Korean media speaks out about Crimson Desert's low score: 'It's being unfairly treated by Western media!'
Recently, South Korean news agency Yonhap published a noteworthy article about the controversy surrounding the ratings of the blockbuster film Crimson Desert . The article, titled "Why does Crimson Desert have such powerful technology but low scores?", pointed out inconsistencies in the international news outlets' evaluations. The article, published on March 22, 2026, highlighted these inconsistencies.
The article begins by expressing dissatisfaction with Crimson Desert's score of only 78 on Metacritic. The article bluntly states that Metacritic scores don't fully reflect the game's quality, and suggests that Western media outlets often have an overly critical view of Asian games, particularly those from Japan, which is one of the reasons for the low score.
However, the article also mentions the fact that the game is receiving around 60% negative reviews on Steam, calling it a "game riddled with problems." The reason given is that the developers failed to listen to user feedback, focusing too much on showcasing technological prowess and massive amounts of content while neglecting the actual gameplay experience.
Furthermore, the reporter also noted that the game's storyline felt vague, the connection between chapters was extremely disjointed, and lacked essential meaning. In conclusion, the author concluded that the low score was also due to the development team failing to experience the game from the player's perspective, leading to many design elements considered "anti-human," such as the inventory system and button issues, which have been heavily criticized by the community. In short, despite possessing top-tier technical capabilities, Crimson Desert still needs a major overhaul in its gameplay experience if it wants to win over both critics and the demanding gaming community.
Update 24 March 2026
Isabella Humphrey
Isabella Humphrey is a Senior Game Analyst. This position is a high-level professional who acts as a bridge between raw data and game design to drive game success. Unlike lower-level positions that focus solely on basic reporting, a senior analyst proactively shapes data strategy, predicts player behavior, and directly influences core business decisions.