‘Crimson Desert’ Is Like Everything Else and Nothing Else | Button Mash episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 18, 2026 · 1H 30M

‘Crimson Desert’ Is Like Everything Else and Nothing Else | Button Mash

from The Ringer-Verse · host The Ringer

It’s real … but is it spectacular? Ben, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman gather to discuss one of the most ambitious, most anticipated, and most enigmatic games of the year, open-world action-adventure epic ‘Crimson Desert.’ They begin by breaking down why the game remained mysterious until its release, whether it lives up to the huge hype, how it incorporates some of the best aspects of other open-world classics, and some of its perplexing problems, along with their disagreements about the game, their shared wonder at its visuals and scale, and their sense of its significance. Then they predict the game’s Metacritic rating, share their own personal scores, and pass along some non-spoilery tips and tricks to ease the early hours. Email us at [email protected]! Intro (0:00)First reactions to ‘Crimson Desert’ (2:00)Predictions and tips (1:21:24)Outro (1:27:35) Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Matt James and Steve AhlmanProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Mar 18, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

‘Crimson Desert’ Is Like Everything Else and Nothing Else | Button Mash

0:00 1:30:44

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Ringer-Verse?

This episode is 1 hour and 30 minutes long.

When was this The Ringer-Verse episode published?

This episode was published on March 18, 2026.

Can I download this The Ringer-Verse episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!