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Crimson Desert cover
Crimson Desert
Developer:Pearl Abyss
Publisher:Pearl Abyss
Platform:PS5
Genre:Action Adventure, Open World

Explore the vast continent of Pywel as Kliff, a Greymane warrior fighting to reunite his scattered companions. Master fast, freeform combat, discover ancient ruins and strange realms, tackle powerful enemies, and shape your journey across a massive interactive open world.

Main Story70 Hrs
Platinum200 Hrs
Difficulty6/10
Playthroughs1 Playthrough
Platinum1
Gold4
Silver10
Bronze20

Crimson Desert Trophy Roadmap

EARLY GAME

Welcome to Pywel. Crimson Desert is enormous, so the best thing you can do early is make the world easier to navigate before worrying too much about the Platinum. Start uncovering the map with Bells in towns and cities, activate fast-travel points whenever you find them, and discover Secret Places along the way. If you are struggling to spot a fast-travel point, get some elevation and use R1 + R2 to flash your sword, or hold up your lantern with L1. The lantern is especially handy while gliding. Secret Places are worth finding too, since they double as fast-travel locations and reward Abyss Artifacts used for upgrading skills.

Artifacts should also be on your radar early. There are 141 scattered across the different regions, and there is currently no in-game tracker for them. Collecting them unlocks challenges, so grabbing them while you are already exploring can save you from a much uglier cleanup later. You do not need to turn the opening hours into Artifact Simulator 2026, but don't walk past them either.

Loot enemies, sell what you don't need, and gradually improve your equipment. The Hwando is a particularly powerful early sword that can carry you through much of the game. Prioritize equipment that can actually be upgraded, and remember that attack stats on gloves and boots only improve punches and kicks respectively, not your weapon damage. Buy upgrade materials from blacksmiths when useful, complete NPC quests that reward inventory bags, and buy the small bag sold by each shop as you work toward the 240-slot inventory maximum. Most importantly, do not sell or burn through unique-looking weapons or weapons with durability. Some are required for later challenges, and future you does not deserve that headache.

MID GAME

Once you are comfortable exploring Pywel, start pushing the story while continuing to knock out challenges naturally. Reaching the point where you have a camp is useful because it gives you somewhere to upgrade and store items. You will eventually gain the ability to move your camp as well, which is connected to Proud Returnee. There is no need to rush this trophy; once the option becomes available, you can handle it whenever it fits naturally into your journey.

This is also where a little trophy planning can prevent some nasty surprises. Complete Operation 7: Disruption before wiping the Jackals out of Pailune or clearing all of their camps, because the challenge requires Jackal faction enemies. Keep the Vessel of Dark Pursuit until its Special Weapon challenge is finished, and avoid using other special weapons unnecessarily before completing their associated challenges so they don't break before you need them. The Marni Laser Helm can be upgraded into the Kuku version, as the updated version now counts for its challenge as well.

Another one worth planning around is Battle 6: Into the Barrage. The cleanest opportunity is during Chapter 8's main quest, Rebel Suppression, where you have the cannon and enemies needed for the challenge. If the attempt goes wrong, die or reload a save and try again. It can still be completed afterward, but setting up the right situation becomes much more difficult. This is exactly the kind of "I'll do it later" challenge that eventually makes you question every decision you've ever made, so take the easy opportunity when the game gives it to you.

LATE GAME

As you approach the end of the story, check your remaining challenges before charging ahead. One particularly important requirement is Above the Law 4: Back Alley Cleanup. If you complete every bounty before obtaining the required Abyss Artifact, there is no other way to complete the challenge. Make sure this is taken care of while the necessary content is still available.

Otherwise, you are free to finish the story at your own pace. Keep working on challenges whenever convenient, experiment with different weapons, continue upgrading your equipment, and grab Artifacts and other objectives as you travel. Every challenge you finish naturally now is one less item waiting for you during the much larger cleanup phase.

There is no reason to turn the final stretch into a giant checklist if you are enjoying the game. Take care of the requirements that can cause problems later, then enjoy finishing the story. The real checklist is waiting patiently for you afterward. And unfortunately, it has been eating well.

TROPHY CLEANUP AND EXTRA TIPS

Once the story is complete, the Platinum becomes much more straightforward: finish the remaining Challenges. This is where you should expect to spend a large portion of your Platinum journey. Open the Journal and use the Challenges tab as your master checklist, then work through whatever remains in whatever order makes sense. Camps, enemies, and the open world give you plenty of opportunities to clean up weapon and combat requirements you didn't complete naturally.

Hopefully you experimented with different weapons and completed plenty of the easier challenges during the story. If you didn't, don't panic. Take the remaining trophy-related challenges one at a time rather than staring at the entire list and wondering what life choices brought you here. Some requirements have easier methods, workarounds, or exploits, and updates may introduce additional options over time, so it is worth checking for newer solutions if a particular challenge is giving you trouble.

Keep chipping away at the Journal until the last challenge falls. Crimson Desert's Platinum is a long haul, but by this point you have already explored Pywel, built up your gear, finished the story, and survived the bulk of the journey. Now it is just you and the checklist. And Sailfish. Apparently Sailfish has chosen violence.

Crimson Desert Trophy Roadmap | Gami