Crimson Desert’s exploration can be overwhelming, as its open world features an assortment of creatures, NPC interactions, and collectibles, with each contributing to nearly 3000 knowledge entries. The vast codex system compels you to open chests, solve puzzles, and learn special life skills.
Whether you are trying to traverse the rugged terrain or uncover secrets across Pywel, you would want to avoid bottlenecks that could hinder your adventure. This guide discusses the best exploration tactics to master Crimson Desert’s open world.
Here are the best exploration tips for Crimson Desert
1) Ring the central city bell
Ringing the central city bells dispels the fog of war on Crimson Desert’s map. You will come across tall towers in every major town, which you can climb. Once you reach the top, interact with the bell to ring it.
While removing the fog of war reveals the city on the map, it doesn’t mark the important objectives and landmarks. You have to still explore the area manually to find puzzles, hidden interactions, and bounties. Regardless, this hidden feature makes navigation easier, so always watch out for the bell towers when you migrate to a big city.
2) Master Aerial Stab movement
The Aerial Stab is one of the best skill tree upgrades for Kliff in Crimson Desert. As the name suggests, it allows you to perform a mid-air stab by pressing R1+Triangle on the controller. Interestingly, the ability is tied to a unique movement technique that can be used to swiftly cover both vertical and horizontal distances.
You can combine the Aerial Stab movement technique with crow wings to navigate the treacherous terrain of Pywel.
3) Ride your horses frequently
Horses are your greatest travel companion and asset in Crimson Desert. You can level up the mount to unlock hidden talents and upgrade its performance. A fully upgraded steed can improve your navigation as it adapts to the terrain and performs whatever task you throw at it.
To quickly level up your horses, ride them as frequently as you can. Be sure to also feed and pet them to further increase your trust rating.
4) Use Blinding Flash in open spaces
The continent of Pywel features secret puzzles and environmental mechanics that require you to use the Blinding Flash skill in Crimson Desert. Most importantly, it highlights certain points of interest in the open world that will otherwise remain undiscovered. Just follow the glowing orb when you spot something to discover new interactable elements during exploration.
The game currently features limited spots to fast travel. Using Blinding Flash in open spaces, you might be able to track the nearest Abyss Nexus spots. For those out of the loop, these nexus spots are unlocked once you solve a puzzle.
5) Use trees and slingshot
Crimson Deserts’ open world spawns several types of foliage, and you can use them to enhance your exploration. The Axiom Force allows you to grab a tree and pull it close. Releasing the grab will launch your characters above ground.
You can then use other movement abilities to cover massive distances in Pywel. It is best paired with the crow wings to easily get across cliffs or water bodies. You can also press double jump following the catapult maneuver to gain more momentum and verticality.
6) Break boxes you cannot open
Scavenging abandoned boxes across Pywel is the most effective way to gather cooking ingredients. However, if you come across a container that seems stuck after interacting, break it open to reach for the items inside. You may ocassionally find some trinkets, which you can later sell or wear.
We also recommend keeping a domestic pet in Crimson Desert, while scavenging boxes. They will pick up the essential items for you. You can later use some of the ingredients to make them a treat.
7) Do not ignore the question mark
Upon opening the Crimson Desert map, you will find several spots highlighted with a question mark. Do not ignore them during exploration, as they indicate fast-travel points, puzzles, and unique resources. If luck is in your favor, you might also unlock artifacts or other key upgrades for Kliff.
Given the massive scale of the map, you would want to particularly search for the Abyss Nexus. Be it for quests or merchants, having a fast travel node will allow you to quickly relocate to their spot.
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Edited by Akash Paul
