Summary
The recently releasedThe First Descendanthas garnered a bit more success than many would have initially expected. The game was written off by large swaths of the gaming populace upon first reveal, as it seemed to behighly derivative of titles likeDestiny 2andWarframe, not to mention its association with Nexon, a company infamous for its microtransaction-heavy releases. Despite this,The First Descendanthas picked up quite a bit of attention, hitting a peak concurrent player count of 265,000 on Steam.
One of the most interesting aspects ofThe First Descendant’s success is that, by many accounts, the early critical impressions of the game have turned out to be mostly true in the final product.The First Descendantis indeed riddled with microtransactions and grind-centric gameplay, and everything from its art design to its lore has been criticized for being generic and uninspired. But it would appear that the core gameplay loop of the breakout live-service has been strong enough to help it gain some traction in the gaming market, though the accusations of generic writing and design may come back to bite it down the road.
The First Descendant’s Lackluster Campaign Could Deal It a Death Blow
A Strong Campaign Can Play a Big Role in a Live-Service’s Success
Live service games likeDestiny 2have compelling storytellingthat keeps players hooked over extended periods of time. Even something likeOverwatch, which is admittedly less heavy on narrative, has a colorful cast of charming characters that makes audiences want to stick with the series for several years, sometimes even past the point where the gameplay becomes tedious. In essence, fun gameplay can help a live-service game gain momentum in its first weeks or months, but a good, engaging campaign is often what keeps players coming back for more.
As previously mentioned,The First Descendanthas been accused of copying other franchises, not only with more surface-level ideas or aesthetic choices, but with general story beats as well. The game’s broad-strokes narrative, which centers on a futuristic military’s opposition to an invading alien threat, feels unoriginal and contrived, like it was simply the easiest lore framework to build endless gameplay around. Its generic nature, coupled with fairly two-dimensional characters and jargon-heavy expository writing, makes it hard to get invested in the story.
The First Descendant Could Bolster Its Campaign in the Long Run
Nexon has beentransparent aboutThe First Descendant’s long-haul plans, detailing its roadmap for Season 1 just a few weeks ago. For the time being, it looks like the game is mostly focused on adding new Descendants to play as, alongside new cosmetics and gear. This is business as usual for live-services, but if Nexon continues to demonstrate this commitment toThe First Descendant, expanding it with new content beyond mere cosmetics and gear, it could mean good things for the campaign moving forward.
IfThe First Descendantcontinues to take cues from other live-service games, it ought to follow their approach to storytelling as well.Destiny 2has told a story over seven years, with premium expansions serving as new chapters in a broader, epic narrative.The First Descendantdoesn’t need to follow this exact same framework, but a focus on narrative content in future updates would be a boon, especially since many players have already finished the main campaign and are feeling underwhelmed by it.
It would be easy to think ofThe First Descendantas just another free-to-play looter-shooter, and many players are doing just that. But it has a strong base in its gameplay and visuals, so doubling down on its story could be the deciding factor in keeping audiences hooked for years instead of months. An injection of some more personality, perhaps through these theoretical narrative expansions, wouldn’t hurt either.
The First Descendant
WHERE TO PLAY
The First Descendant is a next-generation third-person co-op action RPG looter shooter featuring high-quality graphics created in Unreal Engine 5.Players become a Descendant whose mission is to combat alien invaders – The Vulgus who crossed dimensions over 100 years ago and brought with them the devastating Colossi and destruction – for the survival of humanity and to protect Albion and the continent of Ingris. Players will encounter spectacular stories of forces fighting over the Iron Heart as they grow stronger through various missions and raids.Encounter features that make The First Descendant’s gameplay unique: a variety of characters with unique concepts and combat styles, massive boss battles with up to four player co-op, free movement and coordinated action with grappling hooks, a variety of weapons and compelling customization options.
