Does Crimson Desert Have Difficulty Settings? Answered

Whether it’s gameplay mechanics or open-world exploration, Crimson Desert features minimal hand-holding. The devs have made it perfectly clear that the title has a steep learning curve and can even be punishing during the opening hours. On top of this, it also has a large variety of menacing bosses that can make short work of Kliff.

Naturally, this has raised questions about whether or not the game comes with difficulty settings to lower the challenge for players who just want to enjoy the story. If you’re wondering the same thing, here’s what you need to know about difficulty settings in Crimson Desert.

Are There Difficulty Settings in Crimson Desert?

No, Crimson Desert does not have traditional difficulty settings that you can pick between. Instead, the game is fixed to a default difficulty level, much like FromSoftware’s RPGs or Rockstar games such as Red Dead Redemption 2. This also means that there’s no “easy mode” in Crimson Desert.

The lack of difficulty options doesn’t mean that the game will be as punishing as a Soulslike. It simply means that you’ll have to invest some time into upgrading your character and acquiring new abilities before you venture into some of the higher-tier regions on the Crimson Desert map. The same logic applies to boss fights, puzzles, and more.

Why the Lack of Difficulty Options in Crimson Desert is a Good Thing

It’s easy to understand why the lack of an ‘easy’ difficulty option in a game as big as Crimson Desert can be concerning. Not every player has the time or the willingness to get over that initial learning curve and keep grinding for upgrades to reach the next story beat. That said, by fine-tuning progression and enemy difficulty to a specific level, the devs can carefully curate the ideal experience.

This exact approach is followed by the highly revered Legend of Zelda games, a franchise that happens to be one of Crimson Desert’s biggest inspirations. The same can be said for Elden Ring, where the devs made a visual distinction between the more accessible areas of the map (aka Limgrave) and the punishing, high-level zones (aka Caelid).

In effect, this approach lays out a progression path that feels guided and organic at the same time. It also helps make the game feel non-linear, which is probably what Pearl Abyss is aiming for, especially when you consider the mammoth map size that is basically begging to be explored. So while the lack of difficulty settings might upset casual players, it’s an omission that will likely work in favor of the overall experience.

And that covers everything you need to know about the difficulty settings in Crimson Desert. While you’re here, make sure to prepare for the title’s launch by checking out our Crimson Desert preload guide.