Crimson Desert is already receiving a major gameplay-focused update. With patch 1.03.00, Pearl Abyss reworks the skill system and directly addresses the criticisms about the rhythm, considered too slow by part of the community since the release.
On the menu: new abilities for Kliff, Damiane and Oongka, refined combat and smoother travel in the open world. If you’ve given up on Pywel because every journey or dialogue seemed endless, this update is definitely worth a look.
Crimson Desert 1.03.00: what new skills for your heroes?
Kliff gains “Focused Air Roll”, triggered by using Focus while flying then the dodge button, provided you have Focus level 3, Flight level 2 and “Air Roll”. This mid-air dodge offers much more precise repositioning during aerial jousting or platforming phases. For their part, Damiane and Oongka receive “Force Axiom”, “Embrace of Nature” and related abilities, while “Shield Throw” and “Scatter Shot” now reproduce the effect of “Force Palm”. Result: they can manipulate more objects and solve more puzzles without systematically returning to Kliff.
Crimson Desert: significantly accelerated combat, dialogue and fast travel
In terms of gaming sensation, the lock-on on bosses has been revised to remain attached at a longer distance, while being deactivated on certain colossi where it hindered readability. Combos no longer freeze at a ridiculous speed when your attacks are blocked, a bug moving too fast disappears, “Dazzling Flash” remains active on horseback and the scythe can finally be drawn anywhere. Outside of combat, you can skip standard dialogues without black bars and push the “Rapid Passage Speed” up to x4, while the Abyss Nexuses allow teleportation even while climbing, swimming, falling or climbing.
Crimson Desert 1.03.00: display comfort and technical update
The update also improves daily comfort. A “Weapon Display” option finally allows melee and ranged weapons to be hidden on the character. The world map distinguishes already opened chests, visited caverns and the status of Abyss locations, while custom markers no longer disappear. The Abyss Nexuses are easier to spot and certain puzzles benefit from reinforced clues via lanterns, “Force Palm” and “Dazzling Flash”. In terms of accessibility, minimum font size and fine camera settings are emerging.
On PC, Crimson Desert adds support for Intel Arc GPUs, the “Intel XeSS 3.0” scaling mode with image generation and the “AMD Radeon Anti-Lag 2” option to limit the latency experienced. New graphics settings are added, while all platforms benefit from reworked interior lighting, better reflections on the water and less aggressive rain. On PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series