announced last month , took the gaming community by storm with an absolutely stunning reveal trailer (see it near the bottom of this page). Developer Pearl Abyss' next flagship title began life with the goal of telling the story of Black Desert Online's past, but the studio says it has evolved with more original elements including bespoke lands, narratives, and characters.

Crimson Desert New Screenshots (December 2019) 7 IMAGES

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We've wrangled a handful of new screenshots from the Pearl Abyss team, which you can see in the gallery just below. "The character you see in our key art is Macduff, son of Martinus," Pearl Abyss told us, specifically referencing the final image in our gallery. "He’s the leader of a ragtag band of mercenaries. Macduff is a man in constant turmoil, struggling with the responsibilities of leadership and the survival of those who rely on him. He has a tragic past and no matter how hard he tries, he cannot escape from it."But don't expect a geographical retread of Black Desert. "With the exception of a few identifiable in-game homages," Pearl Abyss said, "we created entirely new worldviews, religions, and characters unique to the world of Crimson Desert, worthy of a true epic." Furthermore, the studio added, "Crimson Desert offers an immersive single-player campaign teeming with engaging quests based on the exploits of many mercenaries you’ll find available for hire. There will also be a vast amount of content based around a more traditional MMORPG format."The team explained the overarching gameplay themes in further detail: "This is a world of mythical creatures who are neither friend nor foe, cruel mercenaries vying for blood, and powerful figures conspiring in the shadows of the royal court. Players won’t be able to let their guard down. To survive these bigger threats, they’ll need to learn to make strategic choices, all brought to life through Pearl Abyss’ unique, action-driven combat system. That being the case, the biggest friend or foe, as in any MMORPG, will be the player right beside you!"As far as character development goes, "Crimson Desert tells the story of many different characters whose fates are entwined with the main character and his band of mercenaries," Pearl Abyss said. "Each character has their own unique backgrounds and tales to tell, affecting everything from the decisions they make to the gear they equip. This extends to the lands of Crimson Desert, which are full of other mercenary groups each with their own distinct personalities and inclinations.Crimson Desert has no release date yet, but is in development for both PC and consoles and is aiming to run a beta test in 2020.

Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s Executive Editor of Previews. Follow him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan , catch him on Unlocked , and drop-ship him Taylor Ham sandwiches from New Jersey whenever possible.