Black Desert Online
7.3
Platforms
- PCMar 03, 20167.3playscore7.426 Critics7.11.21K Players
36 critic reviews · 4 community reviews across all platforms
Microtransactions
This game includes in-game purchases. For more info, visit our microtransactions guide.
Critic Reviews
- Ultimately, though, the limits placed on the Boss Blitz mode make the grind there feel unrewarding to me overall, but I appreciate the challenge. Hopefully, with time, the weekly limits can be lifted, or at least increased, allowing for a more rewarding grind experience for those of us who love to just hammer away at Black Desert’s content.
Anthony Lowry · Jun 22, 2023 Reviewed on PCRead full review - Black Desert doesn’t have what I’m looking for. It’s a far from a perfect game, but it’s serviceable in its own way. I can’t recall a single memorable quest or moment in the story, and almost nothing in the game is explained. The veterans, for the most part, are willing to help players figure things out. Having friends already in the game will also help. There is still a great deal to do to make it a fantastic MMO, but I love that you can without a doubt play this world your way.
Jason Parker · Sep 11, 2019 Reviewed on PS4Read full review - As someone who generally enjoys mindless grinding, there was some comfort in making my way through Black Desert’s massive landscape. But when there are other options that feel more polished, thoughtful, and creative, it’s hard to recommend Black Desert unless the absence of a subscription fee is a key factor.
Lucas White · Aug 30, 2019 Reviewed on PS4Read full review - Ultimately, Black Desert on PS4 is very user-friendly, and looks fantastic when running at a premium performance level. But while Black Desert’s aesthetic prowess and customizable sandbox experience is an achievement in the world of MMOs, it’s not a game that offers enough enticement in the minute-to-minute gameplay — or even in the grander, month-to-month scope of things — to leave me thirsty for more.
Haley Perry · Aug 29, 2019 Reviewed on PS4Read full review - Black Desert is rougher than a badger's behind, and the simple combat won't blow anyone's skirt up, but the game does have upsides. The world is fleshed out and fun to explore, the side activities are more amusing than the campaign, and the character creation is superb. This is the sort of game that will undoubtedly appeal to a small subset of people who are more than happy to accept the uglier technical issues as the admission price to a well realised world full of things to do.
John Cal McCormick · Aug 27, 2019 Reviewed on PS4Read full review - If you can get past its flaws, Black Desert will reward you with a gorgeous game world and some incredible combat, but poor tutorials, repetitive missions, a messy interface, and the odd set of bugs stop it from being anything more than average.
Will Borger · Mar 15, 2019 Reviewed on XB1Read full review - It’s cool to be the hero you were meant to become in a pretty world, but Black Desert is lacking in the meat of other classic MMOs and requires a hefty grind.
Stephen Wilds · Mar 13, 2019 Reviewed on XB1Read full review - Black Desert won’t be to everybody’s tastes, and does little to push the MMO genre forward. With that said, it does streamline the experience into a more familiar shell, its real-time combat and impeccable UI tweaks helping it fit onto a console with the minimal of fuss. Its quest structure is lacking in variation, and it doesn’t have the complex characters of The Witcher 3, but it’s a world that is great to explore with friends, with the promise of more to come.
Lloyd Coombes · Mar 05, 2019 Reviewed on XB1Read full review - Black Desert Online is the most refreshingly unique MMO around. Introducing many new game mechanics and ways to play in a world that's so exquisitely designed, with characters, building, monsters and even the weather all working together to make the best looking MMO to have ever been released, BDO is only really let down by the game's unwillingness and/or inability to properly explain its mechanics. The post-launch updates have been great so far and there's no reason to think the game won't keep improving.
Chris Wray · Jun 03, 2016 Reviewed on PCRead full review - The result of all these little caveats is that I can’t easily recommend Black Desert Online to all as it is right now. While I would absolutely suggest you give it a try if it were free as it is in some other regions, those not already hugely interested would be well served to wait for a free trial or a free-to-play option, and giving its impressive character creation tool a try in its free version also comes recommended. The game itself is solid, but just not quite there enough to be a strong recommendation as of this publishing.
Adam Reese · May 01, 2016 Reviewed on PCRead full review
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Community Reviews
- Reviewed on PC
- Reviewed on PC
- Rated on PC
- Rated on PC
About the game
Trailers & Screenshots:
The Black Spirit is your guide. Your destinies are entwined on your search for answers concerning the source of power: Black Stones. The Black Stones are said to have corrupted the minds of the ancients, and through their Alchemy causing the fall of their civilisation. They are commonly found in the desert between the capitalist Republic of Calpheon, and Valencia Kingdom, the land of absolute monarchy. Calpheonians call this area the Black Desert and have declared a war to claim the resources there. Valencians call it the Red Desert due to all of the blood spilled there. You will uncover the hidden secrets of the ancient civilization through the histories of Calpheon and Valencia. Lost memories and the secret of the Black Spirit will be unveiled. A journey to seek the true face of the ancient civilization around the Black Desert awaits you.
Developer: Pearl Abyss