15 Things Crimson Desert Secretly Lets You Do

We’ve been really enjoying Crimson Desert since it launched last week – exploring the world of Pywel has been fantastic! We were pleased to see the developers quickly respond to player feedback, but honestly, there’s so much to do in the game that we’d still be happy even if they hadn’t.

Beyond its great weapons, compelling story, and interesting locations, Crimson Desert has some hidden gameplay features that aren’t immediately obvious. If you’re concerned you might have overlooked something helpful, we’ve got you covered.

Let’s dive right into some of the things you might not have discovered during your time in Pywel.

1. Armor For Your Pets

You’ve likely discovered you can gather companions to join your adventures, and they can even collect items during battles, letting you focus on fighting. But did you realize you can also customize their appearance?

To progress, focus on the Shai missions first. You’ll need to get a relic from a unique character to unlock access to Pororin Village. Once you’re there, find the shop that sells hats, armor, and cute outfits for your pets! There’s also a similar shop in Demeniss, located in the southeastern part of the city if that’s easier to reach.

2. Make Fast Travel Even Faster

Loading in the game can be annoying. Whether you start the game or quickly travel between locations, you’re often stuck watching lengthy, decorative animations that are really just loading screens. Oddly, the game doesn’t seem to need that much time to load new areas. If you quickly travel from one point to another, the transition is nearly instant, letting you move around much faster than it appears at first. This is a clever solution, and it suggests the developers might remove those unnecessary animations in a future update.

3. Use Axiom Force For Some Insane Moves

Stuck facing a fenced-off area? Forget finding a way around – with Axiom Force, you can launch yourself over it! Attach to a nearby tree, pull back, and release to send yourself flying like a spinning ball. Then, spread your wings and glide into new areas or right into enemy territory with ease.

Combine a strong initial attack, like a body slam, with other moves to gain an early advantage in battle. With so many enemies potentially attacking you, it’s important to take any opportunity to get ahead.

4. The Axiom Swing

If you’re somewhere without trees, you can use Axiom Force to grab onto a surface, swing for speed, and launch yourself into the air—though be careful not to land in water! This is a clever way to reach difficult spots and gives you a strong opening in a fight. Plus, it’s surprisingly fun.

5. Call In Backup

Damiane and Oongka aren’t just temporary characters; they can be real assets during tough battles. You can quickly call them in using the character switch menu and a summon button, and they’ll appear at a nearby location. While it’s not instant – there’s a brief loading screen – once they arrive, they’ll stick with you and even have their own mounts to ride!

It’s okay if your companions fall behind – they’ll eventually teleport to catch up. Just protect them in battles, because it takes a while to revive them, and your opponents won’t pause while you do.

6. Make Mining Easier

Tired of slowly mining resources with a pickaxe and drill? Axiom Force and Force Push offer a much faster solution! Just attach to the resource deposit and use Force Push to collect valuable materials quickly. You’ll need to unlock the Force Current ability first, but it’s a worthwhile investment considering how helpful it is in many situations.

It also frees up valuable inventory slots as you can leave your pickaxes behind!

7. Take In The View

Even tough warriors need to relax, and Kliff is no exception! In Crimson Desert, you can let him take a break and simply enjoy the beautiful scenery of Pywel. Just have him sit down near a cliff by using the analog stick, and he’ll happily take in the view for as long as you like.

8. Efficient Bounty Hunting

Okay, so it was kinda weird at first seeing Kliff carry bounties over his shoulder when he has a horse all saddled up, ready to go. I just figured it was a quirk. But then I realized he actually has a second bounty strapped to the horse itself! So you can bring in two at once, which is pretty cool. It makes a little more sense now, honestly.

Since these are a fast way to earn money, they’ll save you a lot of effort.

9. Steal Gold Bars From Nobles

Like in the Assassin’s Creed games, Crimson Desert lets you pickpocket people for quick cash. Just find areas where wealthy nobles hang out, and subtly bump into them to trigger the pickpocketing option. You can use your lantern to spot who’s carrying something worth stealing – they’ll have a yellow glow around their waist.

Before you start stealing, make sure you have a mask on. And be ready to run quickly after each theft, because a red circle will appear, showing where people will search for you. While there’s no guarantee any noble has a gold bar, they’re your best chance of finding one if you’re patient.

10. Heed The Game’s Warnings

We’re always curious to see how open-world games handle players trying to explore beyond the map’s limits, and Crimson Desert has a unique consequence. If you ignore the game’s warnings and venture too far, your character, Kliff, will end up inside a giant whale! Luckily, with so much to discover within the game’s world, you probably won’t need to find out firsthand.

11. Hoods And Visors Can Be Toggled

I’m really loving the little details in this game! If my character’s outfit has a hood or visor, I can now easily adjust them right from the armor menu. It’s so cool to be able to pull up the hood or open and close the visor with just a tap. It shows the developers really thought about everything when creating this game, and it’s awesome to see that attention to detail!

12. Your Sword Is Not Just For Killing

No matter where you are, you can use your Sword’s Blinding Flash to find Abyss Nexuses and Cressets. For the best results, try using it from a high spot, as the blue markers showing their locations can be hard to see from ground level.

If you’re ever in a hurry, Blinding Flash can help you cook quickly. Just place your ingredients on the ground and use your sword to focus sunlight on them, similar to how you burn vines.

13. Don’t Wait For Your Horse

Okay, so I learned the hard way – don’t just stand there endlessly whistling for your horse! Seriously, it takes forever for it to wander over. Now, I whistle and start running in the direction I want to go. It makes the horse run straight to Kliff and mount up super smoothly. It’s way faster, and honestly, it just looks way cooler when you’re starting a long journey to check out some cool location on the map.

14. Save Money On Healing Supplies For Your Horse

The Force Palm isn’t just for knocking enemies away – you can also use it to heal your horse during battle. Simply charge the move and gently tap your horse, and any injuries it has sustained will disappear instantly. Plus, you’ll save money on healing supplies!

15. Sneak Around In Style

Besides stealing from people, Kliff has abilities seen in many stealth games. He can hide in places like haystacks, trees, and under carts. The game also helps you stay hidden by showing dark edges on the screen, making it easier to avoid enemies when you’re trying to sneak around.

That covers our rundown of the lesser-known features and mechanics in Crimson Desert. We hope this information proves useful as you explore the game! Now it’s time to head to Pywel and put these tips to the test!

2026-04-01 16:16