Fashionably Fun Learning Curve - The First Descendant

   

 If TikTok is your go-to social media platform while waiting for Genshin Impact to load, I doubt you haven’t heard the name The First Descendant in the last few weeks. The game has not only taken over ad space on the TikTok app but also features funny clips that have already been uploaded, giving it a competitive edge in piquing interest—especially since it launched on a Tuesday. Developed by the popular South Korean game company Nexon, you might already be familiar with them through their development of MapleStory. The First Descendant was released on PC and consoles on the same day. It’s kind of neat that you can see who is playing on what system above players' heads.

Humanity is in trouble as their home planet, Ingris, is threatened by an advanced, war-hungry alien race: the Vulgus. The Vulgus invaded Ingris to find the Ironhearts hidden beneath the surface, lying dormant and unknown to humanity. Ironhearts are infinite sources of energy and, as we see later, have the ability to turn the Vulgus into full-on war machines. To stop the Vulgus, you take on the role of humanity’s last line of defense, the Descendants. At the start of the game, you are given three options, and from there, you can unlock more Descendants. The system for unlocking Descendants versus buying them is tedious. You must complete certain missions to earn research materials for Descendants, which can take a while.

The story of The First Descendant is mainly told through gorgeous cut scenes, most of which feature the Vulgus. These scenes are dark and tense, and unfortunately, more interesting than the story in between missions. We see alien experiments failing, causing death among the Vulgus. However, when we’re talking to our commanders at the base, it feels hollow. The emotion is missing, and it feels like we’re being shuttled along to the next objective. The big story beats are mesmerizing; however, the in-between parts are lackluster. There is potential for world-building with the extensive environments we see.

Continuing with the shortcomings, the upgrade mechanics are probably my least favorite aspect of the game. The mechanics outside of combat—upgrading guns and Descendants—feel like they involve two steps too many for me. Personally, I know I’ll likely forget to keep up with these mechanics and become frustrated when I get stuck on a level. I often find myself Googling strategies only to discover that I should have been upgrading certain chips. On the bright side, when you’re in the upgrade menu for weapons and your Descendant, you can choose the strongest loadout. That’s one thing I don’t have to think much about.

None of these issues are deal-breakers, though, and they don’t seem to be for a lot of people. The First Descendant had 10 million players during its first week, and I’ve found myself going back. I have hopes that, although the story is starting out rough for me, it will develop into an engaging narrative. I also feel like I should have expected complex mechanics based on my previous experiences with Nexon games. I truly believe Nexon needs more time to develop their story for The First Descendant and expand their world-building.

Overall, these criticisms are not enough to call the game unplayable or even unenjoyable. Looking past the maintenance mechanics, there’s a fun third-person shooter with an array of weapons that will have you trying out different play styles until you find what’s right for you. You have your standard weapon choices, such as SMGs, pistols, and snipers. There’s also the occasional laser gun drop, which takes a bit of practice to master. Weapons are dropped by higher-level enemies and come in different round types: general, special, impact, and high-powered rounds. Some rounds are harder to find than others; obviously, the stronger the gun, the harder the round is to find on the battlefield. The weapons that drop match the level of the map you’re playing on, and as your weapon level increases with your character level, your best course of action is to switch out. I tend to become attached to weapons, and the first switch was hard for me, but the cool thing about this game—at least to me—is that a higher level of the weapon you like is bound to drop again. With another mission or two, I’m sure you’ll be reunited with the weapon you like. Of course, one of the mechanics the game features is leveling lower-powered weapons to higher-powered ones, but I find it easier and more fun to equip new ones.

In addition to weapons, each Descendant has special abilities, some elemental-based like water and ice, while others are a bit more whimsical, such as super strength and poison blasts. Much like the weapons themselves, these abilities give Descendants their own play styles. I found myself enjoying Viessa and her ranged freezing attacks. However, I struggled to switch to the fast-moving, close-range character Bunny. As much as I love Bunny’s aesthetic, I stuck with the character whose play style fit my own.

The power scaling in this game feels balanced. There were only a handful of times I’ve felt overwhelmed by enemies, and those instances were typically limited to boss arenas, which are meant to be a challenge. It was tense trying to stay alive with my partner.

Speaking of playing with a partner, this game is multiplayer, but you can choose how you engage with the multiplayer aspect. Something I really appreciate as an anxious player who likes to learn the ropes before joining a group is that you can enter maps privately or publicly. So far, I have been tackling the world privately, but for the large titan creatures, I have joined public groups.

At the end of the day, this game has truly earned its gold star in fashion. When you first unlock a Descendant, they all have the same generic look. The first weekend of the game was rough; I had a hard time distinguishing myself from other players, let alone my partner. Now, every time I log on, I see gorgeous characters that have been carefully crafted by players to match their aesthetics. There are different costumes, hairstyles, outfits, makeup, and dyes. It’s not all locked behind a paywall either. If you’re willing to or enjoy grinding out tasks, the battle pass is achievable daily. I’ve never been into battle pass systems before, but I’ve found myself pursuing the cosmetic rewards.

As a whole, The First Descendant is an exciting shooter with enough story to keep you engaged and curious about what’s next for your team. The mechanics are tedious, but the rewards are satisfying. I believe that with time, the story will find its footing and deliver an engaging narrative. If you have the time and are curious about The First Descendant, I would recommend giving it a try.