Crimson Desert: Introducing three new bosses

There's a lot going on in there crimson desertopen world. From puzzle solving to castle sieges to blowing up enemies with battle robots, there are a variety of activities to take part in. But from what we've seen so far, the real stumbling block is the boss fights. As part of this month's IGN First, we've shown you two new dragons: the Venusian Mechanical Dragon and the Cursed Knight Fortan. But there is much more to see. Today, we’re showcasing three new bosses: Muskan, Walter Langford, and Killer Kirush. You can see protagonist Cliff duel all three in the video above.

The trio demonstrates the scale of the enemies in the Crimson Desert – Walter Langford and Muskaan are both humans, but the former is fairly regular in size, while the latter is an eight-foot-tall powerhouse. Then there's the Kearush, a massive gorilla-like beast that's actually one of the smaller monsters in the Crimson Desert.

These “weight categories” help differentiate each boss, but each boss is defined by their ability set. Muskan is a ferocious boxer who only gives you a few seconds to breathe as he charges up punches and diving kicks. He's not afraid of some dirty fighting, knocking your legs out from under you with hard kicks and knocking you to the floor with choke slams. When his rage reaches maximum, he's able to unleash a barrage of blows that repeatedly launch you into the air, so learning how to dodge his lightning-fast fists is the name of the game.

Walter Lanford may not be older than you, but he's arguably the most seasoned of the three bosses we're showcasing today. Equipped with a shotgun, he is able to fight effectively at long range. Dodging the wide range of projectiles is key, but with the right timing, you can bounce his blasts back at him. If your reflexes aren't that sharp, you can spin a magical barrier that collects incoming bullets and fires them back from where they came from. Walter's grapple ability is weak, so getting close is crucial – luckily you can use the Deflect Light skill, typically used for finding hidden objects, to temporarily blind him and close the distance. You'll need to act fast, though, as Walter is equipped with smoke grenades that can help hide his quick escape.

Finally, Keyarush the Killer is a monster with no less than 3 health points – an extended combat trick available to multiple enemies in the Crimson Desert campaign. There's a Hulk-like intensity to this fight, with Kirush able to scale walls and unleash awkward but devastating leaps that attempt to turn every bone in your body to dust. As a larger creature, you can crawl onto his back and stab away, a la Dragon's Dogma, but be careful – he's more than happy to fall backwards-first from great heights, so let go of those shoulders before you're forced to cushion his landing.

All three of these fights only reinforce my feeling that the boss is going to be the real star of Crimson Desert. Each one I've encountered in multiple hands-on opportunities so far has had a unique twist, a clever mechanic, or just an exciting move that kept me on my toes. I once fought a mighty knight, and I crushed him with falling pillars of masonry. I encountered a horned snow beast that threatened to trigger an avalanche and get me stranded. I also scaled the side of a giant walking mountain à la Shadow of the Colossus, searching for its weak points in a battle of endurance. I hope these are just the beginning. I can’t wait to see what Red Desert’s most ambitious showdown looks like.

Matt Purslow is IGN's executive editor of features.