Reaching Crimson Desert's third chapter was a turning point in my relationship with the game. That's when you unlock Damiane, the game's second playable character. It didn't fix all of the issues I had with the game, but it put one of the big ones out of the picture for a little bit: how tedious combat and exploration are and how playing as Kliff is flat-out boring. It's just a shame he's still mandatory for a large part of the story.

Plot matters little in Crimson Desert, but Damiane even has a more interesting backstory than Kliff. He's a warrior who died in battle and came back to life, which is neat, except he apparently doesn't care (and certainly never bothers bringing it up again in the opening chapters). She's the offspring of a noble family brought low through political conspiracy. He's always fought. She apprenticed herself to a swordmaster to learn how to fight, how to stand up........

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