Despite its long runtime, The Game Awards offered a pretty impressive list of reveals, from The Witcher 4 and the return of Okami and Onimusha. Elden Ring: Nightreign is taking the beloved Souls-like into a standalone multiplayer space; Split Fiction looks to offer yet another incredible Hazelight co-op adventure. Even the rumored Virtua Fighter reboot was confirmed with an impressive new trailer.However, several existing titles also received release windows and trailers, including Crimson Desert from Pearl Abyss, which continues to impress. Its all the more interesting because the first trailer landed in 2019. We didnt know what to think then, aside from the developer promising a single-player prequel to its MMORPG Black Desert Online. Further details were also forthcoming.Things changed drastically at The Game Awards 2020 when Pearl Abyss debuted its gameplay trailer for Crimson Desert, noting it to be actual in-game and gameplay footage (albeit a work in progress). What we saw looked simply mind-blowing. Massive landscapes of differing climates, from mountain ranges and forests to plateaus and, yes, some deserts; settlements of varying sizes, including villages and massive cities with various NPCs roaming about; realistic-looking dialogue exchanges with excellent facial animations; and thats not even getting to the incredible visuals.However, the gameplay ultimately caught people off-guard, particularly in its sheer variety. Dungeons with different puzzles, swamps to boat through, visceral combat (with an admittedly excessive amount of screen shake), massive monsters you can climb onto, sieges, aerial battles with a dragon mountit all seemed too good to be true. In a Dev Archives video, the development team said it only revealed a third of everything that it actually shot into the trailer. Not a third of the game, mind you a third of whatever it captured. It even touted more content in development that players could look forward to.Given the number of games that could easily fool players, including a little-known upstart in the following year called The Day Before, many were understandably skeptical. The fact that Pearl Abyss touted a Winter 2021 launch also didnt seem viable. And no prizes for guessing, but Crimson Desert wouldnt arrive that year. There were no updates, and for all intents and purposes, it seemed like nothing more than an impressive showcase that Pearl Abyss couldnt deliver on.That is, until it re-emerged at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2023, and somehow, in some way, the development team crammed even more on top of everything from the previous trailer. Arm wrestling, real-time destruction of various structures, horse-riding and combat, hijacking wagons, tree-climbing, hot-air balloons, sky-diving, bullet hell bosses, first-person fishing, flute playing, sheep rescue, giant mechanical bosses, and yes, you could even pet various animals.Again, it felt simply unbelievable that Pearl Abyss could deliver such a wide range of mechanics in such a giant world with that level of visual fidelity. While there wasnt a release date, and you could argue for a drop in graphical quality, Crimson Desert was clearly more than a showcase trailer. The developer also confirmed that this was no longer a prequel to Black Desert but its own story in the same universe, further ensuring it stood on its own.2024 proved even more notable for the title since we received 50 minutes of early gameplay, alongside the demos playable at Gamescom and G-STAR. Attendees could go hands-on with various bosses, with the combat mechanics really coming alive. Along with the sword and shield play and explosive arrows, the overall visceral nature of encounters each looking unique with their mechanics is stunning. And yes, as ridiculous as it seemed in the initial gameplay trailer, you can still clothesline, body slam and RKO enemies out of nowhere.Ultimately, its the latest trailer at The Game Awards 2024 that sealed things, with its sheer abundance of killer techniques, different weapons, and even other playable characters. The world still looks incredible, whether its the floating islands and their secrets or just roaming the countryside and battling monsters. With everything new (including confirmation that you can indeed ride around on a dragon and rain fire down on enemies), its like we still havent even scratched the surface of what Crimson Desert has to offer.Yes, there are still areas which could use even more polish, like the footstep audio from that 50-minute gameplay video or some graphical issues like pop-in. However, the fact that its scheduled for late 2025 and not the first quarter, as initially rumored, also gives the impression of Pearl Abyss opting for a more realistic timetable and taking the time for proper polish. Plans can always change, but given everything weve seen thus far, its looking like one of the biggest games of next year, both in scale and hype. Thats no easy feat, especially considering some of the competition (especially if it clashes with Grand Theft Auto 6 in the Fall).One could look at the sheer number of influences for Crimson Desert and express skepticism beyond the visuals. Its compared to properties like The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Dragons Dogma 2, and so on. Black Desert players could also likely spot similar mechanics and really question how in-depth the side quests will be and whatnot.Leaving aside the fact that almost every game iterates on mechanics from those that came before, Crimson Deserts biggest strength looks to be one all those other games have in common the thrill of discovery. Setting out into a massive, unknown world, meeting different characters and learning their stories, and unearthing all the many ways you can augment your character and further legend.Its also worth noting that its release timing works out pretty well. Not only is it filling the space before The Witcher 4 launches which will be a long time since full production only started in November 2024 but catering to fans of those other games who want something more. The sheer size and scale are already very impressive. Yet, it feels like the development team is hiding so much more as if waiting to surprise players.Based on its overall visual style and combat remaining mostly the same since that initial 2020 gameplay reveal, even with some graphical downgrades, Crimson Desert seemingly has a strong vision that its maintained over the years. Pearl Abyss has seemingly taken the time to optimize it for current-gen hardware, polishing everything so that it meets the lofty standards that have no doubt arisen, and the overall experience looks all the better for it.2025 is shaping up to be something special, with the sheer number of blockbusters and killer apps released across the board. Theres an entire other half of the year thats veritably uncharted, with publishers seemingly afraid of going up against Grand Theft Auto 6. Despite their differences, Crimson Desert could very well be the other side of the same coin a massive open-world action RPG that also leans into immersing players and making them feel like theyre a part of it. For that reason and many others, we cant wait to explore everything it has to offer.Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.