“SO SILLY AND DUMB!” 🤡 Are we playing a masterpiece or a fever dream?

The honeymoon phase for Crimson Desert is OVER, and players are exposing the 10 most “brain-dead” features that are making everyone rage-quit. From a main character who doesn’t know what “Cheese” is, to controls so complex you need 8 fingers to talk to an NPC—the community is torn between laughter and pure fury. Is Pearl Abyss trolling us, or did they actually forget how to make a video game?

The list of “unforgivable” fails is trending, and #7 will literally make you facepalm. Read the full disaster report here! 👇🔥

Despite its massive sales and “Very Positive” status on Steam, the honeymoon period for Crimson Desert has hit a wall of cold, hard reality. As millions of players dive deeper into the world of Pywel, a growing chorus of “this is stupid” is drowning out the cheers.

From “alien” control schemes to a protagonist who seems to have the memory of a goldfish, the internet is flooded with clips of the game’s most baffling design choices. Based on thousands of Reddit threads and Steam reviews, here are the 10 things players hate most about the “GOTY contender” that many are now calling a “beautiful disaster.”

1. The “Alien” Control Scheme

The #1 complaint across every platform is a control layout that feels like it was designed for a creature with six arms. Players report having to hold three different buttons just to perform a basic interaction. “I just wanted to talk to the merchant, but I accidentally jump-kicked his horse and got the entire town guard on me,” one viral X post lamented.

2. Kliff’s “Cheese” Amnesia

In one of the most mocked “immersion” features, the protagonist, Kliff, often doesn’t recognize basic items. Players have to wait for a “Learning” bar to fill up before Kliff understands what an item as simple as “Cheese” or “Bread” is. Fans have dubbed this “The Braindead Mercenary” mechanic.

3. The “Jump-Talk” Loop

Because “Jump” and “Interact” are mapped dangerously close (or require complex modifiers), Steam is littered with negative reviews from players who are tired of jumping in people’s faces when they just want to accept a quest.

4. A Story That “Makes No Sense”

Anonymous leaks from alleged Pearl Abyss developers claim the story wasn’t finalized until weeks before launch—and it shows. Players describe the narrative as a “hodgepodge” of disconnected side quests masquerading as a main plot.

5. The “Invisible” Mercenaries

For a game titled Crimson Desert (originally about a mercenary group), players hate that your fellow mercenaries disappear for 90% of the game. “Where is the ‘Desert’ and where are the ‘Mercenaries’?” asked one Reddit user. “It’s just Kliff wandering around confused.”

6. AI-Generated “Slop”

The discovery of unedited AI-generated art in murals and background props has ignited a firestorm. While Pearl Abyss apologized, calling it an “oversight,” purists are calling it “cheap” and “soulless” for a $70 title.

7. Inventory Management Hell

The inventory system has been described as “one of the worst in modern gaming history.” With no proper sorting and every cooking recipe taking up a full slot, players spend more time playing “Tetris” with their bags than fighting monsters.

8. The “Silly” Combat Loop

While combat looks cinematic, veteran players have discovered a “Dumb Loop” where holding a single button (R1) allows Kliff to bounce between enemies like a caffeinated pinball, making all the “complex” combos completely useless.

9. Question Mark Fatigue

The map is a sea of question marks. Kliff apparently doesn’t even know where the local blacksmith is in a town he’s visited before until you stand directly in front of the door. “It’s not ‘exploration,’ it’s just annoying,” says one top Steam review.

10. Performance “Bricking”

On base consoles, reports of the game “bricking” or hard-crashing when opening the map have become a common nightmare, leading many to demand refunds despite loving the graphical fidelity.

The Verdict

Is Crimson Desert a masterpiece bogged down by “silly” choices, or a “dumb” game saved by “pretty rocks”? As the developers scramble to patch out the most hated features, the community remains divided. One thing is certain: in the world of Pywel, the greatest enemy isn’t the monsters—it’s the User Interface.