PlayStation Plus Adds Free RPG That Rivals Crimson Desert, 100s Of Hours of Gameplay

Crimson Desert is one of the year's major success stories. While this enormous open-world RPG isn't for everyone with its complex controls and indulgently packed map, it's easily the most promising new IP to land within 2026.

It's far from developer Pearl Abyss' first project, though. In the years before Crimson Desert, Pearl Abyss delivered us Black Desert alongside a whole flurry of post-launch content.

Well, Black Desert: Standard Edition is now available from the PlayStation Plus Extra tier catalogue, and it offers you hundreds of hours of gameplay.

In fact, it might've been available for a couple of weeks now, depending on where you live. In the UK, US, and Japan, PlayStation Plus is trialling a phased rollout of games across the month, with Black Desert: Standard Edition, Blades of Fire, and Farming Simulator 25 being the final drop of June, landing yesterday, on June 30.

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Black Desert: Standard Edition originally launched in 2017 and is an RPG set within a vast fantasy world with online play available.

The nations of the Republic of Calpheon and the Kingdom of Valencia are, unfortunately, at war. The ever-spreading Black Death has sent the stability of the kingdom into disarray.

Amidst all of this, a new currency surfaces, dictating life under this forced new world order. Precious black stones are harvested from select locations, and any kingdom looking to rebuild will need to trade this integral commodity.

Pearl Abyss

Valencia is the first to do this, while Calpheon is forced to steal as its own lands yield none of the stones.

Eventually, the two kingdoms come to spar over the titular black desert where these stones can be harvested en masse.

That's where players will find themselves when they enter the story, with gameplay including PvP wars, high-octane combat encounters, and tons of exploration. That exploration can see you partake in charming activities like cooking, sailing, trading, farming, fishing, and alchemy.

Some Players Have Racked Up Well Over 2,000 Hours In Black Desert

According to How Long To Beat, the average playthrough of Black Desert: Standard Edition's single-player main objectives could take you anywhere from 93.5 to 2,060 hours. Wow.

For the co-op mode, you're looking at a playtime of 891 hours and for the Vs. mode, you can enjoy an average of 68.5 hours. Yes, Pearl Abyss clearly doesn't know how to create a small game.

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Despite the behemoth size of Black Desert: Standard Edition, it's not the only new offering available, as mentioned.

If you prefer something a tad more streamlined, Blades of Fire is a single-player action-adventure with soulslike elements. Its main story runs for around 30 hours, although you could be looking at well over double that for full completion.

Farming Simulator 25 perhaps needs no introduction. This one's incredibly open-ended with players able to plough, cultivate, and mulch for as little or long as they see fit.