"Red Desert: Exploring the Unknown" turns previously inaccessible seas into new adventure spaces. Players can sail far and wide, adjusting their exploration routes among islands, pirate strongholds, treasure map clues, and underwater ruins. After further experience, the reviewer focused on the sense of scale and exploration pacing brought by the expansion.
During his journey, the reviewer encountered islands occupied by Catfish Pirates and saw a new ship rise from underground. Treasure maps don't just point to a single target but lead to other discoveries; in his personal experience, every new location had something to find.
Underwater exploration requires players to search for treasure chests and secrets within a limited dive time. The reviewer found equipment in the ruins of a sunken factory that extends underwater breathing time and improves movement efficiency, allowing access to more areas.
In addition to ocean content, the expansion adds land-based features such as real estate, businesses, and castle decorations, and provides epilogue stories for Kliff, Damiane, and Oongka.
After about 15 hours of play, the reviewer still had many markers left on the map. He felt that traveling, discovering, and random encounters formed an engaging loop that kept him invested. Drawing on nearly thirty years of gaming experience, he described it as possibly the largest expansion content he has ever seen; this assessment and his playtime are based on his personal experience.