Crimson Desert’s First Region Is Almost Too Good To Leave

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You’ve likely seen the jokes online already. After playing Crimson Desert for almost 60 hours, I’ve mostly stayed in the starting area, Hernand, only briefly exploring other regions to check them out and collect dyes for my character’s appearance. It’s not surprising that many players are finding plenty to do right there in the beginning.

What’s most impressive is the sense that this game is only beginning to show what it’s capable of. The initial area is incredibly detailed, and the four remaining regions look equally full of interesting things to do. I even found myself laughing at suggestions that the developer could have simply named the game ‘Hernand’ and stopped there – and honestly, there’s something to that idea.

Just because the game starts with a large area doesn’t mean it’s filled with unnecessary content. Hernand isn’t a series of repetitive tasks; it’s a captivating story within a story that kept me more interested in what was happening than in exploring the rest of the game’s areas. Let me explain why I feel this way.

More Than A Tutorial Zone

Many of us likely assumed our time in Hernand would be brief – just a training period before being sent to Pywel to uncover Kliff’s fate. With such a vast world to explore and the mysterious Abyss beckoning, it seemed like we wouldn’t stay in one place for long.

The complex political landscape and relationships between groups in Hernand are incredibly captivating, offering a depth that rivals even the most detailed role-playing games. It feels like exploring a vast, well-developed world, and simply discovering all its hidden locations is a major reason to return again and again.

I’ve been busy collecting hidden treasures – sealed artifacts, loot in secret caves, and solving tricky puzzles to open strongboxes. I’m also learning crafting recipes for food and equipment that will be useful when I explore Demeniss or Calphade. And honestly, the challenging bosses have kept me happily exploring the mountains and plains for a while now.

That covers Hernand’s size, but what about its scope?

A Complex And Nuanced Landscape

After everything, I see Hernand as a sprawling land with the city at its center. It’s incredible how a single meeting with Marquis de Serkis has led Kliff and me to spend our lives resolving issues for nobles and working to improve the region, hoping the people will remember the Greymanes fondly for generations.

Questlines often begin with straightforward tasks, but quickly evolve into much larger adventures. You’ll find yourself clearing enemy camps, fighting huge armies, defeating challenging bosses, unraveling the secrets of ancient castles, completing unusual tasks like ringing bells to awaken hidden villages, and even climbing giant, walking trees just to reach them – and that’s just the beginning!

The political landscape of Hernand is so intricately connected that I find myself constantly drawn back to it. Despite trying to focus on other regions, I inevitably return to explore a different aspect of Hernand’s politics, usually working with one of the groups involved. It’s a captivating cycle that truly feels alive.

Finding Factions

Here’s an overview of the groups I’ve encountered. I met them so naturally that I hardly realized how quickly the number of people relying on the Greymanes was increasing.

You’ll meet several factions as you play. The Goldleaf Merchants and House Serkis are introduced through the main story, and House Celeste joins them as soon as you start taking on bounty posters. After you establish yourself on Howling Hill, the Greymanes become involved as well. That makes four factions, each offering different ways to interact with the game world.

As I explored the world, I kept running into all sorts of people! There’s House Robert, House Grace, and House Alfonso, and then you’ve got the Witches and The Shia. Plus, tons of vendors pop up, always needing a hand, but they give you some seriously helpful stuff in return. I also met a lot of random people on the road who just needed a little help, and of course, there were plenty of quests to get Kliff moving towards new areas.

So, someone asked me to check out this fishing village, and that’s how I ran into the Catfish Pirates! Seriously, I spent hours with those guys – it was a blast! It’s funny, the way Hernand is built, it feels like the developers intentionally kept it relatively small so it could be its own little world within the bigger game map. It just works.

You might recall me talking about some story quests. Just to clarify, they aren’t why I’m still in Hernand. Let me tell you what’s really keeping me here.

A Citizen By Choice

While the main story of Crimson Desert isn’t the most compelling part, the storylines within Hernand have been pretty good. I’m invested in helping the Greymanes rebuild their faction, and that’s kept me there. It’s not that the story is bad, it’s just that I have too much to finish before I can move on.

I’ve grown to feel very comfortable here, like it’s a second home, and I genuinely care about its well-being. I’ve built relationships with local nobles who helped me establish a safe haven for my people, and I’ve been happy to help them with their own challenges in return. I’ve also contributed to the land itself, using resources from my camp to support the community.

I’ve earned the trust of villagers by rescuing people captured by bandits and pirates, and securing their homes. My followers, the Greymanes, have been building bridges to improve trade routes, and I’ve worked to eliminate threats like Bleed Bandits, extremist goblins, and common bandits. I also dealt with the leader who was corrupting the Goldleaf Merchants, helping to restore stability to the local economy.

I’ve become good friends with the shopkeepers here, and I feel like a true part of the Hernand community. I’ve always made an effort to be someone people like and respect.

This isn’t a flawed narrative, but a cleverly crafted one, and I’m eager to fully appreciate everything it offers. However, I also anticipate eventually moving on, and I’m actually looking forward to that moment. Here’s my reasoning.

A Fifth Of The Pywel Pie

Hernand is the first of five major regions players can explore in Crimson Desert, and it’s a great sign that it’s so engaging and makes you want to return. This suggests Crimson Desert successfully encourages players to keep playing – something that can be a challenge for open-world games.

I’m completely absorbed in Crimson Desert. If the rest of the game is as engaging as what I’ve played so far, it will likely be my main game for the entire year, with maybe Phantom Blade Zero being the only thing that can distract me. I’m playing it constantly – even while eating – and I can’t stop thinking about it. I’ve even started adopting the character’s voice and mannerisms, which my friends find amusingly annoying.

The opening area is so engaging that it raised a concern for me: would the rest of the game, Crimson Desert, feel less detailed in comparison? Luckily, my initial explorations suggest that isn’t true, as I’ve already found plenty of new quests to pursue. Honestly, the fact that I even worried about this just proves how good the opening area really is.

Hernand’s design is a fantastic example of how strong game design can create truly unique experiences that spark conversation, and generally positive conversation at that. In a way, Hernand has been instrumental in helping Crimson Desert gain momentum after a somewhat slow beginning.

This place feels special to me, and I hope the rest of the game, Pywel, will too. If it does, I’ll feel completely immersed in its world once I finish playing. For now, I’m heading back to Hernand to continue developing the Greymane storyline, and I’m enjoying every moment of it.

The opinions shared in this article are the author’s own and don’t reflect the official stance of GamingBolt.

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2026-04-09 16:13