Korean developer Pearl Abyss has vowed to improve Crimson Desert’s storytelling earlier this month, but it's not clear when these changes will hit PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, or what they will exactly entail. In a recent interview with IGN at Summer Game Fest, the studio's director of marketing and PR, Will Powers, revealed not only that these changes will be additive and will not detract from early adopters, but also that side characters Damiane and Oongka may receive some much-needed love after hitting 6 million sales in a little over two months.
Crimson Desert Storytelling Changes Will Be Additive To The Experience
"I'll start with what I hope is not a controversial statement: art is subjective, just in general. That's not to discount anyone's experience, and people's different opinions are all valid, whether it's a review or a consumer's impressions," Powers said when asked about the upcoming storytelling changes. "But that's what comes down to the crux of the question: does that mean we're overhauling this story and throwing away what we built for a different story than the one people originally played? No. Does it mean we are making a better effort to maintain story continuity and improve cutscenes to clarify story elements and provide a better onboarding experience? Yes," he explained.
Ultimately, these changes will be additive to the Crimson Desert experience and won't be a massive overhaul. "Many players didn't necessarily understand the character's motivation in the beginning hours, and they felt like characters appeared without them understanding who they were in the story. We can address that, but that won't change the experience of those who already played the game," Powers said. By being additive, these changes will enhance the experience of newcomers and also provide something more for early adopters who have been playing the game since day 1.
Judging from these statements, it sounds like players won't have to start Crimson Desert all over again to enjoy the improved storytelling, which is something that all early adopters will surely appreciate. Personally speaking, I would dread having to start all over again to fully enjoy these changes, as the beginning of the game is not particularly enticing due to the missing features that only unlock with story progression and Kliff's limited moveset.
Expanding The Side Characters' Backstories Is In The Cards
Another common criticism raised at Crimson Desert, and one I wholly get behind, is how little fleshed out Damiane and Oongka are. Even more than Kliff, they just seem to be there for the ride, with little to no motivation. And while nothing seems to have been decided, fleshing out their backstories and motivations is among the possibilities.
"We've had conversations about fleshing out the backstories for the additional characters, and the specifics are still to be determined. But obviously, all of that's on the table, and to go on record as saying that the developers do read the feedback that they see across the internet. Players have expressed a desire to see more backstories for the additional playable characters and to understand how these people came to be involved in the main story," Powers said.
Seeing how both side characters have received plenty of love in the latest few patches, receiving additional skills that put them on par with Kliff for combat, exploration, and puzzle solving, it would make a lot of sense for Damiane and Oongka's backstories to get better fleshed out and become a more integral part of the experience. As they are both very fun to use, making them better characters overall would go a long way toward addressing one very common issue highlighted by the community: most players forget they are even playable characters, outside of a couple of main quest segments where it is required to use them.
While Pearl Abyss continues working on the Crimson Desert storytelling challenges, the studio is releasing new patches weekly to add new content and features and address issues, a quick turnaround made possible by the Blackspace Engine. Even without these additions, however, I found the game rather enjoyable, especially if one were to ignore the glaring storytelling faults that are being addressed in the future.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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