Fans Have Spoken, Loudly

Pearl Abyss’s open-world RPG Crimson Desert has now overtaken Pokopia in Metacritic user ratings. The game’s community response has been strong since launch, and that enthusiasm has pushed it to one of the highest user scores of 2026 so far. Apparently, if enough players really like a game, they will absolutely make their feelings everyone else’s problem in the review section.

Two Big Releases, Very Different Audiences

Crimson Desert and Pokopia are both among 2026’s most notable new releases, and both have ridden strong word of mouth to impressive sales milestones. They are also aimed at very different players. Crimson Desert is a large-scale open-world RPG, while Pokopia leans much more toward cozy life-sim territory.

That contrast has not stopped both games from thriving. If anything, their success is a useful reminder that the year is still young and already unusually busy.

Critics and Players Are Not Saying the Same Thing

The split between critic and user reception is where things get interesting.

  • Crimson Desert has a 77 Metascore from critics.
  • Pokopia sits higher with critics at 89.
  • On the user side, Crimson Desert currently holds an 8.8 score.
  • Pokopia is close behind at 8.6.

That is still an excellent result for Pokopia, but not enough to keep it ahead of Pearl Abyss’s RPG. The more striking detail is the size of the audience backing Crimson Desert: its 8.8 average comes from more than 10,000 user reviews, while Pokopia has over 1,300. So this is not a tiny sample of enthusiastic fans. It is a fairly large crowd saying, with some conviction, that this game works for them.

Second Place for Now, But Not by Much

With that score, Crimson Desert is now the second-highest-rated game of the year by Metacritic user score. Pokopia drops to third.

The only game ahead of both is Resident Evil Requiem, which has a 9.4 user score. That gap is significant, and it is unlikely either Crimson Desert or Pokopia will close it unless the internet develops a sudden and unusual consensus, which history suggests is not a habit we can rely on.

Awards Season May Still Tell a Different Story

Even with its strong user support, Crimson Desert is still in a difficult spot when it comes to major awards. Its critical reception is too mixed for the game to look like a serious Game of the Year contender at The Game Awards 2026.

If it somehow did land a nomination, it would reportedly become the lowest-rated game in history to be nominated for the top prize. That gap between critic scores and user enthusiasm should make for a lively conversation later in the year, especially since award bodies have historically leaned more heavily on critic reception than on player sentiment.

Pearl Abyss Keeps Moving Quickly

One of the more encouraging parts of Crimson Desert’s launch has been Pearl Abyss’s response to player feedback. The studio has been addressing issues quickly and adding new content at a steady pace, which tends to help a game’s long-term reputation far more than a polished launch trailer ever could.

That kind of support usually helps build a better relationship between developers and players, and it may continue to boost the game’s user score over time. For now, though, any future DLC plans remain unconfirmed.

Game Details

  • Released: March 19, 2026
  • ESRB: Mature 17+ / Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language
  • Developer: Pearl Abyss
  • Publisher: Pearl Abyss