Crimson Desert Game Length: Main Story, Side Content, 100%

Crimson Desert is an open-world action-adventure game developed by Pearl Abyss, slated for release on PC and consoles. The main story campaign is estimated to take around 50-60 hours to complete, while a full 100% completion run, including all side quests, exploration, and collectibles, is projected to take 100-120 hours. These figures are based on the developer’s descriptions of the game’s scale and typical play patterns for similar open-world titles, as the game has not yet been released and exact numbers are subject to change.

What We Know About the Campaign Structure

Pearl Abyss has described Crimson Desert as a single-player-focused narrative experience, a departure from their previous MMO, Black Desert Online. The main story follows Kliff, a mercenary leader, across the continent of Pywel. The developers have emphasized a cinematic, character-driven story with a mix of main quests and side activities. While the game is not an MMO, it is built on the same proprietary engine that allows for large, seamless environments, which suggests a substantial world to traverse. The 50-60 hour estimate for the main story is a reasonable projection based on the developer’s statements about the game’s length being “significant” and their history of creating content-rich worlds.

Side Content and Exploration

The side content in Crimson Desert is expected to be extensive, drawing from the studio’s experience with Black Desert Online. Players can likely expect:

• Side quests: Numerous NPC-driven quests that expand on the lore, offer unique rewards, and provide context to the world’s factions and history.
• World bosses: Large, challenging enemies that require preparation and strategy, often rewarding rare gear or materials.
• Life skills: Activities like fishing, gathering, and crafting, which were a major part of Black Desert Online, are likely to be present in some form, though possibly streamlined for a single-player experience.
• Exploration: Hidden caves, ruins, and landmarks that offer lore entries, collectibles, and environmental storytelling.
• Mounts and traversal: A variety of mounts, including horses and possibly other creatures, to facilitate crossing the large map, with taming and upgrading mechanics.

These activities are not just filler; they are designed to complement the main story and provide a sense of a living, breathing world. The 100-120 hour completion estimate assumes a player engages with a majority of these systems, not just rushing through the critical path.

What 100% Completion Entails

Reaching 100% completion in a game like Crimson Desert is a significant undertaking. Based on common open-world conventions and Pearl Abyss’s design philosophy, it would likely involve:

1. Completing all main story missions and all side quests, including those that are missable or require specific conditions.
2. Discovering every location on the map, including all points of interest, fast travel points, and hidden areas.
3. Collecting all collectibles, such as lore notes, treasure maps, and unique items.
4. Defeating all world bosses and optional dungeon encounters.
5. Maximizing all life skills and character progression systems.
6. Completing any achievement or trophy list, which often includes miscellaneous tasks like performing certain combat moves or reaching specific milestones.

This level of completion is not for everyone, but it offers a deep dive into every system the game has to offer. The actual time can vary wildly based on player skill, familiarity with the genre, and the use of guides.

How the Length Compares to Other Open-World Games

To put these estimates in perspective, here’s how they stack up against other popular open-world titles:

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Main story is about 50 hours, with 100% completion taking around 150 hours.
• Elden Ring: Main story is about 50-60 hours, with completionist runs exceeding 100 hours.
• Horizon Forbidden West: Main story is about 30 hours, with completion around 80-90 hours.
• Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Main story is about 60 hours, with completion exceeding 140 hours.

Crimson Desert’s projected length places it firmly in the “epic” tier of open-world games, similar to The Witcher 3 and Elden Ring. This aligns with Pearl Abyss’s ambition to create a game that rivals the genre’s biggest names.

Factors That Can Affect Playtime

Several variables can significantly alter how long it takes to finish the game:

• Difficulty level: Higher difficulty settings will slow progress due to tougher enemies and more frequent deaths.
• Play style: Players who rush through the main quest will finish much faster than those who explore every nook and cranny.
• Use of guides: Following a guide can reduce time spent on puzzles, finding collectibles, and optimizing builds, but it can also extend playtime if the guide is exhaustive.
• Fast travel: The availability and cost of fast travel can impact exploration time.
• Post-launch updates: Pearl Abyss has a history of adding content post-release, which could extend the completion time for players who return for new updates.

It’s also worth noting that the game is expected to have multiple endings or significant choices, which might encourage multiple playthroughs, further increasing the total time spent.

Common Misconceptions About the Game’s Length

One common misconception is that because Pearl Abyss made Black Desert Online, Crimson Desert will be an MMO with endless content. This is not the case; the developers have explicitly stated it is a single-player game. Another misconception is that the game will be a “walking simulator” with a short campaign. Given the developer’s track record and the size of the world, this seems unlikely. The 50-60 hour main story estimate is based on the assumption that players will engage with some side content, but it’s possible to finish the main critical path faster if one ignores everything else. However, the game is designed to encourage exploration, so the “true” experience likely falls on the longer end.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Crimson Desert an MMO?

No, Crimson Desert is a single-player, narrative-driven action-adventure game. It does not require an internet connection and does not feature multiplayer elements like shared worlds or player-vs-player combat. It is built on the same engine as Black Desert Online, but the design is fundamentally different.

Will the game have a New Game Plus mode?

As of now, Pearl Abyss has not confirmed a New Game Plus mode. However, given the game’s focus on story choices and multiple endings, it is a common feature in such games and could be added either at launch or in a post-launch update. We’ll have to wait for official announcements.

How long is the main story if I skip side quests?

If you focus solely on the main story and ignore side content, you could likely finish in around 40-50 hours. This is a rough estimate based on the game’s scale and typical pacing. The 50-60 hour figure assumes you do some side quests and exploration along the way.

Can I complete the game 100% in one playthrough?

It’s likely that some content will be missable due to story choices or time-sensitive events. In many open-world games, achieving 100% completion requires multiple playthroughs or the ability to reload saves to make different choices. It’s possible that Crimson Desert will have a chapter select or post-game free roam to make this easier, but it’s not confirmed.

Will there be any multiplayer or co-op modes?

No, the developers have stated that Crimson Desert is a purely single-player experience. There will be no co-op or multiplayer modes at launch. This is a deliberate design choice to focus on the narrative and character development.

How does the game’s length compare to Black Desert Online?

Black Desert Online is an MMO with endless content, so it’s not directly comparable. Crimson Desert is a finite single-player game, so it will have a definitive ending. However, the world size and level of detail are expected to be similar, which is why the completion time is so high.

Related

• DMZ Key Locations: Which Door Each Key Opens
• How to Stop Loot Boxes & In-Game Spending
• Apple Worth 800 Billion? Value Explained