If you haven’t heard, Crimson Desert is a beast of a game. Overwhelming at the start and absolutely massive in scale, it can take some time to learn all the ins and outs of everything. As fun as that can be, it doesn’t hurt to have a few shortcuts in the opening hours. Here are 15 early game tips that will surely make life easier.
Mini-Game Monster
After the bloody start, Kliff is in a very precarious position. No money, comrades missing, unfamiliar locations – the list goes on, but fortunately, one of these can be remedied very easily. Explore the starting city in Hernand and continuously play mini-games like arm wrestling and archery. They’re not difficult at all and pay decent sums of money in the early game, which is perfect for picking up any ingredients, weapons, and armor pieces.
The Art of Not Killing
Bounty targets are another great source of early revenue, runbacks to deposit them with the constabulary notwithstanding. However, if you pay attention to many of their details, many state that they’re needed alive, which often pays better. So whenever tackling bounty targets, always stop beating them when “Tie up” appears. As hilarious as it may be to keep hammering the dude who robbed you, some can die even after one more punch from when the prompt appears.
Bleeding the Bandits
Crimson Desert is a game built on distractions, and oftentimes, it can be beneficial to just choose a spot and ride out into the horizon, paying attention to anything special along the way. In the early going, I’d suggest a few rounds of Hernand’s outskirts, pushing ever further each time, simply because locations occupied by Bleed Bandits can appear. Clearing them will not only potentially net Abyss Artifacts, but you can also loot the bodies for any weapons and armor that can be sold. They’ll also come into play later when sending out the Greymanes for various missions (which isn’t possible if they’re occupied by hostile forces).
The Legend of Rhett
At some point, you’ll have a tussle with Rhett, a knight who wants to test himself against the strongest warriors. Naturally, that includes Greymanes like Kliff, so you’ll end up fighting in the city square. Aside from learning the Pump Kick Skill from observing him, visit the weapons vendor, located just outside the Blacksmith, after some time. He’ll have Rhett’s armor and weapons on sale, which provide a nice little bump in defense and perhaps your first two-handed sword (which will become essential for certain puzzles later on).
Greymanes on the Wind
Speaking of the Greymanes, you’ll start hearing rumors about them throughout the game. While there’s plenty else that you might want to pursue in the mid to late game, I would recommend clearing them out as soon as possible in the early going. They’re very easy to complete, oftentimes requiring you to ride out and meet them in a location, and can reward Abyss Artifacts. Essential facilities, like the cook, also become available, providing a great source for cooked dishes, recipes and ingredients.
Good Will and Small Bags
As fetch quest-like as some town requests can be, try to complete as many of them as you can since their rewards often include expanding your inventory slots. However, you should also visit any vendors in the area – they can sell Small Bags that provide one additional slot. It may not seem like much, but they’re fairly inexpensive and considering the sheer number of vendors in the world, it all adds up in the long run.
A Trick of the Light
Blinding Flash and Focused Light may come across as little more than a puzzle-solving mechanic, but it’s one of the more underrated exploration mechanics. By focusing the light, you can ignite dry wood and vines – perfect for clearing away any nasty thorns or even gaining access to weed-covered doors, especially if you don’t have any torches or want to conserve arrows.
Stamina, the Underrated King
It may not seem incredibly obvious at first, but leveling up Stamina – and then occasionally whatever skills you fancy – can be worthwhile in the early game. It fuels all of your Special Moves, which will dish out some of the best damage. With enough Stamina, you can also tank some pretty hard hits with a shield, and it’s essential for gliding (and subsequently exploring the Abyss). Otherwise, feel free to invest in Health whenever possible, upping your survivability.
The Cost of Respeccing
While you can respec at almost any time, it’s not free since you’ll need Faded Abyss Artifacts. They’re obtained from completing quests and around the world in general, though certain vendors can sell them as well. Keep a few Silvers handy for whenever the situation arises, because they’re not cheap.
Selling Off Recipes and Other Inessentials
Lack of inventory space getting you down? If you’re still holding on to recipes or certain letters after learning all their information, sell them (especially the former, since they net some decent currency). Bounty posters are a bit iffier – some of them can be sold while others remain in their dedicated key item slot – but either way, keep that inventory neat.
Indomitable Horse
Kliff may not exactly have the strongest knees when dropping down from a high-up position, but your horse thankfully has no restriction. It won’t take fall damage, so you can jump down from extensive heights without worry. However, there is one caveat – after a certain distance, Kliff will be thrown off the horse and gravity becomes fair game once more. Just be prepared for when that happens.
Saved by the Glide
And by that, I mean hitting “glide” to break your fall. Then again, this can also be useful in many other situations, even if you’re out of Stamina, since it effectively recharges while free-falling. Simply hit it before landing on the ground – even a smidge can be enough to cushion Kliff from any major harm.
The Contribution Shop
As you complete requests, including bounties and doing good deeds, your Contribution Level for a region will begin to rise (as represented by the location’s icon next to your currency on the upper right). If you visit the Contribution Shop, you can spend it on purchasing new weapons, armor and even gear for your horse. Some of these are fairly expensive, but given that the contribution is earned as you’re traipsing about, you can at least pick up one or two items.
Rest and Relaxation
Whether it’s waiting for shops to refresh their wares, watching ore nodes replenish or completing Greymane missions, many things in Crimson Desert can take time. If you’re in a hurry, try passing the time by resting in a bed or waiting by a bonfire. You have the option to wait for up to 12 hours, but this is only possible once daily.
Abyss Nexus Plates
Giant question marks dot the map, seemingly wherever you go in Pywel, and while there are puzzles galore, many of them may be Abyss Nexus plates. These are for fast travel, and considering the sheer size of the world, they can be pretty essential. Check north of Hernand’s city for one, and keep an eye out for others whenever possible.
