There are three playable Crimson Desert characters and that’s cool. Pearl Abyss is keeping things focused on named heroes with their own vibes and weapons. As you roam the open world of Pywel, you play with three heroes (not five, as some sources expected).
These three are Kliff, Damiane and Oongka. You step into these specific protagonists whose stories and skills unfold as the game goes on.
How is their play style? Who is the main character and how can we switch between them? Let’s break it down.
What’s ahead:
Kliff, The Main Guy
Kliff (full name Kliff Macduff in case you wanna know) is your core protagonist and the leader of the Greymanes crew. After a brutal ambush scatters his group and leaves them broken, he’s all about honor and grit. He wants everyone back together. You spend the bulk of the story as him.
In fights, he’s super versatile. Sword and shield for solid frontline work, a bow for ranged shots plus some wrestling style grapples and even elemental flairs from a magical bracelet. He switches weapons smoothly, chains combos, dodges like a pro and handles pretty much any situation. Perfect if you like adapting on the fly. It lets you enjoy a flexible playstyle.
Voiced by: Alec Newman
Damiane, The Agile Speed Demon
The second Crimson Desert Playable character is Damiane. The swift female fighter who brings a totally different energy. She’s fast and precise. She’s got fluid combos and hit and run tactics. Personally, this is the kind of playstyle I enjoy most
She rocks weapons for heavy swings, switches to a rapier for faster pokes, packs a small shield for defense and mixes in a pistol for ranged bursts. It’s a hybrid style that lets her zip around with chain light attacks. If you love aggressive, reactive combat with lots of movement, I’d say that she’s the one!
Voiced by: Rebecca Hanssen
Oongka The Absolute Unit Bruiser
Then there’s Oongka, the big brutish powerhouse who contrasts hard with the other two. He’s the muscle massive, orc like build and these are obvious when you play with him. Oongka is more focused on raw strength and just smashes everything in sight.
He swings a huge axe for spinning cleaves and area damage. He also has an arm mounted cannon for explosive ranged blasts. His attacks hit like trucks and let you bulldoze groups of enemies. Slower and heavier, sure, but ideal for players who want to overwhelm foes with pure force and big damage.
Voiced by: Stewart Scudamore.
How It All Ties Together in Gameplay?
Crimson Desert doesn’t lock you into one class forever. You start and mostly drive the main story as Kliff, but you unlock Damiane and Oongka as you progress. Once they’re in, you can switch to them freely for open world exploration and unique missions tailored to each one. The experience is something like GTA V in switching characters.
The exact swap mechanics aren’t fully locked down yet. Based on my experience, games like this could have story directed switches in some parts. But early looks at the game suggest something like GTA V’s character rotation for different chapters or sections.
Crimson Desert Character Customization
Is it possible to customize the Crimson Desert characters in the way you like? Yes, but actually it depends on what you consider of customization here. Based on what we know about the game so far, the main appearance and characteristics of the heroes are not changeable. But some other aspects can change. For example, hairstyles and outfits can change. Also tattoos can be applied or customized.
It is worth noting that, based on what I know, it is not possible to create a character in the game. In case you may wonder about it.
Why Even This Variety Matters?
The trio gives real combat diversity. Kliff’s balanced tactics, Damiane’s speedy precision, Oongka’s overwhelming brute force. It shakes up encounters in Pywel’s big open world and encourages you to try different approaches. Pearl Abyss seems to be betting on these distinct heroes to keep the action feeling dynamic without a traditional class system.
Crimson Desert characters are customizable somehow, but not that much. Anyway even those little possibilities of applying changes, make your heroes more unique for you.
