Crimson Desert Enhanced, the game formerly known as just Crimson Desert, finally has some DLC you'll have to pay to play. It's a change for the sprawling open world game, which until now has been content to give away much of its content for free, even when that generosity led the developer to assign it a slightly fancier name.
Released early this year, Crimson Desert has sold more than six million units, making it a genuine hit even if not all critics responded with the same enthusiasm. It looks pretty great to me, and did even before a huge--and completely free--update that prompted Pearl Abyss to add "enhanced" to the game's name.
The new DLC is officially called Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown, and adds new stories, underwater exploration, additional housing options, stronghold management, and even a touch of romance. That's a lot of new content for a game that already had a bunch of it.
Having protected Pywel, the heroes Kliff, Oongka, and Damiane set out to forge their own paths forward. Players will be able to sail on a ship they construct themselves, dive into the ocean to find hidden treasure, and in general see the world they know and love from a new perspective.
Credit: Pearl Abyss
The romance aspects will allow players to get to know possible partners, and eventually even marry them. Plus, when domestic bliss grows tedious, it will be possible to lease and run facilities in the various strongholds they liberate. That introduces a sim aspect, which sounds to me like it could work the way real estate does in Fable, or night clubs do in Grand Theft Auto. I love that stuff. Regarding housing, the press release I received had this to say:
Expanded housing also gives players control over more than interior decoration. They can now decide the placement of walls, windows, and other structural elements, as well as the basic layout of their home. Players who liberate certain castles can also decorate their courtyards and interiors, turning them into spaces of their own.
Crimson Desert Enhanced: Charting the Unknown is now available to purchase on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Steam, Mac, and the Epic Games Store. The press release forgot to mention the DLC's price, but never fear; I looked it up for you and the number is $24.99.
If you would like to try the game without spending money, that might also be possible. The press release mentioned that PlayStation Plus Premium/Deluxe members and Xbox Series X|S players are (or will be) able to play the game free for five hours. That should be more than enough time to decide whether it provides an experience you want to play more of.
