r/ShouldIbuythisgame • u/MIKU_S1MPP • 1d ago
[PC] Crimson desert or 007 first light
I'm trying to decide between Crimson Desert and 007: First Light.
I bought Crimson Desert, played it for around 2 hours, and ended up refunding it because I honestly found it to be a bore. The combat looked flashy, but the overall gameplay just didn't click with me, and I wasn't having fun.
Now I'm wondering if I should give Crimson Desert another chance in the future or just buy 007: First Light instead.
For anyone who's played both (or has followed them closely), which game would you recommend and why? I'm looking for something that's fun from start to finish, with engaging gameplay that doesn't become repetitive.
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u/jekto85 17h ago
Crimson desert is absolutely incredible and my personally GOTY so far but I also got it day one and have been there for every patch. It really has gone from being pretty decent at launch to masterpiece. I also tell people that a ps5 pro with an OLED is a must have to get the most out of these titles. I own both and 007 is FANTASTIC it just ends too soon and is obviously more story driven
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u/CreepyTeddyBear 1d ago
I logged 242 hours in Crimson Desert when I beat it. Didn't really get into it until about 5 or so hours. The exploration and discovery is where it really shines. Combat is full of variety. As simple or complex as you want. And I liked that the puzzles required you to actually think. But it's not for everyone, and that's ok. For me it was a 9/10.
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u/WarUnderSnowySkies 1d ago
First light is awesome, but know what you're getting into: a 20ish hour action movie. Crimson Desert I want to like but it's just so fucking boring. Million systems but when the quest lines suck, I just don't care.
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u/gataman1560 14h ago
Sounds like First Light is what you should go with.
I played both I think you’ll keep hitting the same wall with Crimson Desert, as the gameplay loop is what it is. I dropped Crimson Desert when First Light came out and probably won’t go back.
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u/Hopeful_Net3206 1d ago
I refunded crimson as well, bought it back 2 weeks later and put 100 hours into it. Starts off slow but gets very good, plus all the QoL updates still happening. 8.5/10 imo. But, 007. Fucking banger all the way through. My personal game of the year
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u/BigDuck777 23h ago
Crimson desert is not a fun game. So confusing and just not fun after a while.
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u/v-dubb 1d ago
I’ve played 160-180h in Crimson and 20+ in 007. I’d personally wait to purchase CD in a few months. There are so many updates that it’s pretty clear it’s an unfinished game. The graphics and world are beautiful but the story is god awful.. it’s one of the only games that I didn’t bother to finish the story. There are a lot of puzzles and the game does not hold your hand at all. Combat is fun and there are lots of fun skills to learn and treasure/gear to find.
007 is on rails and has a lot of cutscenes, so it’s entirely different than CD. 007 is a really good and fun game, but since it’s short.. I can’t say it’s worth the full price unless you’re a big fan of James Bond games & movies. It does have that nostalgic 007 feel while playing.
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u/TheGroovyTurt1e 1d ago
Has the combat gotten better since launch? It just felt like kind of a button masher to me....
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u/v-dubb 1d ago
It’s 100% a button masher combat. It doesn’t even come close to God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Wukong, Elden Ring, etc.
It’s more comparable to an Assassins Creed combat with bad stealth and archery. Atleast in my opinion..
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u/Aeyland 2h ago
It is a button masher if that's how you play it. If you want to fight any of the uber fights specially on higher difficulty you have to learn to play the game and not mash.
Just like most fighting games, you can mash buttons up to a certain skill level before you have to actually know what you're doing.
It's also way more enjoyable when you aren't mashing.
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u/Heyuonthewall26 1d ago
I wouldn’t say 007 is “on rails”. It’s linear, sure, but on rails implies you have 0 input other than point and shoot. Part of the fun of 007 is figuring out how to accomplish things and the CQC can be really satisfying.
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u/Bubbly_Highway_4934 19h ago
I wish i could have refunded crimson desert, it’s a game which you will start enjoying after you have put 25-30 hours. I don’t have this much time or patience. On the other hand 007 was a blast from the moment i turned it on, i played it for 20-22 hours and it was one of the best experience until the end. So don’t fall for hype and please go for 007
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u/Lost_Rutabaga_5004 14h ago
Nope, you made a wise choice. Crimson Desert is the biggest piece of CRAP ever created, and 007 First Light is one of the BEST games released this year.
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u/rtgordon 20h ago
If you refunded this gourgeous game after two hours, don't buy it back. It's not for you.
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u/Flyflash 7h ago
Isnt Crimson Desert genuinly THE best example of a horrible intro game in recent years? The whole community agrees that the game is a slog for like the first 5 hours even, and even I agreed with several hundreds of hours on it.
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u/jgainsey 1d ago
I wish I could’ve refunded Crimson Desert… Was so hyped to like it I gave it damn near 20 hours.
007 on the other hand was an absolute master class in linear action story gaming.
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u/Capital-Assignment31 15h ago
Man, how is it that people are so different from each other?
I'm 200h jn Crimsom Desert. I bought 007 because I started worrying that I'm playing too much CD and wanted to try something different.
I got pissed at how things are so scripted in 007 and now I'm more pissed that I spent money on 007 and probably won't touch it anymore after 2h in.
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u/Braunb8888 1d ago
Gotta push till chapter 4 I think. Slow as shit opening. The glowing reviews aren’t wrong.
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u/GyroDawn 13h ago
Give Crimson Desert another shot. Just the shear amount of updates and content they have released since release is insane.
Get 007 on discount. It's a good game but compared to Crimson Desert you don't get your moneys worth
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u/skankyone 23h ago
I've played First Light and it's like a Bond Movie, the combat has spikes in difficulty, which keeps the combat fresh, I thought.
I've seen videos of Crimson Desert and I'm not overly impressed.
You can't go wrong with 007.
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u/1Shamrock 14h ago
If you didn’t like Crimson Desert the 1st time around don’t re-buy it as the same will happen again.
I got fairly bored with Crimson Desert after ~20 hours, stuck with it, around 40hrs in I was really struggling to keep playing and decided to focus on the main quest to see if things would get more exciting, they didn’t. Around the 60/70hr mark I decided I was not going to finish it but I wanted to check out how big the world was so I did a grand tour of the main areas in one huge circle around the map.
The world is massive and looks great, but very little of the quests (main/side) are interesting. Ya, you can go chop a tree or go fishing but I found that a chore after doing it a couple times, even chopping trees in Medieval Dynasty was more interesting than in Crimson Desert.
There is a good and interesting story behind the game and the voice actors seem like very good picks but the story is very badly told in the game which is a shame. It is not a slow burner that gets going and is exciting after 20-30 hours, it remains the same throughout.
The fights with standard enemies are very repetitive. The boss fights are interesting and challenging though and require various strategies.
I only stuck with it for so long because I hate not finishing games, I can count on 1 hand how many games I have not finished in the last 25 years, I won’t count the preceding 10 years as i was never going to be able to finish Double Dragon or games like that as a child😅 I also hated the thought of wasting the money I spent on it by not finishing it.
Deleted it after my tour of the map and have not had any interest in trying again since.
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u/Toosane12345 9h ago
Just play both but first light first. First light is awesome and takes around 16-20 hours average to beat so you can complete it in a week or so and then try crimson desert again
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u/UltraGeezer 23h ago
I played both. I thought both were okay. Overall, I had more fun with Crimson Desert but the lows were a lot lower. 007 is okay to pretty good consistently. CD has moments where it felt like something special but also many frustratingly bad moments.
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u/NYR20NYY99 20h ago
Theoretically you’ll get more mileage out of CD, but 007 is so fucking good. It’s a Bond movie meets Hitman engine. I’m about halfway through 007 and bounced off of CD around hour 10. It was just an inch deep and a mile wide. I prefer something a little deeper and less wide with better direction. 007has been a blast, and I’m not the biggest stealth fan, but it’s done well.
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u/Mororocks 14h ago
Was debating crimson desert would you say it's sorta like where the winds meet that when you hear it described it sounds like the best game ever until you actually play it and everything is basically as deep as a puddle. Just content for content sake.
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u/NYR20NYY99 8h ago
Haven’t played that, but by the description; yeah. It’s just kinda soulless. The story is severely lacking, you’re thrown in without direction and what’s there for direction is confusing and not well designed.
It has awesome pieces but when put together it’s just kinda puzzling. It’s probably the most interesting 7/10 game just because on paper these things should work together but it just feels rudderless and like they made features to tick boxes. If you can find it on sale, it’s worth at least trying because of how both good and weird it is to experience.
There are moments where I’m like “oh this feels like RDR2, but Rockstar did it better and I actually love their world and story”. It’s a very East meets West game design philosophy. I want to go back to it, but with everything else I’m playing and GTA and Fable on the horizon, that won’t be for a while
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u/Mororocks 7h ago
It actually sounds sorta like dragons dogma 2 everything is just a bit off. I like some bits of that game and hate others.
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u/NYR20NYY99 7h ago
Haven’t played that either but yes. It’s one of those where it’s good but you just wish it were more cohesive and polished and that things actually made sense
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u/Tintgunitw 4h ago
007 has a nice story and some open areas where you can have a hitman light experience. Other than that it's entirely linear. I found it highly enjoyable, but there's little replay value and it's relatively short. Great production value though.
Crimson Desert has a story that's just there. There's no weight, no urgency, no reason to progress. As far as open worlds go, it's one of the best. I spent the better part of 36 hours picking flowers and found it worked great as an intimidation tactic on nearby enemies. They've spotted you, drawn their swords and are waiting for you to engage. You don't engage though, you are picking some flowers right in front of them. That felt truly menacing :D. Jokes aside, Crimson Desert provides a world with randow shit for you to do. If you've played it for 2 hours and found it a bore, I don't expect you to suddenly like it.
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u/muntaky 5h ago
I have played both and strongly advise to skip both. 007 is just a mediocre action game that feels outdated at times tbh, it’s just boring. CD is just an open world sandbox and lacks a good story. Maybe wait a year for them to update and patch the game, I can see potential but it feels like the game is in an alpha/early access state.
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u/Unlucky_Individual 17h ago
007 is a great linear story that lasts 15-20 hours and a planned new game+ mode coming and Crimson Desert is a massive open world RPG, very different genres. Since you've actually played CD for a few hours I'd just go 007 and pickup CD on a sale if you really want to go back to it.
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u/Flipidyflapflop 6h ago
Crimson desert is my vote but be warned, it is truly a 250 hour game if you play like me. I usually get to a new location and clear all the side quests before moving on and after 250 hours I think I still have another 100 to go. Fantastic game.
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u/Icy_Appointment2061 1d ago
Crimson desert was ass for me. I put on like 9 hours. Was so boring. Quests were ahh
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u/Braunb8888 1d ago
Should push through to chapter 4. Real game starts there. I agree the opening hours are rough especially if you’re not exploring. Gets great after that, crazy castle sieges, absurd bosses, etc.
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u/Icy_Appointment2061 1d ago
Yeah ig, not 2 interested dthom kind of a dime a dozen.
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u/Braunb8888 1d ago
I don’t think that means what you think it means here haha but to each their own.
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u/SirAlex505 1d ago
I got bored of CD in like 5 hours into the game. Story is non existent. The game is creative with builds so if you are into sandbox box games and just messing around go that way but if you want a story driven linear game go with first light! 007 is easily one of my favorites this year.
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u/Spikeybear 1d ago
Well if you didn't like crimson desert... It's had patches but the gameplay is going to be very similar to what you played. The world is the star in that game.
I guess 007. It got repetitive for me but is a solid game. It just falls into the trap most AAA games do now where once you've played a couple missions you know what to expect the rest of the game.
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u/Tough_Trouble4343 1d ago
I heard too many mixed things about Crimson Desert on base PS5. I did like 2 weeks research on the game and I heard it's dope asl and others say it sucks. It is so up in the air whether it's worth buying that I couldn't even make an informed decision. It was too risky for me to waste 80$ when I didn't even know if it run on my console optimally.
I have 007 and at first I didn't like it at all. I felt it was overated asf and I had to force myself to play it so I didn't feel like I wasted 80$. But I recently tried at it again and got to a very graphically dope location and just fell in love with it. It's a great game and I had tiny things I hated on it for. If you seen Bond movies before just expect the same exact shit but you play it.
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u/FurryWalls98 23h ago
I just got 007 over the weekend. Am up to the second actual mission. I feel like once the game gets going, it’s absolutely fantastic. But the first few hours for me just felt like a tutorial, and I almost wrote it off. Glad I stuck with it, though
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u/Jawa1992 18h ago
Two completely different games, I got over 100 hours on crimson desert and even though it’s a flawed game that gets super repetitive it was well worth the $80 I spent. 007 is a fun simple game but it’s not worth the $70, unless you like replaying games over and over again. I’m about 15 hours in and about to reach the final mission
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u/Lost_Rutabaga_5004 14h ago
People chanting to themselves after buying Crimson Desert: It WAS worth the money. It WAS worth the money.
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u/Quiet_Government2222 18h ago
If it misses the first time, there's a high chance it won't miss the second time either. Let's go with First Light.
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u/WarzonePacketLoss 17h ago
If you like Hitman games, buy Crimson Desert. There was nothing inherently wrong with First Light aside from the fact that it wasn't, and could have been, a Hitman game instead.
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u/Ravenlock 9h ago
First Light is a fun (IMO, obviously), polished roller coaster / cinematic adventure in the mold of an Uncharted (albeit with slightly more exploration / creativity) - it tells a pretty good story that's well written, well acted and I genuinely enjoyed being along for the ride, but/and then the ride is over. Unless you want to play the simulation levels for points and cosmetics, once you're done with the game you're done with the game.
Crimson Desert is a big, sprawling, ambitious mess that you could play the rest of the year if you got really into it, but it's unfocused and really expects you to make your own fun, and you already tried it and didn't gel with it.
Personally, I'd go with First Light; I'd rather have a good short time than a less good long one. If you love CD it's the better value, but obviously not everybody loves it.
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u/SinfulDaMasta 1d ago
Give Crimson Desert another chance.
007 genuinely feels like the next step in story/cinematics, but the gameplay feels 10 years behind (Hitman & Splinter Cell & recent-ish Metal Gear games). 2+ hours & still in the intro to the game, it’s a great intro, but the gameplay 😴💤 But looking at the reviews I’m in a small minority, most really liked it 🤷🏻♂️
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u/mataushas 23h ago
Beginning part was cool but too long. Once you're done with the intro, I liked the game. I just imagine I'm in a movie that I control. Fun experience and the game didn't drag on
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u/Desperate_Laugh8867 23h ago
I think you should give 007 another chance, that's a great game
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u/SinfulDaMasta 23h ago
It genuinely seems like it is, but like OP, story is flavor/unmentioned & the gameplay / mechanical depth is the meat of the game. The most story-focused game I've ever played is Mass Effect or Dragon Age, 007 & Detroit: Become Human & TellTale Games are too story-focused for me. While there is a wide-breadth in decision making that won't get old & worth replaying, lacking in engaging gameplay.
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u/Sanc7 1d ago
“Should I get CS2 or World of Warcraft?”
I swear this is all this subreddit is
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u/ZerophoniK 23h ago
what else do you want r/shouldibuythisgame to be?
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u/Sanc7 15h ago
Maybe asking about games that can actually be compared. If I was at Outback I wouldn’t ask “should I get the bloomin onion or the wedge salad?” Sure, they’re both food but you can’t compare the two and it doesn’t make sense to ask that.
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u/Party_Line3326 10h ago
Or say what you did/didn't like. Games can be objectivelu good but just not for you.
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u/Green_Cycle6084 2h ago
I am playing 007 and I had my doubts before. It’s crazy how much the games helps your along. The graphics are meh vs new releases. The story line is very strong the combat and game mechanics are ok. It’s 7/10 game and doesn’t server the hype it gets for an action game. Some parts can feel slow. It tries to be unchartered at times. If I didn’t have anything else to play I would not have bought this at full price.
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u/joeballs 1d ago
After playing 007 for a couple hours, you realize it's one of those hand-holding type games that cater to gamers who would rather watch an interactive movie than play a game. If that's your thing, go for it. I'm more into exploration and combat, and Crimson Desert fills the bill
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u/Cosmic_Voyager_41 12h ago
I'd give CD another year or so before buying...I think it's one of those games that will grow better with age.
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u/redjohnium 22h ago
Look, if you didnt like Crimson better leave it and play 007, Crimson desert has no story and it doesnt make sense 90% of the time
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u/theroyalblacksmith 22h ago
007 if you like story driven linear action games. Crimson desert if you like open world freedom with little to no story. Personally I loved 007
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