00:00Crimson Desert is an absolute mammoth of a game. It can be a little overwhelming at first.
00:05So, here are some essential tips for starting your journey through the vast world of Piwell.
00:10I'm Dan from WhatCulture, and here are 10 tips and tricks for Crimson Desert to get you started.
00:15This isn't a Souls game, so don't treat it like one.
00:19Okay, let's get this one out of the way early.
00:21The combat in Crimson Desert may look a little bit Souls-like, but it absolutely is not that.
00:27And treating it that way will only lead to one thing.
00:29You getting your ass beat.
00:31So, yeah, the combat appears to be similar at first glance, and there's a heavy emphasis on timing here.
00:36But this game isn't about slow, methodical duels.
00:39Crimson Desert is far more aggressive and far more combo-driven.
00:44You're encouraged to experiment here, to chain abilities, to make combos, and to take control of the fight,
00:50rather than just poking your enemy with a sword and rolling away with iframes.
00:54This game is so much faster-paced than a Souls-like, so you have to be prepared for that.
00:59You'll be fighting mobs a lot more frequently in this game, so you have to learn your combos and utilize
01:05your abilities.
01:06You need to take the fight to the enemies, rather than waiting for them to come to you.
01:10And I'd recommend not playing cautiously.
01:12You have to be aggressive.
01:14Once you master this, you'll have a much better time with the combat.
01:17Get yourself a pet.
01:18Early on in Crimson Desert, you'll come across a lot of cats and dogs.
01:22And what the game doesn't tell you up front is that you can actually have these animals as pets.
01:27But in order to actually get a pet, you'll need to earn their companionship.
01:31To do this, you have to reach 100 Amity with them.
01:34Amity is gained by petting them, dropping them food, and just generally being nice to the animals.
01:40Then, once you earn their companionship, they'll tag along for the ride.
01:43Pets aren't just cosmetic companions either.
01:46They can help gather loot, they alert you to nearby items, and they generally make exploration far less of a
01:52chore.
01:53And over time, these animals can actually become a core part of your gameplay loop.
01:57Another tip here is that you can also heal animals as well, with your healing force palm ability.
02:02So, if you're in combat, for example, and your horse gets injured, rendering you unable to ride it,
02:07you can actually heal them by clicking in the right thumbstick when you have that ability.
02:11So yeah, that force palm isn't just an offensive ability.
02:14You can also use it as a tool to heal others.
02:17Next up, upgrade your stamina first.
02:20Now, I cannot stress this enough.
02:22Stamina is so important in this game.
02:25So when it comes to early upgrades, stamina should be your top priority.
02:29It might be tempting to get the traversal upgrades at first,
02:32but the mistake that I made during my playthrough is that I went for all these upgrades first,
02:37and I couldn't actually use them because I didn't have enough stamina.
02:41On top of that, everything in this game revolves around stamina.
02:44Stamina, attacking, dodging, sprinting, and climbing.
02:47All those actions will consume stamina, so it's essential that you upgrade this one early.
02:52Running out of stamina mid-fight is just asking for trouble.
02:54And also, getting halfway up a steep climb and running out of stamina is very annoying.
02:59So yeah, invest in stamina.
03:01Overall, investing in stamina early gives you more freedom in combat and exploration alike.
03:06And it makes the early game feel far less punishing if you have a lot of this stuff.
03:10Up next, don't skimp out on cooking.
03:13At first, cooking might sound like just another side activity in this world.
03:17And while that statement may ring true in the late game,
03:20in the early game, cooking is essential, and you definitely shouldn't overlook it.
03:24So the food in this game provides powerful buffs,
03:27they heal you, and they can give you temporary boosts that make tough encounters so much easier.
03:32Heading into a big fight without a good meal in your tummy is just handicapping yourself.
03:36So yeah, it's a great source of health early on,
03:39and it can make the difference between genuinely winning a fight and losing.
03:43And there's so many options here in terms of the recipes you can learn.
03:47It'll also encourage you to go out fishing and hunting as well,
03:50which is another part of the gameplay experience that I think is crucial
03:53to enjoying the full potential of this game.
03:55You can also skip the cooking cutscene as well, so that'll speed things up.
03:59But yeah, you should essentially be doing this in the early game,
04:02because the time investment it takes is outweighed by the benefits of doing this.
04:06Also, after you've learned a recipe, you can't discard it from your inventory,
04:10without actually losing the recipe, so that'll free up space too.
04:13Up next, the game guide exists for a reason.
04:16Crimson Desert does throw a lot of information your way from the get-go.
04:20It definitely can feel like too much,
04:22but this overwhelming feeling is part of the experience.
04:25You have to embrace the scale here, and a great way to do this is the in-game guide.
04:30You can access this guide in your menus,
04:32and it essentially outlines features that aren't immediately obvious.
04:36So, if you get stuck, don't be afraid to check this thing out,
04:39because it can contain a lot of useful information.
04:42And also, if you're confused about something,
04:44or if you've missed a certain on-screen prompt,
04:46chances are you'll be able to check the game guide and find a solution for your issues.
04:50I kind of wish I had relied on this more in the early game,
04:53but hey, that's why I'm here, to stop you from making my mistakes.
04:56Your mounts level as you use them.
04:59So, your mounts are very important in this game.
05:01And you start off with a horse.
05:03And this cute guy isn't just a faster way to get around,
05:06it's something you can actually develop.
05:08The more you use your mount, the more efficient it becomes.
05:11Whether it be better speed, improved handling,
05:14and potentially even additional abilities,
05:17the mounts upgrade the more you use them.
05:19And the horse has a really cool drift mechanic once you get it to level 3,
05:22so I'd definitely recommend doing that.
05:24You can also add gear and armor to your mounts as well,
05:27which will definitely help things in the long run.
05:29So, whilst you're over there making Cliff look cool,
05:32don't forget to share the love with your mounts as well.
05:34So, this map is huge,
05:35so you'll want to get into the habit of using your mount regularly,
05:38to level it up naturally over time.
05:40So, don't just sprint everywhere on foot,
05:42because when you whistle, your mount will find you high and low.
05:45And then using them can unlock some pretty cool bonuses over time.
05:48Next up, prioritize side quests early on,
05:51to upgrade inventory space.
05:53Ah, the dreaded inventory space.
05:55This was my biggest enemy in this game.
05:58At the start of the game, you'll be able to carry next to nothing,
06:01and if you're a loot goblin like me,
06:03that can become a problem real quick.
06:05So, how do you remedy this?
06:06Well, your answer is side quests.
06:09Because side quests often reward you with inventory space,
06:12which will expand your carrying capacity.
06:15So, prioritizing these early can save you a ton of frustration later on,
06:19when you're constantly deciding on what to keep and what to drop.
06:22Plus, side quests tend to offer decent rewards all around,
06:25so you're essentially just killing two birds with one stone here.
06:28Next up, master parrying early.
06:31If there's one combat skill in this game that you want to get good at quickly,
06:35it's parrying.
06:36A well-timed parry can turn the tide of a fight,
06:38opening enemies up for devastating counter-attacks.
06:41It is risky to do,
06:42but once you learn to telegraph these attacks,
06:45parrying becomes insanely rewarding.
06:47So, when you're fighting mobs,
06:49be sure to parry often,
06:50and use your grapples to create distance.
06:53That way, you can focus on singular enemies,
06:55rather than getting swarmed all at once.
06:57So, once you master parrying,
06:59combat becomes far more satisfying,
07:01and far more manageable.
07:02Up next, elemental attacks matter.
07:05Don't ignore them.
07:06Not all damage is created equally.
07:08And that's where elemental effects come into play.
07:11Enemies in Crimson Desert have different resistances and weaknesses,
07:14meaning that elemental attacks can make a huge difference in combat.
07:19Fire, lightning, and ice,
07:20they all have their place here.
07:22And using the right one can drastically change the tempo of fights,
07:26especially when things start getting tough
07:28in terms of the bosses that you're facing.
07:30Pay attention to the enemies that you're fighting,
07:32and adjust your tactics accordingly.
07:34Brute Force will only get you so far in this game,
07:36so you may as well do a little bit of fire damage while you're at it.
07:39And finally, unlock fast travel points early.
07:42This one comes from deep in my soul.
07:45You'll be doing yourself a massive favour
07:47if you go out of your way
07:48to find and unlock fast travel points whenever you can.
07:52The world of Crimson Desert, like I've said, is huge.
07:55And backtracking without fast travel can quickly become a chore.
07:59On your map, you'll see an outline and a marker.
08:02If you see these, stop whatever you're doing,
08:04go over there and activate them.
08:06Because later on, after the sheen of the open world wears off,
08:10it'll mean you can fast travel between points a lot more efficiently.
08:13So, even if it feels like a detour at the time,
08:16it'll save you so many hours in the long run.
08:19Trust me.
08:20And there you go.
08:21There are 10 essential tips and tricks
08:22to get you started in Crimson Desert.
08:24If you've got any tips of your own,
08:26be sure to drop them in the comment section below.
08:28And be sure to subscribe to WhatCulture Gaming
08:30for more content like this every single day.
08:33For now though, I've been Dan,
08:34and I'll catch you in the next one.
