‘Crimson Desert’ Is Like Everything Else and Nothing Else Button Mash

It’s real … but is it spectacular? Ben, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman gather to discuss one of the most ambitious, most anticipated, and most enigmatic games of the year, open-world action-adventure epic ‘Crimson Desert.’ They begin by breaking down why the game remained mysterious until its release, whether it lives up to the huge hype, how it incorporates some of the best aspects of other open-world classics, and some of its perplexing problems, along with their disagreements about the game, their shared wonder at its visuals and scale, and their sense of its significance. Then they predict the game’s Metacritic rating, share their own personal scores, and pass along some non-spoilery tips and tricks to ease the early hours. Email us at ringerversegaming@gmail.com! Intro (0:00)First reactions to ‘Crimson Desert’ (2:00)Predictions and tips (1:21:24)Outro (1:27:35) Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Matt James and Steve AhlmanProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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‘Crimson Desert’ Is Like Everything Else and Nothing Else Button Mash is an episode from The Ringer-Verse by The Ringer.

This episode is 90:44 long.

This episode was published on Mar 18, 2026.

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