The difference between enjoying Crimson Desert and getting bored of it is the decision you have to make early in the game

Forget about the flat and run to the top of the mountain

The difference between enjoying the Crimson Desert and being bored is the decision you make early in the game

Forget the pavement and run to the top of the mountain

It took me time, energy, and—when I misjudged the cast of my magic hook—a good chunk of my sanity to climb to a platform atop the wobbly gorge.But it's worth it for the stunning panoramic views of Hernand's eastern hills.

Towards the south coast, behind the line of termination of the peaks there is a powerful fortress;a stone spire rises to the sky on the right, and from there a path leads down the slope, twisting between cracks in the rock.To the north is a circular city situated on a plateau, and beyond are distant red hills, flat-topped almost like mesas, with an impossibly thin structure jutting out from one of the peaks.

The world of the Crimson Desert shines in all its glory as it expands beneath your feet, following natural paths between three, four or five landmarks with your gaze without consulting a map.What I found at those landmarks was mostly brutal exploration or empty roads, but developer Pearl Abyss did something particularly well to encourage exploration from above, and I felt driven to conquer each peak.

Its landscape is lively and, to put it unpoetically, clear.Their horns shine against the blue sky, some glow with an unearthly light that varies from green to yellow.The color changes mark new areas: the surprise of the snow or, north of the initial area, Hernand, a sudden wall of red leaves.Its long imaging distance, at least on a decent PC, highlights familiar places far away that invite you to get closer.

As night fills the horizon, braziers and bonfires glow in every town and camp, drawing the eye.The "Blinding Flash" skill—activated by pressing the two upper buttons—reflects the light from my sword and all openable fast travel points glow, helping me find places hidden by dense tree canopies.

From any high point you can look in any direction and know immediately where you are going.I like that the minimap doesn't mark the route to markers: you have to plan your journey instead of looking at the corner of the screen.I usually open the map before heading out, just to get familiar with the area, then follow the roads, cardinal directions and landmarks.

It helps that commuting is fun in itself.The more skill points I invested in stamina, the more I enjoyed launching myself from high places, alternating between gliding and flying with my wings, testing how far I could go before crashing.If you choose the right upgrades - double jump, power palm, aerial movement, aerial gravity - you can grab and jump over almost any obstacle.Or simply remove the tree to create a giant makeshift slingshot.

The world encourages me to explore, but it blames me for doing it quickly

The landscape unfolds in layers, and when you reach your destination, you'll often discover parts of the map that were previously hidden from view.From Shivering Gap I flew south and beyond the arrows of Thornbriar Keep;then I turned west through a hail of arrows from a band of bandits occupying the nearby fort, and took the path to the Needle of Insight.After crossing it off the list, I looked west again and saw, for the first time, the fishing village of Vellua, far, far below me, and a sunken boat a short distance from shore.

The same thing happened in the star needle, in the snowy western part of the map.I ignored his call for about 15 hours, but when the main mission took me there, I couldn't resist.I walked through, down into the valley and up the rocks too steep for my horse, the corner of my screen fogged with ice.As I reached its base, the stone tower and collection garden of the Scholastone Institute slid into view.I don't know if it's there, but now the place I like to play then, as if someone broke the Roman ruins down in the mountains and stuck colored pots into every crevice.

I just wish these places felt more alive, or at least offered more to do.

The feature of Valluva was a man selling trout.Hundreds of soldiers guarded Thornbriar Castle, and I couldn't interact with them, making it feel like a wasted adventure: one of many places that only served as a backdrop for the main quest.

Scholastone is another example.The door to the Star Spire was closed when I arrived.When I went down to the institute, I found myself in a boring task consisting of asking several NPCs about a lost book.The glowing puzzle of the power poles, clearly marked on the map, distracted me, but nothing happened when I solved it.mini-head.Ten minutes later, the magic tower opened.

Passing the main quest is too easy.It was as if the world encouraged me to explore but punished me for doing so too quickly: if not by hiding puzzles behind the story, then by interrupting my journey to a remote place on the map with a terrible patrol that would kill me on the spot.

Crimson Desert, more or less, gave me enough incentive to keep my interest.A hidden cave halfway up a nearby waterfall west of Vellua;An enchanted forest of fairy children that I can only access by stealing a relic from the top of a giant tree.I wasn't impressed by anything, the ride seemed flat overall, but the satisfaction of planning my hikes, the verticality of the landscape, and the sheer number of points on the horizon meant I'd keep climbing for now.