How to Solve the Obsession and Madness Puzzle in Crimson Desert

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“Obsession and Madness” is the 58th main mission in Crimson Desert, occurring in Chapter 4 of the main story. It can be a bit challenging if you’re not familiar with the steps. This mission begins right after completing the Spire of the Stars, when you are sent into the Abyss to find Octavius, who was swallowed by a rift and might still be alive somewhere inside.

The main obstacle here is a puzzle involving a pillar, which requires you to use Axiom Force to connect and raise platforms so you can cross to an island higher up. However, there is a quicker way to get past most of this puzzle by using a different route.

Investigate The Abyss

When you arrive in the Abyss after walking through the Rift at the top of the Spire of the Stars, take control of Kliff. Immediately step onto the glowing floor plate in front of you; this is the Abyss Nexus. It functions as a fast-travel point, so if you fall at any stage, you can warp back here instead of starting from scratch.

Find The One Responsible For The Rift

With your surroundings examined, your next goal is to find who caused the rift that took Octavius. The quest indicator points to a large elevated island above you. To reach it and complete “Obsession and Madness,” you have two options: solve the pillar puzzle or climb directly using Force Palm.

How To Solve The Pillar Puzzle

Start by turning right from the Abyss Nexus. Interact with the conductor slot on the big pillar to link your Axiom Force and lift the platform. This switches the view to an overhead diagram with controls at the bottom right: use L2/R2 (or LT/RT on Xbox) to select a pillar, then press X/A to raise it.

Activate the central pillar first. Raising this one pulls it closer to your platform, allowing you to walk across elevated pillars. Continue connecting platforms to extend the pathway towards the far end, using the Axiom Force slots on each raised pillar.

Once you’ve activated the main pillar, work along each raised platform until they form a continuous path to the objective.

Force Palm And Flying

You can bypass most of the puzzle by jumping and chaining Force Palm three times in midair, which many players might not realize is possible since it’s not explicitly explained.

Performing two sets of three Force Palms—while airborne—will allow you to reach the main platform without interacting with the puzzle controls at all. Force Palm consumes Spirit, which recharges when holding L3 + R3.

Tip: If you have invested heavily in Stamina, climbing the walls directly is also an effective method. The “Double Jump” skill from Kliff’s green skill tree makes this easier.

How To Complete The Quest

Once you’ve reached the top of the elevated island by the alternate route or the puzzle, ascend the stairs. At the summit, perform a jump and use Force Palm while airborne over the glowing pressure platform to activate it.

This triggers a cutscene revealing the identity of the rift’s creator, ending the “Obsession and Madness” quest.

Note: The pressure platform only activates when Force Palm is used mid-air; simply walking onto it and pressing interact won’t work. After the cutscene concludes, this quest ends, and the next one, “Cast Shadow,” starts automatically.