July 10th 2024.
The First Descendant is the latest addition to the world of free-to-play live service games, drawing inspiration from popular titles like Destiny 2 and Overwatch. But with so many similar games vying for our attention, is it worth investing our time in this new IP?
In an industry dominated by sequels and licensed products, new and original ideas are desperately needed. However, as development costs continue to rise, the risks involved in creating something new also increase. And unfortunately, despite being a new IP, The First Descendant falls into the same trap of lacking originality.
As a third-person action role-playing game, co-op shooter, and free-to-play live service game, The First Descendant is a mash-up of ideas from other successful games. Its primary influence is clearly Destiny, with many of the same icons and gameplay mechanics being shamelessly copied. But what's truly disappointing is the lack of unique ideas, making this game feel like a bland imitation of other popular titles.
One of the few positives of The First Descendant is its graphics and art design. The sci-fi settings are intriguingly alien, and though the overall art style may not be cohesive, it is still noteworthy. However, the same cannot be said for the storytelling, which is unengaging and forgettable.
It's worth noting that some of the visuals may have been inspired by anime or other sources, but since we can't identify them, we'll give the game the benefit of the doubt. However, the characters and their abilities are clearly copied from Overwatch, with the added disappointment of sexualizing female characters. It's a shame to see such a lack of originality in character design.
Structurally, it's clear that Destiny 2 is the dominant influence, with a similar mix of open-world missions and linear dungeons. The gunplay may not be as polished as Bungie's, but it's still enjoyable. However, the game fails to bring anything new to the table, and even the one original idea it does have - a grappling hook for each character class - is not fully utilized.
One area where The First Descendant truly falters is its attempt to follow the free-to-play model. Unlike Destiny 2, which was not initially a free-to-play game, The First Descendant's implementation of microtransactions is clumsy and unwelcome. Crafting and leveling up take an excruciatingly long time if you're not willing to spend money, making it difficult to try out different characters or weapons.
The poor performance at launch, with unreliable online connections and frame rate issues, only adds to the game's problems. It's clear that The First Descendant was not ready for release, and it's not worth the frustration to try and play it in its current state.
Despite its flaws, The First Descendant may still find success due to its free-to-play model and the lack of new releases during its launch period. But with superior games like Warframe and Destiny 2 also being free-to-play, it's hard to justify spending time on this uninspired game. Ultimately, it's not the age of the franchise that matters, but the originality and creativity within it, and The First Descendant falls short in this regard.
In summary, The First Descendant is a generic looter shooter that lacks any original ideas and shamelessly copies from other, better games. It may be playable and entertaining at times, but it's simply not worth investing your time in. Our score for The First Descendant is a disappointing 5/10.
The game is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC, and is free-to-play. It is published and developed by Nexon, with a release date of June 30th, 2024, and an age rating of 12.
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