The most eye-catching game at 'G-Star 2024' held at BEXCO in Busan is Pearl Abyss's highly anticipated title, 'Red Desert.' On the afternoon of the 15th, the line for the Red Desert demo was long, and attendees had to wait three hours to enter. Due to the crowd, the line was temporarily closed for a short period.
To try the open-world action-adventure game Red Desert firsthand, I entered the demo area. First, I watched a guide video introducing the game’s setting, controls, and bosses. Then, I moved to a station equipped with a monitor and console pad, where the demo began.
Red Desert supports both PC and console platforms and was first revealed at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, last August. It is being developed using Pearl Abyss's proprietary game engine, the 'BlackSpace Engine.' The specific release date is expected to be announced at next month’s 'The Game Awards' (TGA). In the Red Desert demo shown at G-Star 2024, a lock-on feature that fixes the camera on targets was newly added but remains limited, and a new boss, 'Hexe Mari,' was introduced.
Sitting in front of the monitor for the demo, I was able to control the protagonist, Cliff, the gray-maned mercenary leader of Red Desert. Cliff immediately engaged in combat with hostile forces. Through this, I learned the game controls such as moving, jumping, running, attacking, skills, and using a bow.
The game has long been known for its high difficulty, so I initially struggled with the controls. I had trouble with defense and movement, and when multiple enemies attacked or launched consecutive strikes, evading required skill. However, after about 10 minutes of pressing various buttons on the console pad, I was able to manage the controls to some extent.
After the battle with hostile forces ended, four bosses awaited: Deer King, Lead Devil, Queen Dolmenge, and Hexe Mari. Each boss had unique attack patterns, and I started with the Deer King.
The Deer King is a boss who uses a sword and shield, and when attacked continuously, he focused on defense. His charging attacks could not be blocked, so evasion was essential. Defeating the Deer King on the first try was quite challenging. When the character’s health was depleted, I immediately revived and tried again. After three retries, I was able to defeat the Deer King. The strategy was to defend during his attacks and strike with the sword when his attacks slowed down to deal damage.
After the boss fight with the Deer King, I chose to battle the other boss, Lead Devil. The fight took place in a reed field, and Lead Devil moved faster than the Deer King. Compared to the relatively easier Deer King, I struggled more with defense and evasion. Unlike the Deer King, who used a sword and shield, Lead Devil wielded a sword and shuriken. Although I used instant revival, I ultimately failed to defeat Lead Devil before the demo ended.
People are waiting in front of the Pearl Abyss booth for the Crimson Desert demonstration. Photo by Lee Jung-yoon
Beyond the gameplay experienced through boss battles, Red Desert also has elements that attract players. It features realistic graphics, gathering and fishing systems, quests, and various other content.
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