On July 2, 2024, The First Descendant landed in the gaming sphere with a bang. This South Korean Sci-Fi MMO, powered by the new Unreal Engine 5, has you, the player, become a Descendant and fight to defend humanity from alien threats. Although the game reached a staggering 10 million players within its opening week, controversy soon followed. Players are leaving mixed reviews about the game’s story, gameplay, and monetization strategies that leave a bad taste in fans’ mouths. However, with the arrival of Season 1 soon, The First Descendant has the potential to mend some of the bad press it has received.
The First Descendent Gameplay
The game starts with a cinematic cutscene explaining how humanity was destroyed by the alien races Vulgas and Colossi. The new leader of the Vulgas, Karel, is set up to be a major threat. Some humans, called Descendants, gained power from their ancestors to defeat these looming threats to humanity. After the opening cutscene, you are presented with three options where you can choose which Descendant you would like to play at the start of the game. After choosing, the player runs a tutorial mission where they and their sidekick, Bunny, try to obtain one of three Ironhearts. The Ironheart is a source of unlimited power. At the last moment, however, Karel obtains the Ironheart and hell breaks loose.
This is where your journey starts. As you progress, you will gather resources for crafting, modify your Descendants and weapons, explore new zones, and defeat new enemies and bosses. The movement in this title is rather satisfying, sporting a grappling hook, double jump, and much more. The Guide, a shining white deity that comes to you in a dream, furthers your progression by telling you where you should go and what your next mission is. The First Descendant also has a massive multiplayer hub in typical MMO fashion. Everything in this game is technically free, but you will have to grind for it. If you are willing to spend a pretty penny, currency packs are available in the in-game market.
Warframe And Destiny 2 Similarities
Many fans of the genre draw similarities between The First Descendant and other MMO looter-shooters. Some reviews point out that this new title takes a lot of inspiration from Destiny 2 and Warframe. The First Descendant takes many of Warframe’s complex systems and grounds them with Destiny 2’s more realistic, grounded gameplay approach to the Sci-Fi MMO genre. If you’ve played Warframe, then modding, inventory management, and even Mastery Rank tests in The First Descendant will likely be a breeze. Destiny 2’s gun-feel is present in The First Descendant, which is many players’ favorite aspect. Spending hours grinding for a 5% drop will also feel familiar.
Nexon Drama And Mixed Steam Reviews
The First Descendant’s opening week was more or less a flop. Although the game reached over 10 million players within its first week, its slew of bugs and controversy decreased its ratings. Nexon, the Korean development team behind The First Descendant, faced a class-action lawsuit against their game, Maplestory, due to deceptive drop rates. Over a year, Nexon decreased the chance of players receiving favorable loot in Maplestory’s Cube box. Eventually, they removed the opportunity to win those items from the loot box completely. On January 3, 2024, the company was fined nearly $9 million for this shady business tactic.
As of current, reviews are extremely mixed between players. Only 55% of all-time reviews for The First Descendant on Steam are positive, with 58% being positive within the last 30 days. Negative reviews are quick to point out the aggressive monetization, low drop chances, and performance issues present in the game. However, others are more optimistic, stating that the gameplay feels good, the movement tech is fun, and there is already a lot of content for a game that is only a couple of months old. Nexon may have the chance to redeem itself here, but it will take a lot of hard work and dedication to build back its reputation.
Season 1 Release Date And More
Coming August 29, 2024, is The First Descendant’s first season. This update teased in a two-minute trailer released by Nexon shows off a new ice-themed sniper Descendant named Hailey, new environments to explore, and more. New story content and a grim-reaper-themed boss will also be available coming in Season 1. Freyna, the toxin-themed Descendant, appears to be getting an Ultimate Form as well as potentially a companion side quest. Hailey and Freyna, along with the other Descendants, are all free to obtain in The First Descendant. Season 1 drops next week on all platforms including Steam, PS4, PS5, XBOX One, and XBOX Series X/S.
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