Summary
- The First Descendant has had a rocky start but is gaining momentum quickly, similar to Warframe's journey.
- Both games share gameplay similarities, but also the same controversial aspect, as The First Descendant's monetization strategy is already causing concern.
- The game's use of microtransactions to speed up progress and access endgame content more easily mirrors Warframe, raising questions about the free-to-play title's future.
The First Descendant has had a troublesome launch experience, but despite its mixed reviews, it’s been reaching considerable player count milestones in the short time since it’s been released. While the future of The First Descendant is currently uncertain, for better or worse, it will likely continue to follow in the footsteps of some of the popular games that came before it within its genre.
As modern, third-person looter-shooters, The First Descendant and Warframe naturally share many similarities, both in a general sense and in minute-to-minute gameplay. Through this comparison, and in knowing that The First Descendant takes inspiration from Warframe, it may be possible to determine the direction that The First Descendant’ s endgame experience and gameplay loop will be heading. However, concerning in-game monetization, The First Descendant has already put itself in a similar boat as Warframe.
The First Descendant’s Similarities to Warframe Are a Double-Edged Sword
The similarities between The First Descendant and games like it are part of the appeal for some players, as the new hero-based looter-shooter from Nexon offers players a fresh start at a cross-platform game that players can jump into with their friends, for free. Some of the developers behind The First Descendant have even revealed Destiny 2 and Warframe have been a big source of inspiration for The First Descendant. When comparing the gameplay loop of these games side by side, these inspirations are quite plain to see, especially in regard to mission structure, shooter mechanics, and the hero-based gameplay in these games.
However, this inspiration can be a double-edged sword, as despite all the good The First Descendant could learn from Warframe, it has also adapted some of its undesirable features as well. Specifically, there is already some backlash regarding The First Descendant’s monetization practices. More specifically, how The First Descendant has set itself on a path to follow the same controversial monetization scheme as Warframe.
Overall, monetization via microtransactions is a divisive element of modern games, though it’s typically a justifiable aspect of ongoing live-service games, especially free-to-play games, as a way to fund maintenance and the development of future content. A such, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that The First Descendant features microtransactions, given that the base game and future updates for The First Descendant are all expected to be free. However, the implications that these microtransactions have for The First Descendant’s endgame experience is already starting to become apparent despite the game being less than a month old.
Microtransactions aren't inherently controversial, but Warframe and The First Descendant have received criticism for offering progression shortcuts to bypass certain repetitive gameplay loops.
The First Descendant’s Microtransactions Could Put it in the Same Boat As Warframe
In Warframe, plenty of endgame activities and meta weapons are so far out of reach for most players, that despite this type of content not having an explicit paywall, some of this content is often inaccessible for free-to-play (F2P) players who don’t have the newest meta weapons and gear. While all of these prerequisite items can technically be earned naturally while playing, they can more often than not be obtained much more efficiently by purchasing progression shortcuts or outright buying the gear itself via microtransactions.
The First Descendant adding a trading system like Warframe’s could potentially remedy this situation, but the limitations of this upcoming trading system are still unclear. Not to mention, a trading system will only go so far to combat the heavy approach to monetization the game has already taken. With Warframe being such a prominent source of inspiration for The First Descendant, Nexon’s new looter-shooter could meet a similar, controversial fate regarding the role monetization plays in endgame content.
The First Descendant
- Released
- July 2, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Nexon Games
- Publisher(s)
- Nexon
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Third-Person Shooter
