This Crimson Desert Guide lists some of the important mechanics and things that the game does not tell you, and are worth knowing. Crimson Desert is a huge, open-world game, so naturally, not everything is explained to you at the start of the game. There are many hidden or less obvious features that allow you to save time and play more efficiently. The game moves quickly, throwing systems at you one after another, which can make you overlook small but important details.
Things Game Doesn’t Tell You – Crimson Desert
The following are some things you should focus on.
Use Menu Shortcuts to Save Time
You will spend a lot of time opening menus in this game, whether it is for checking items, skills, or the map. Instead of switching between tabs every time, you can simply hold the menu button and directly select the section you want. This makes things much faster, especially when you are repeating the same action again and again. Learning this early can save you a lot of small but constant effort.
Watch the Minimap for Stronger Enemies
Not all enemies are the same, and the minimap actually gives you a hint about this. Some enemies appear with a different icon, and these are usually tougher than normal ones.
They may have special attack patterns or require more careful fighting. So instead of rushing into every fight, it helps to glance at the minimap and be prepared when you see these stronger enemies nearby.
Think Before Unlocking Skills
Many skills look powerful, but they often require a lot of stamina to use. If your stamina is too low, you might not even be able to use them properly.
For example, some movement skills can leave you stuck mid-air without enough energy to continue. It is usually better to improve your basic stats first instead of rushing to unlock flashy abilities too early.
Healing During Fights Is Allowed
Fights in Crimson Desert can be tough, but the game gives you flexibility when it comes to healing. You can use items while fighting enemies, either quickly through the shortcut menu or by opening your inventory.
The shortcut menu slows down time but doesn’t completely pause it, so you still need to act fast. If things get too intense, opening the full inventory will pause everything, giving you time to heal safely.
Use Abilities to Move Faster Around the World
Climbing is useful, but there are faster ways to move vertically. Once you unlock abilities like Force Palm and gliding, you can combine them to reach higher places more quickly.
There are also advanced movement tricks using grappling mechanics, but they usually require a lot of stamina. Even so, learning how to use these abilities together can make exploration much smoother.
You Don’t Need to Spam Attack Buttons
Combat feels better once you realize that holding the attack button works just as well as pressing it repeatedly. Holding it allows your character to continue attacking smoothly and transition into combos more naturally.
Use the Knowledge Menu to Understand the Story
The game introduces many characters and locations without always explaining them clearly. If you ever feel confused, the Knowledge menu helps fill in those gaps.
It provides background details about people, places, and events, making it easier to follow the story.
You Can Grapple Certain Bosses
Even though bosses look intimidating, some of them can still be grabbed and thrown. These moves may not deal huge damage, but they help build up a stun effect.
Once the enemy is stunned, you get a short opportunity to attack freely. This can make difficult fights easier.
The Map Has More Information
The map isn’t just for navigation. If you inspect areas closely, you can see details like who controls that region, what activities are available, and what resources you might find there. This helps you decide where to go next instead of exploring randomly.
Quests and Missions Are Not the Same
The game uses two similar terms that actually mean different things. Quests are the usual tasks you complete yourself, while Missions involve sending your allies to do work for you.
Missions require resources and time to complete, and they can continue automatically if not stopped. Managing them properly helps you avoid wasting resources.
Key Items Don’t Always Take Up Space
Items related to quests are treated differently in your inventory. While they are important, they don’t take up space at first.
However, once you are done using them, they may turn into normal items and start taking up slots. At that point, you will need to decide whether to keep or remove them.
Blinding Flash Has More Uses Than You Think
This ability is not just for combat. It can also be used to interact with the environment, like burning vines that block your path. You can burn vines, destroy obstacles, and even solve puzzles more easily using these abilities.
They also help deal with flying enemies and can replace the need for fire-based tools in many situations. Learning to use these abilities creatively will save time and effort.
Complete Artifact Challenges to Gain Rewards
As you explore, you will find special items called Sealed Abyss Artifacts. These aren’t immediately useful, as each one comes with its own challenge that you must complete first.
These challenges can be anything from performing certain actions to defeating enemies under specific conditions. Once you complete them, you need to manually open your inventory and activate the artifact. When unsealed, it gives you rewards like skill points or materials for upgrading your equipment. If you forget to activate them, you won’t receive the benefits.
Talk to NPCs for Hidden Clues
NPCs in Crimson Desert are resourceful. Some of them provide useful hints about nearby secrets, hidden locations, or even new challenges. If you notice white dots on your minimap, it is worth talking to those characters. They might mention something unusual happening nearby, which can lead you to rewards or special areas.
Building trust with NPCs unlocks valuable rewards. By greeting them and giving gifts, you can increase their trust level. At maximum trust, vendors often unlock special items or even give you access to their full inventory remotely.
Try Alternate Ways into Locked Areas
When you come across a locked door, don’t rush to use a key right away. Some buildings have other ways inside, like openable windows, especially on higher floors.
If you can find another entrance, you can save your keys for situations where they are truly needed.
You Can Discover Recipes Without Finding Them
You don’t always need recipe scrolls to cook meals. If you experiment with the correct ingredients at a bonfire, you can unlock recipes on your own.
After cooking the same dish a few times, it becomes permanently available. This means you can learn new meals just by trying different combinations, instead of searching for recipe items.
Temporarily Ride Wild Animals
Certain animals, like bears, can be stunned during combat. When this happens, you get a short chance to interact with them and ride them.
While riding, you can use them to attack enemies, which can be very powerful. However, once you get off, the animal will turn hostile again, so you need to be ready to move away quickly.
Clear Your Crimes When Needed
If you get into trouble and gain a bounty, you don’t have to live with it forever. You can visit confession areas in churches and pay to remove your fines.
Once paid, your record is cleared, and you won’t have to worry about being treated as a criminal in that region anymore.
Be Careful When Dropping Items
If you drop valuable items on the ground, nearby NPCs might pick them up and run away with them. Interestingly, this can also be used in your favor. For example, you can drop items to attract animals.
You Can Pass Time Without Sleeping
You don’t need a bed to skip time. Bonfires also allow you to wait and change the time of day.
Always Keep Revival Items Ready
Palmar Pills are very important, especially during difficult fights. They allow you to revive instantly with some health instead of restarting. They are easy to recognize because they glow, and picking them up is always safe. You can also learn how to craft them later, making them even more useful.
Use the Map to Find Fishing Spots
If you zoom in on the map, you can sometimes see icons that show where certain fish can be found. You can also track fish through your knowledge menu, which can guide you to their locations. This makes fishing more targeted instead of random.
In shallow water, you don’t even need a fishing rod. You can simply grab fish by hand.
Use Stealth for Easy Kills
If you crouch and approach enemies from behind, you can take them down instantly without starting a full fight. Watching their movement on the minimap helps you avoid being seen and makes stealth much easier to use.
Spend Contribution Points at Faction Shops
When you complete quests, you earn contribution points with different factions. These points are not just for reputation; they can be spent like currency.
Each faction has a special shop where you can exchange these points for gear and items. Some of these rewards are quite strong, especially early in the game, so don’t forget to use your points instead of wasting them.
Get a Better Mining Tool Early
Mining is one of the best ways to earn money and gather materials, but your starting tool is not very efficient.
There is a better tool you can get early by starting a certain faction quest. You don’t even need to complete the entire mission, just defeat the boss to get the improved mining drill.
Mine Diamonds for Easy Money
Near the starting areas, you can find caves with valuable resources like diamonds. These can be mined and sold for a good amount of money.
Even the rock formations inside caves can be collected and sold, which is something the game doesn’t clearly tell you. These spots refill over time, so you can return later to gather more.
Solve Hidden Puzzles for Big Rewards
Some areas hide secret puzzles behind walls or inside ruins. One example involves a hidden chamber where you must match symbol positions based on clues found in different locations.
Solving these puzzles can be challenging, but the rewards are worth it. You can get special items that reveal hidden locations, give extra knowledge, and unlock more secrets on the map.
Build Your Own Party for Easier Combat
Once you unlock companions like Oongka and Damiane, you can form a full party and explore together. You can summon them and have them follow you, fight enemies, and even ride their own mounts. This makes large battles much easier since enemies won’t focus only on you.
You can also switch between characters instantly without loading screens, which adds flexibility in combat. However, keep in mind that some story missions require you to play solo, so you will need to disband the group in those cases.
Waterfalls Often Hide Secrets
Waterfalls are almost always worth checking. Many of them hide caves behind the flowing water, and these caves usually contain useful rewards like gear, items, or upgraded consumables. If you notice unusual rock formations near a waterfall, that’s often a hint that something is hidden there.
Keep Your Inventory Organized
Inventory management becomes important very quickly. You can group similar items to make things easier to find, especially when your inventory gets large.
Use Storage to Avoid Carrying Everything
The game allows you to store extra items in your supply chest, which acts as your personal storage. This is extremely useful for keeping gear, materials, or items you don’t need immediately.
Instead of carrying everything, store what you don’t use often and keep only essentials with you. This makes managing your inventory much easier.
Save Smartly
Saving frequently is always a good habit, but it can also be used strategically. For example, before gambling, you can save your game, try your luck, and reload if things don’t go your way.
This method can help you earn a lot of money early on, though it may feel a bit like exploiting the system.
Adjust Camera Settings for Better Control
If the camera feels slow or unresponsive, you can improve it by increasing the camera acceleration setting. Setting it higher makes moves feel smoother and more responsive, which helps during combat and exploration.
Transport Bounties the Smart Way
Instead of carrying captured targets yourself, you can place them on your horse. This allows you to move freely, fight enemies, or explore without constantly holding the bounty. Just be careful not to lose your horse, or you will lose the target as well.
Always Search Sanctums Thoroughly
Every sanctum contains a hidden chest somewhere inside. Even after completing the main objective, take time to look around and find it. These extra rewards can include useful gear and materials.
Break Everything You See
Crates, barrels, and similar objects often contain items. Breaking them is an easy way to collect extra resources while exploring. Just be careful in towns, as destroying property can count as stealing.
That is all for this guide. Additional Crimson Desert guides are linked below:
- Best Skills to Get First in Crimson Desert
- Crimson Desert Beginner’s Guide – Important Tips and Tricks to Know Before Starting the Game
- Crimson Desert Weapons Guide – All Types, Upgrade Weapons
- Things to Do First in Crimson Desert
Do you have something worth knowing at the start of Crimson Desert that we missed, and the game does not tell us either? Let us know in the comments section below.
