The First Descendant

Free-to-Play or Pay-to-Win, is the question in this looter shooter.

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"The First Descendant" is a free, third-person shooter RPG with high-quality graphics, featuring 4-player co-op and single-player options. As a Descendant, players fight invaders to protect the Ingris continent and uncover the Descendants' secret. The game offers strategic boss fights, unique characters, exciting gunplay, looting, and Unreal Engine 5-developed fields for a cohesive reality-SF fantasy atmosphere. Click wishlist and follow for updates.

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Play Modes

Reviews

64%

Audience ScoreBased on 44,498 reviews

story1,600 positive mentions

grinding5,748 negative mentions

story
11,053 mentions
14 % positive mentions
72 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
The story in "The First Descendant" is generally viewed as weak and generic, often described as a cliché sci-fi narrative that fails to engage players. Many reviewers noted that the dialogue and voice acting are subpar, leading to a lack of emotional investment in the characters and plot. While some players found the story enjoyable enough to follow through the main campaign, the repetitive mission structure and grind-heavy gameplay detracted from the overall experience, making it feel tedious and uninspired. Overall, the narrative is considered a minor aspect of the game, with most players focusing more on the gameplay mechanics and character progression.
- “The first descendant offers a thrilling mix of fast-paced combat and rich sci-fi storytelling.”
- “The game features a wide range of missions, from story-driven quests to challenging side activities, each providing unique experiences and rewards.”
- “The story unfolds through a combination of cinematic cutscenes, immersive dialogue, and environmental storytelling, drawing players into a complex and intriguing universe.”
- “The story feels over-cliched, and many of the NPCs come off as generic anime characters with no depth or proper motives for their attitudes.”
- “The story of the game feels like it was written by a 12-13 year old child, lacking coherence and depth.”
- “The story is nearly non-existent, filled with unnecessary and boring dialogues that make no sense.”
gameplay
7,274 mentions
34 % positive mentions
55 % neutral mentions
11 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *The First Descendant* has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its fast-paced combat, fluid mechanics, and engaging character abilities. However, the game is often criticized for its repetitive mission structure, grind-heavy progression, and reliance on similar boss mechanics, particularly the "orb" immunity phases that can frustrate players. While the visuals and character designs are appealing, the overall experience is marred by issues related to monetization and a lack of meaningful content, leading to a gameplay loop that can feel tedious over time.
- “Gameplay-wise, *the first descendant* is a thrilling and engaging experience.”
- “The shooting mechanics are smooth and responsive, allowing for fluid action as you battle waves of enemies.”
- “The cooperative gameplay elements, where players team up for various missions and events, provide a sense of camaraderie and strategy, making it even more engaging.”
- “Gameplay is very boring.”
- “The actual story isn't bad, but gets overshadowed by fan-service skins, and the gameplay is very similar to another game.”
- “The gameplay loop becomes stale quickly and the grind is more tedious than necessary due to having mandatory cooldowns between events that are the only things that drop the pieces you need.”
grinding
5,810 mentions
0 % positive mentions
1 % neutral mentions
99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of "The First Descendant" has received mixed feedback from players, with many noting it as a defining feature of the game. While some players appreciate the grind as a means to enhance their characters and enjoy the gameplay loop, others find it excessively tedious and frustrating, particularly due to low drop rates for essential items. The game is often compared to "Warframe" and "Destiny" in terms of its grindiness, with players expressing that it can feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience, especially when significant time is required to obtain specific materials or characters. Overall, the grind is a major point of contention, with opinions varying widely based on individual tolerance for repetitive gameplay.
- “Not that grindy compared to the initial release; Nexon did a lot to show tolerance towards players and gave us a lot of free stuff. The only thing you need to spend money on will be their skins and battle pass weapons, while everything else is free to farm.”
- “Enjoying the leveling experience; not grindy, plenty of loot, and constant upgrades.”
- “It isn't too grindy, and the gunplay feels great.”
- “Unfortunately, there is clearly much, much grinding to get to the endgame to be able to fully enjoy build crafting.”
- “Grinding is damn boring and takes stupidly long to make you buy whatever you grind from their overpriced shop.”
- “The grind is very tedious; you'll be playing the same mission all day long to get what you want, and if you decide to cave in and buy your way through, then I can only assume you are either well off or just don't pay bills because the rate on the premium currency is very much not worth your wallet.”
graphics
3,155 mentions
53 % positive mentions
42 % neutral mentions
5 % negative mentions
The graphics of *The First Descendant* have received widespread praise for their stunning visuals and detailed character designs, showcasing the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5. However, many players have reported significant performance issues, including stuttering and frame rate drops, even on high-end systems, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game excels in aesthetics, the optimization challenges and repetitive gameplay have led to mixed feelings among players regarding its long-term appeal.
- “Overall, the first descendant is a must-play for fans of action-packed games with compelling visuals.”
- “The graphics are stunning, with vibrant, detailed environments and impressive character designs.”
- “The visuals of the first descendant are top-notch, with expansive, beautifully designed environments and impressive character models.”
- “Jumpy and stuttering no matter what the graphics settings.”
- “The graphics are decent, but the performance is plagued by frequent frame rate drops and technical issues.”
- “Even on the lowest settings, a system that is a generation newer than the recommended specs struggles to play this game on the lowest graphic settings on a 1080p display.”
monetization
2,741 mentions
7 % positive mentions
65 % neutral mentions
27 % negative mentions
The monetization model of "The First Descendant" has been widely criticized for its aggressive and predatory practices, reminiscent of mobile games and typical of Nexon's history. Players report exorbitant prices for characters and cosmetics, with many items requiring significant real-world money to unlock, leading to a perception of the game as a cash grab rather than a genuine gaming experience. While some players appreciate the ability to earn most content through gameplay, the overwhelming presence of microtransactions and the high costs associated with them have left a negative impression on the community.
- “While its free-to-play model might initially entice, the predatory microtransactions and grind-heavy mechanics quickly erode the fun.”
- “A barren game with predatory microtransactions and FOMO... do it for the main story if you want, but after 25 hours of gameplay, just stop. There is no content, only grinding for characters you will never use.”
- “Although the game is free-to-play, its design seems tailored to wear down players’ patience, pushing them toward microtransactions instead of earning rewards through gameplay.”
- “The monetization, while not entirely predatory, definitely encourages you to shell out cash to just buy the components you need.”
optimization
2,264 mentions
13 % positive mentions
47 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The optimization of "The First Descendant" has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While some users have experienced smooth gameplay, particularly after recent updates, the overall consensus indicates that the game requires further optimization to improve stability and performance across various hardware configurations. Many players recommend waiting for additional patches before fully engaging with the game due to its current technical shortcomings.
- “• Optimization and performance: the game works stably at high settings, producing 80-90+ fps without freezes and crashes even in the most intense scenes.”
- “Great graphics, diverse content, fascinating storyline, stable performance make it an ideal choice for fans of action games and beautiful worlds.”
- “Despite some performance issues on PC, it is a good game.”
- “It worked perfectly fine for me at launch, but after their 2nd or 3rd update the performance tanked and they never fixed it.”
- “Game is not optimized well at all.”
- “This game has constant stuttering, unstable fps, fps drops, and is not optimized for HDDs good enough.”
character development
467 mentions
55 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
7 % negative mentions
Character development in *The First Descendant* is primarily highlighted through its impressive character designs, which are often described as visually stunning and unique, particularly for female characters. However, many players note that while the aesthetics are appealing, the actual depth of character development and narrative engagement is lacking, with repetitive gameplay and a weak storyline detracting from the overall experience. Despite these criticisms, the game's character customization options and distinct abilities for each character add some level of engagement, though they often feel overshadowed by the game's monetization practices and gameplay monotony.
- “The character designs are amazing, showcasing a variety of intricate costumes and weaponry that add depth to the game's lore.”
- “The character designs in *The First Descendant* are some of the coolest in gaming history, and along with the engaging gameplay, it's pushed this to my Game of the Year 2024.”
- “The character design is meticulous and designed with love, with each character feeling distinct and unique in their abilities.”
- “Really boring, same types of missions every time and has a half-baked story without any real character development or high stakes.”
- “The storyline fails to captivate, with weak character development and unconvincing dialogue.”
- “The combat is uninspired and repetitive, the character designs are unremarkable and bland, and the RPG aspect of it has the depth of a puddle.”
stability
421 mentions
6 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
94 % negative mentions
The stability of the game has been widely criticized, with numerous players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and performance issues, even on high-end systems. While some users have experienced stable gameplay at lower settings, many others have faced significant lag, server disconnects, and game-breaking bugs that hinder the overall experience. Overall, the game is considered to be in a rough state, requiring substantial optimization and bug fixes to improve stability.
- “The game runs solid and is not buggy.”
- “It also looks great and so far I've had no lag, no glitches, no problems.”
- “The game is smooth and runs great.”
- “Despite my computer having specs above the minimum requirement, I still crash to desktop (CTD) frequently, along with very constant FPS drops and freezes.”
- “This trash pile of manure never worked since launch and multiple patches for me. Every time I open it up, the anti-cheat loads, and after the game starts, it completely freezes my PC, forcing me to restart from the case button.”
- “The game is a buggy mess; it does not work on PC.”
music
253 mentions
30 % positive mentions
62 % neutral mentions
8 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it generic and forgettable, often comparing it to mobile game soundtracks. While some appreciate the unique themes assigned to different characters, others criticize the lack of variety and the repetitive nature of the tracks, leading many to prefer listening to their own playlists while playing. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as a weak point, failing to enhance the gaming experience significantly.
- “The audio design in the game is exceptional, with a soundtrack that complements the game’s atmosphere and enhances the overall experience.”
- “The music ranges from epic and cinematic to subtle and atmospheric, perfectly capturing the tone and mood of each moment.”
- “Each descendant feels unique, and even has their own soundtrack when you play them, which is awesome.”
- “A lot of music feels generic and just sounds like background noise.”
- “The music for this game is forgettable as hell, and the actual sound design lacks a lot.”
- “The soundtrack for this is the most bland, unoriginal, painfully mediocre OST that is devoid of even a speck of character or craftsmanship.”
humor
198 mentions
99 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
1 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, with players finding amusement in quirky character names, absurd dialogue, and the game's overall absurdity. While some aspects, like the voice acting and localization, are criticized for being poorly executed, they often end up being funny in a "so bad it's good" way. Overall, the game embraces a lighthearted tone, making it enjoyable for players who appreciate its quirky charm, despite its flaws.
- “Characters are mostly hilarious and over the top in some aspects.”
- “The story is a bore, however, it seems like the names they used for various characters, places, and groups within the game are intentionally hilarious: you fight the 'vulgas' and get your new descendant options from 'anais.' This is just two of the many hilarious names in the game.”
- “It's funny when they start crying about it.”
- “This is not funny at all or entertaining.”
- “Constantly disconnecting from the game is not funny.”
emotional
102 mentions
67 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
33 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the impressive facial animations and character interactions that add depth to the narrative, particularly highlighting moments that evoke genuine feelings. However, many criticize the overall story as boring and predictable, with one-dimensional characters that fail to create a lasting emotional connection, leading to a lack of investment in the game's narrative. While there are heartwarming elements, such as specific character arcs, the general consensus is that the emotional engagement is undermined by repetitive gameplay and a weak storyline.
- “The facial animations and expressions are especially impressive, adding an emotional depth to the narrative.”
- “What really stands out is how the game blends action with emotional depth, making you care about both the characters and the world.”
- “One of the most emotional moments of my life as I was sucked into the story of Bunny's parents.”
- “The slog that is going through the boring story is not worth it.”
- “On top of it being a pretty boring story with very forgettable characters, I think this might be one of the worst campaigns in the history of live service games and maybe games as a whole.”
- “Boring story with characters that are so cliché and one-dimensional that there are no surprises.”
replayability
67 mentions
30 % positive mentions
66 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
Overall, the game offers significant replayability due to its diverse character options, mastery of unique abilities, and a variety of missions that can be replayed for rewards. Players appreciate the potential for endgame content and grinding, although some express concerns about the game's repetitiveness and performance issues. While opinions vary, many reviewers highlight the enjoyable gameplay and customization options as key factors contributing to the game's replay value.
- “You can expect to spend time mastering each character's strengths and weaknesses, which brings a lot of replayability.”
- “For those who enjoy co-op PvE with high replayability, it offers a solid, enjoyable experience, especially when teamed up with friends.”
- “With multiple characters to choose from, each with their unique abilities and playstyles, 'The First Descendant' offers significant replay value.”
- “It's an RNG-based grind for mods in replayable story missions/outposts, and then upgrading them in a Warframe-style resource dumping, only to repeat the process for a mod that has a 1% drop rate in a less than engaging mission.”
- “Grindfest with a lack of content and replayability at the moment.”
- “This game has more cons than pros when it comes to gameplay, story, and replayability.”
atmosphere
49 mentions
53 % positive mentions
41 % neutral mentions
6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag, with many players praising its stunning graphics, detailed environments, and immersive audio design that enhance the overall experience. However, some reviews highlight inconsistencies, such as poor optimization and a lack of engaging storytelling, which detract from the intended atmosphere. Overall, while the game offers captivating visuals and a welcoming community, it struggles with maintaining a consistently immersive experience.
- “The attention to detail is evident in the intricate textures and dynamic lighting, creating an immersive atmosphere that draws players into its universe.”
- “The audio design in the game is exceptional, with a soundtrack that complements the atmosphere and enhances the overall experience.”
- “The environments are diverse and meticulously crafted, each with its own unique atmosphere that invites exploration.”
- “The game also seems to lack in atmosphere.”
- “I really tried to like it but it's super boring, the atmosphere is non-existent and while the gameplay may get better as you progress more, it's just dreadfully boring.”
- “They try their hardest to create a mysterious atmosphere, but it falls flat with poor explanations and bad writing.”