Pearl Abyss' latest update, version 1.03.00, for "Crimson Desert" delivers significant quality-of-life improvements and massively expands the technical options for PC and console players. In particular, the removal of teleportation restrictions and new abilities for companions noticeably change the gameplay in the open world of Pywel.
Patch 1.03.00 for “Crimson Desert“Fast travel now allows activities like riding, swimming, or climbing, removing one of the most annoying barriers to exploration gameplay. Previously, players often had to painstakingly find solid ground or dismount to use teleportation; this update breaks these rigid rules.”
More dynamism in the open world
Besides the improved mobility, the new abilities for Cliff and his companions are particularly noteworthy. Cliff gains the "Crow's Sky Kick," which expands his aerial moveset – a clear focus on vertical gameplay, which has always been one of the highlights in the trailers.
Damiane and Oongka are now more useful for exploration. Thanks to "Power of the Axiom" and "Veil of the Wind," these companions become more central to the gameplay and are no longer merely decorative elements in combat. The fact that their special attacks now have the same effect as Cliff's "Power Fist" streamlines the puzzle mechanics in the Abyss and eliminates unnecessary frustration from the puzzles.
Technological boost for PC and PS5 Pro
Technically, Pearl Abyss is pulling out all the stops. PC gamers with Intel hardware will be pleased with the implementation of XeSS 3.0 including frame generation, making Crimson Desert a pioneer of Intel's latest upscaling technology.
- Intel Support: XeSS 3.0 and Frame Generation for Arc GPUs.
- Console upgrade: "Improved ray tracing" for PS5 and Xbox Series X, and PSSR sharpness control for the PS5 Pro.
- Accessibility: Finally, the minimum font size can be adjusted – a point that the community has criticized since launch.
A real highlight for hardcore players is the overhaul of the world map. The fact that opened treasure chests, visited caves, and completed abysses now have their own icons is a long overdue fix. Anyone aiming for 100% completion of Pywel previously often had to guess where they'd already been. The new fast-forward function for regular dialogue also shows that the developers understand not every player wants to consume every side quest line in real time.
This patch isn't a game-changer in terms of new content, but it's a huge step forward for the gameplay experience. The freedom of teleportation and the UI adjustments address precisely the issues that have previously hampered exploration. The focus on Intel XeSS 3.0, in particular, demonstrates Pearl Abyss's commitment to remaining at the forefront of technology. The only downside: the warning about graphical glitches on Intel Arc cards indicates that optimization in this area isn't yet complete. You can find the full patch notes here. with this link.
Do you think the new companion abilities will finally make Damiane and Oongka equal partners, or would you rather stick with Kliff solo?
Does the Scholar Stopne glitch still work with the Abyss Stones, assuming it's even a "glitch"? 🙂
What do you mean? That you can steal Abyss artifacts from scholar types?
It still works. Because it's not a glitch. 🙂
It's simply impressive how hard and how quickly the developer is working here!
The quality of life improvements are welcome, as are the technical optimizations for more powerful systems. I'll gladly continue playing the game once Pearl Abyss has addressed the catastrophic performance issues in certain scenarios and the game is playable in those areas; otherwise, I'll continue playing it on the PS6.
Currently, Cyberpunk 2077 is on my first playthrough, as well as Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Funny coincidence, after over 200 hours and having finished the camp, cleared the map and all the bosses, I'm also taking a break and will go back when the endgame patch with recamps and boss refights comes out... Funny coincidence is that I'm also playing Cyberpunk now. I played it through back then on my 6800 X-Ray and now I'm playing it with everything maxed out with path tracing. Graphically/technically, it's simply the best game we've had and won't get again for a long time. It makes me kind of sad that Witcher 4 is coming in UE5.
I think GTA 6 will technically come close to Cyberpunk, but for me it won't even come close to matching the immersion, story, and gunplay of GTA; Cyberpunk is something very special in that respect.
That's absolutely right! 🤝