly addressed and apologised for the AI art still left in the game, and they assured fans that they’re working on improvements to the controls in an upcoming update. If they keep on working at the pace that they are, there’s a chance the user reviews could stay at ‘Very Positive’ for the foreseeable future.
Have you tried Crimson Desert yet? If so, how have you found it? Share your thoughts in the official Insider Gaming Discord Server.
For more gaming news, read about Nintendo reportedly cutting down on Switch 2 production, as well as the latest ARC Raiders Patch Notes.
