Zelda Meets Assassin's Creed In Staggeringly Huge New Open-World RPG

Epic adventures surely await in a new open-world RPG that looks to be one for Zelda and Assassin’s Creed fans.

Ever since The Legend of Zelda was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1986, it has set a new standard for what fans expect from an adventure RPG on consoles.

To this day, the series is one of the most popular franchises with fans now eagerly waiting for the next adventures of Link and Zelda on the shiny new Nintendo Switch 2.

As for Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, it has successfully combined the art of action, adventure and stealth (well, mostly). It has also brought us some of the most popular characters in video game history, including the likes of Ezio Auditore and Edward Kenway.

So, what is that game that blends The Legend of Zelda and Assassin’s Creed, I hear you ask? That game is Crimson Desert, developed and published by Pearl Abyss.

A new 20-minute gameplay video has dropped for Crimson Desert, with its protagonist, Kliff, falling and gliding from the sky into the continent, Pywel, reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

“From the snow-blasted mountains of Kweiden to the verdant expanses of Akapen and the towering ridges scattering the Crimson Desert, this land is a testament to nature's grandeur,” reads the description of the game.

“Yet, amidst this beauty, the continent stands locked in war as factions vie for unprecedented power. Discover adventure, explore exciting locations, and fight thrilling battles as you travel across an incredible open world filled with wonder and mystery.”

The open world of Crimson Desert has The Legend of Zelda’s sense of adventure vibe and action that looks to be a treat for fans of Assassin’s Creed.

“I've been really hyped for this game for a long time now,” said jasonck9635, in the YouTube comments section.

“It looks like some dudes hyper-modded Skyrim,” exclaimed Darth_Denigör.

“I can't wait to play, it’s going to be the next The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in gaming,” claimed JoelFantazia.

“It’s gonna be special,” declared LarryTurner-k8n.

There were a few commenters concerned that Crimson Desert lacks some polish, but with the game still some way off from being released, there’s plenty of time to make the game look and perform the best it can.

Crimson Desert has no release date at the time of writing, other than a tentative early 2026 launch window. We do know, however, that it will be released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.