Crimson Desert sparks global controversy: praised internationally, heavily criticized in Korea and China, yet still climbs the Steam charts.

After its official release, Crimson Desert quickly became one of the most controversial games currently available. Looking at reviews from various markets, a rather mixed picture emerges: international (English) reviews are generally positive, but in major Asian markets like South Korea and China, the reaction is overwhelmingly negative.

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Internationally, the game has been highly praised for its impressive graphics, large world scale, and ambitious gameplay system. Many reviews consider it one of the most noteworthy open-world games currently available, despite some design flaws.

Despite some negative comments, the overall feedback from English-speaking gamers is quite positive.

However, in its home country of South Korea, Crimson Desert has faced considerable criticism. On forums like Inven, players complain about poor controls, especially with controllers, an unintuitive interface, cumbersome collection mechanics, and an unengaging storyline. Many opinions suggest the game is "difficult to access" and frustrating in the first few hours of gameplay.

A review by a South Korean gamer stated that the person who designed the shortcuts for this game deserves to be hanged and forced to eat Buldak spicy noodles mixed with vinegar.

In China, the situation is also not much better. Many gamers believe the game lacks gameplay depth, features repetitive missions, and the overall experience doesn't live up to its long development time. Some even describe it as a "large-scale but low-quality" product.

Reviews from Chinese gamers, topped by a post criticizing the storyline as being more illogical than last night's dream.

Despite the controversies surrounding it, Crimson Desert is proving to be a strong commercial success. On Steam, the game is currently a top seller and has recorded a peak concurrent player count of 239,045 – an extremely impressive number for a newly released game.

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The contrast between reviews and sales suggests that Crimson Desert remains a compelling title, attracting players despite its actual quality being a subject of global debate.