In summary:
- PCWorld’s Adam Patrick Murray discovered that Crimson Desert’s cat-interaction feature became the game’s most compelling selling point from just one screenshot.
- Players can pick up and pet cats of various sizes, from large felines to kittens, earning a “+5 trust” bonus through this engaging mechanic.
- This simple cat-holding feature in the medieval-set game appears to overshadow other gameplay elements as the primary draw for potential players.
I used to keep tabs on video games. These days I’m far out of the loop, and in the case of Crimson Desert, extremely so. Doesn’t matter though, thanks to a Slack conversation I had unexpectedly with my colleague and fellow member of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray. He explained the entire point of the game with a screenshot preview of this Kotaku link and this message: “I’m trying to see how much of the game I can play while holding the cat“
Me: That’s a big freaking cat in that screenshot.
Adam: Yeah, these cats are very large.
Me: Like bigger than a Maine Coon.
Adam: This game is all over the place in terms of proportions.
Adam: I found a kitten!
This kitten looks just like my cat did as a baby!
Foundry / Adam Patrick Murray
Me: Do they come in any other colors.
Adam: Yes. And sizes.
Adam: You pick them up and pet them to gain +5 trust.
Sold.
(Don’t @ me, I’m going to be too busy picking up kittens in whatever world and place Crimson Desert is set in. I guess it’s medieval? Whatever.)
Author: Alaina Yee, Senior Editor, PCWorld
A 15-year veteran of technology and video games journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld. Since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.