On July 2, the free-to-play looter shooter The First Descendant was released. The game was named the top release of the month; it is not surprising that at its peak 230 thousand Steam users logged in. But reviews about the new product are mixed. What is wrong with the Korean competitor of Destiny 2? Should you spend time on the new product?
The First Descendant: Game information?
Name: The first descendant.Platforms: PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series.Developer: Nexon.Release date: July 2, 2024.Gender: action, shooting, MMO.Translation: Russian text.Engine: Unreal Engine 5.
The First Descendant: How to play?
The game is shareware and officially available in Russia. Subtitles are available.
The video is available on The First Descendant YouTube channel. The video is copyrighted by NEXON.
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Already in the first release, it is noticeable that the Koreans from NEXON have shamelessly copied the ideas of Destiny 2. In his free time, the hero explores a small hub, and during raids he runs through semi-open locations and destroys monsters with firearms of different levels and rarities, as well as skills such as ice shooting. In case of death, thanks to the unknown power of his descendants, he is resurrected – unless, of course, he has wandered into a zone where resurrection is disabled.
Descendants is clearly inspired by the Traveler and his Light from Destiny 2. When the alien war began, humanity had no chance. That’s when the Descendants unexpectedly gave people their strength, and with it, the hope of survival.
Even the interface looks familiar. The map, the challenge system, the weapon switching system, the selection of companions, the leveling up – all of this is very reminiscent of the Bungie game.
defending the point
Photo by: Nexon
Unfortunately, NEXON did not just adopt successful solutions from its competitor. What is the value of routine, to which almost all gameplay is tied? In The First Descendant, even story missions are based on the principle of endless repetition. We hold a key point, shoot down crowds of enemies, transfer bombs from one place to another – be prepared to do something like this constantly. The reward will be a more powerful weapon, better equipment and valuable material for improvement.
The only innovation worth mentioning is the grappling hook. With it, the hero instantly climbs high buildings and quickly rushes into the duel. This makes the character mobile and adds dynamics to the game.
Another difference is the sexualized heroines. As is usual in Korean games, the girls have luxurious figures, wear revealing outfits and regularly strike spectacular poses.
All heroines are suitable for models.
Photo by: Nexon
There’s plenty of content in The First Descendant – certainly more than in the base version of Destiny 2, from which the story campaign was removed long ago. If grinding doesn’t bother you, be prepared to spend dozens of hours on a new product.
Why does The First Descendant have mixed reviews?
Thanks to Unreal Engine 5, the game looks decent, but it still feels cheap. Take cutscenes for example: in Destiny 2 we were shown amazing cinematics, but here we only get simple in-engine cutscenes.
Even worse are the problems with the game, which can be easily described using the example of melee combat. In Bungie’s Strike, every hit was predictable and pleasant due to the impact. In the new product, the hero hits slowly and normally in milk, and even if he hits, the enemy reacts like a sponge, absorbing the damage. It’s good that the gunfights are not unpleasant – they are not on par with the competitor, but at least they are not annoying.
The boss is big, but dies quickly.
Photo by: Nexon
The main problem, however, is optimization. On PS5, the game runs well indoors and in caves, but it falls apart in the open world. Textures load late, FPS drops every 10 seconds. As a result, playing becomes unpleasant or even impossible.
There are terrible FPS drops in this location.
Photo by: Nexon
What about the donation?
The monetization system is standard and is based mainly on cosmetics. For real money, you can buy costumes for a schoolgirl, a maid, etc., as well as a battle pass, which includes many emotes, outfits, and accessories. The average bill is 500 rubles, although the most epic skins will cost several thousand.
Donating can also save time. If you want to unlock a new hero, save up a bunch of resources for him or just pay.
There is nothing interesting in the free version of the battle pass.
Photo by: Nexon
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The First Descendant: Is it worth playing?
The First Descendant is an endless fighting game, where you go through the same type of missions many times and shoot thousands of enemies. All this for the sake of new weapons and materials. If this is your thing, feel free to jump into The First Descendant. Just be prepared for FPS drops and low budget, which the developers will have to fix for a long time with patches.
First Descendant Score: 6 out of 10
Appreciated
This is a normal looter shooter. Beautiful heroines.
I dont like him
Poor optimization. Too many borrowings from Destiny 2. Compared to its main competitor, the game feels like a budget game.
