A former Red Dead Redemption 2 designer highlights Crimson Desert’s brutal water physics

The new RPG from Pearl Abyss continues to surprise with its technical aspect after its release.

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Crimson Desert continues to generate conversation, and this time from within the industry itself. One of the names that has recently shared their opinion about the game is David O’Reilly, former designer at Rockstar North who participated in titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2 or GTA V.

After analyzing the game, the developer has shared his impressions, and although he acknowledges that there are aspects that can be improved, he has also made it clear that Pearl Abyss’s work has caught his attention in several technical areas.

The water physics in Crimson Desert impresses even a former Rockstar developer

Among all the elements he has analyzed, there is one that stands out above the rest: water representation. According to O’Reilly, the game manages to offer rivers and dynamic surfaces with a very high level of realism, with real-time simulation that adds a sense of life to the environment.

The developer himself acknowledges that this aspect has impressed him especially, to the point of considering that it surpasses what has been seen in some previous titles in the genre, including references like Red Dead Redemption 2.

This doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. He also points out certain problems with lighting or how some visual elements behave during the day and night cycle, where some surfaces lose depth. Nevertheless, his conclusion is quite clear: the game’s technical ambition is well above average.

With the game already available and receiving its first updates, this type of opinion reinforces the idea that Crimson Desert not only aims to stand out for its gameplay, but also for its ability to push the technical aspect a step further.