Crimson Desert launched to very middling reviews. Critics praised the game’s open world and combat, but found the story lackluster and a lot of the connective tissue weak or missing all together. But the response from players was hardly mixed. It catapulted to the top of the Steam charts and stayed there as more and more people became instant fans. Pearl Abyss Europe CEO Lybee Park recently weighed in on the gap between those two receptions.

“I do believe both parties have fair points, especially the critics,” she told The Game Business Show. “They had to play a build that was not the exact same version as the launch game.”

It’s become increasingly common for big games to “come in hot,” meaning that the developers are still rolling out significant tweaks and optimizations even during the review period in the days before a game officially releases. While Crimson Desert reviewers had plenty of time with it—some played over 100 hours before delivering their assessments—they were playing a version of the game that was different even from what players ended up experiencing on day one.

“Critics had to play the build that is not the exact same version as the launch game,” Park continued. “They also had limited time. Usually, the classical approach when they review the game is to follow the main story line. But our unique charm is spread across our in-game world. All those tiny details that are hidden.

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