If you were one of the millions of players who tuned into the 2021 Game Awards reveal or got access to the closed playtest for Crimson Desert 2021, you know how much hype surrounded this dark fantasy open-world RPG from Pearl Abyss. I spent 120 hours playing through every available section of that 2021 build, experimenting with every class, quest line, and crafting system I could unlock, so I’ve put together all the most useful insights I picked up along the way. A lot of players who only saw the trailer don’t realize how much depth the early build already had, even with its limited content scope. This guide breaks down everything you need to know, whether you’re revisiting old playtest footage or comparing the 2021 build to later releases of the game.
What Made Crimson Desert 2021 Stand Out From Other Open-World RPGs
Pearl Abyss is best known for Black Desert Online, so most players went into the 2021 reveal expecting a similar high-fantasy sandbox focused on grinding and PvP. But Crimson Desert 2021 leaned far more into narrative-driven, single-player content first, with optional multiplayer features that felt secondary instead of core to the experience. I was shocked by how much character development the main protagonist, Macduff, already had in the 2021 build, with fully voice-acted cutscenes that felt like they belonged in a premium single-player RPG like The Witcher 3. The combat was also a huge departure from Black Desert’s fast, combo-heavy system: it was slower, more weighty, and focused on positioning and stamina management, even for ranged classes. I still remember the first time I fought a giant ice troll in the northern mountains, and I had to dodge its attacks for 10 minutes straight because I ran out of stamina halfway through the fight. It was frustrating, but when I finally took it down, I felt way more accomplished than I did beating any boss in Black Desert Online.
7 Critical Tips for Playing the Crimson Desert 2021 Playtest Build
If you still have access to the 2021 closed playtest build, or you’re watching playthroughs to see how the game has evolved, these tips will help you get the most out of the limited content available. I made all of these mistakes in my first 20 hours of play, so you don’t have to waste time repeating them:
I also recommend sticking to the main story for the first 10 levels if you’re new to the game. The open world is huge, but a lot of areas are locked behind main story progression in the 2021 build, so wandering off too early will just leave you stuck with nothing to do. You can unlock fast travel points as you go through the main quest, which makes exploring the rest of the map far easier later on.
The Biggest Differences Between Crimson Desert 2021 and Later Builds
A lot of players who picked up later betas or the full release are surprised by how much the game changed after the 2021 playtest. For starters, the 2021 build had far less multiplayer content, with no open-world PvP and only a 4-player co-op dungeon mode available for testing. Pearl Abyss also cut a lot of the darker, more mature story beats from the 2021 build in later versions, to make the game more accessible to a wider audience. The class roster was also half the size in 2021, with only 4 playable classes available compared to the 12 that launched in the full release. One of the most missed features from the 2021 build is the dynamic weather system that actually impacted gameplay: heavy rain would make climbing impossible, and snow storms would drain your stamina faster if you didn’t have cold-weather gear. Later builds kept the visual weather effects, but removed almost all of the gameplay impacts to make exploration less frustrating for casual players.
That doesn’t mean the later builds are worse, of course. They fixed a lot of the 2021 build’s worst bugs, like the constant crashes during long cutscenes and the broken crafting system that would delete your materials randomly. But if you prefer a more challenging, story-focused experience, the 2021 build is still worth checking out if you can get access to it.
Is the Crimson Desert 2021 Playtest Build Still Worth Playing Today?
This is the question I get asked most often by fans of the full release, and the answer depends on what you want out of the game. If you’re only interested in endgame content, PvP, or co-op play, you’ll be disappointed by the 2021 build, since it only has 20 hours of main story content and very little endgame to speak of. But if you’re a long-time fan of the series who wants to see how the game evolved over time, or you prefer slower, more challenging open-world gameplay, it’s absolutely worth a playthrough. The 2021 build also has no microtransactions, which is a huge plus for players who are tired of pay-to-win mechanics and cosmetic shops that clutter up modern RPGs. The only real downside is that the build is no longer officially supported, so you’ll run into bugs and glitches that will never be fixed, and you can’t play with other players unless you use private servers. I’d recommend playing it for the story and the original combat system first, and not worrying about 100% completion, since a lot of the side content was never finished in the 2021 build.
At the end of the day, Crimson Desert 2021 is a fascinating look at what could have been one of the best fantasy RPGs of the decade, before Pearl Abyss made changes to appeal to a wider player base. It has its flaws, but its tight combat, mature story, and unforgiving open world make it a great experience for players who want something a little different from the usual casual open-world fare. Whether you’re revisiting the 2021 build for nostalgia or checking it out for the first time, the tips and insights in this guide will help you get the most out of every hour you spend in its brutal, beautiful world. If you have any questions about specific mechanics or quest lines from the 2021 build, drop them in the comments below and I’ll help you out.