Grab Crimson Desert at a pre-order discount and get a free game or coupon, too

With a world brimming with magic, dragons, and violence, as well as brutal, combo-focused combat and gorgeous visuals - Crimson Desert is already lining up to be one of my favorite games this year, so long as Black Desert Online developer Pearl Abyss can nail the launch. Just weeks away from release, I'm really hoping that Crimson Desert can earn a spot on my best RPGs list, and if you're as excited as I am, you can pre-order it at a discount - and get a free game alongside it.

Crimson Desert isn't out just yet, so we don't have a final verdict on it just now. However, Jamie's Crimson Desert preview alone has sold me on it, and I'm just hoping the positives stick throughout my playthrough. Fighting game-style action? Check. Environmental destruction in a gorgeous medieval world? Check. An open-ended sandbox-style approach to let you have your own adventure? You better believe it.

You play as Kliff, who, following an attack by the rival Black Bears faction, loses many of his Greymane comrades, who are his family in everything but name. Left with few survivors in the continent of Pywel, with warring factions and dangerous beasts, you'll need to regroup with your fellow Greymanes in an effort to return Kliff's clan to its former glory, while also getting revenge on the Black Bears who committed the atrocity.

While there's clearly a narrative to follow, Crimson Desert's marketing seems to focus on gameplay over everything else, and it looks like Just Cause in a fantasy world. The game oozes a sense of endless adventure, which admittedly looks kind of daunting at first, but I can't wait to get out there, fighting powerful enemies and growing strong enough to defeat small armies.

Pearl Abyss' BlackSpace Engine gives incredibly realistic visuals, allowing for gorgeous lighting that will finally give me a reason to boast about my gaming PC. The water flows naturally, colliding with small objects in rivers as you cross treacherous paths, and the lighting looks absolutely stunning, capturing the hours of the day with the beauty it deserves. I'm all in, as you can probably tell, and I can't wait to lose myself in Crimson Desert.

If you were going to get Crimson Desert anyway, you may as well get it for $59.49 / £54.99 at Fanatical. Every purchase grants you a free game or coupon with the 'Bonus Box', and while there's no discount for UK buyers, there's still a free gift, so you may as well get something extra with your purchase that Steam doesn't offer.

I'm quite sad that I don't have anything as exciting as Crimson Desert to play while I wait. I suppose I'll just twiddle my thumbs or sharpen my sword, waiting for the day I get to adventure into Pywel.