🎮💣 A Flashy Shooter with Big Ambitions… But Does It Hit the Mark?
The First Descendant has officially dropped — and with it, Nexon’s shot at breaking into the looter-shooter genre currently ruled by Destiny 2, Warframe, and The Division. On paper, this free-to-play third-person sci-fi shooter checks all the right boxes:
✅ Beautiful Unreal Engine 5 graphics
✅ Flashy abilities and unique characters
✅ Cooperative PvE missions
✅ Tons of loot (like, a lot)
✅ Gigantic boss fights
But does The First Descendant bring enough innovation and polish to stand beside its genre titans — or is it just a pretty clone chasing Bungie’s stardust?
Let’s load up and dive deep into this futuristic battleground. 🚀💥
🎨 Visuals: Unreal Engine 5 in All Its Glory
Let’s start with the eye candy — because The First Descendant is absolutely stunning.
From the neon-lit cities of Ingris to desolate alien landscapes, every environment bursts with detail. The textures are crisp, the lighting is cinematic, and the effects? Explosions and abilities pop with color and energy.
The character designs, too, feel like a blend of Mass Effect meets Overwatch. Each Descendant has a distinct silhouette and visual style — whether it’s the cyber-ninja flair of Ajax or the brutal tankiness of Lepic, everyone looks like they belong in a next-gen anime-inspired space opera.
It’s not just pretty — it’s polished. And that’s rare for a free-to-play title.
🧑🚀 Choose Your Hero: Descendants 101
At its core, The First Descendant is a hero-based looter shooter. You pick from a roster of Descendants, each with their own unique skillset and ultimate ability.
Think of it as Destiny meets Apex Legends.
🛡️ A Few Standouts:
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Viessa – An ice-themed support character who can freeze enemies and reduce incoming damage.
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Lepic – A tank with explosive AoE abilities and a handy grenade launcher.
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Gley – A vampire-like fighter who gains buffs by sacrificing her own health.
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Ajax – A void-powered protector who controls the battlefield with force fields.
Each character feels mechanically distinct. You’re not just switching skins — you're switching playstyles. This alone gives The First Descendant some serious replay value.
🔫 Gunplay & Combat: Fast, Fluid, Flashy
Nexon has clearly studied the Destiny 2 formula — but it’s brought its own flavor.
Combat is fast-paced, with quick dodges, mobility-based movement, and abilities on short cooldowns that encourage constant action. You’re never just shooting. You’re dashing, ulting, freezing, exploding, healing — all at once.
Guns come in multiple types:
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Auto Rifles
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Sniper Rifles
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Shotguns
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Beam Weapons
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Hand Cannons
Each has its own mod slots and rarity tiers (hello, purple loot), and they feel satisfyingly punchy — especially when combined with your abilities for devastating combos.
💡 Pro tip: Chain Viessa’s freeze ability with a charged sniper headshot for instant pops. So satisfying.
🤝 Co-Op Gameplay: Built for Squads
This game is designed around 4-player cooperative missions. You’ll run story quests, strongholds, and “Void Intercept Battles” (think giant raid bosses) with a fireteam.
And guess what?
It’s fun. Really fun.
Enemies scale, support characters actually matter, and proper teamwork can make or break a mission. It hits that sweet spot of “casual-friendly” but “deep enough to master,” especially when tackling higher-tier content.
Plus, matchmaking is fast and relatively seamless. No waiting in orbit for 15 minutes like in… you know which game.
🧪 RPG Systems: Mods, Materials, and Min-Maxing Madness
Here’s where things get spicy — or complicated, depending on your taste.
There are tons of RPG systems layered under the hood:
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Modules to boost your weapons, armor, and abilities
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Runes that affect stats like crit rate, cooldown reduction, and ammo regen
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Tech Trees for long-term character upgrades
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Materials to craft weapons, upgrade modules, and unlock new Descendants
This makes progression highly customizable… but also overwhelming for new players. If you’re a min-maxing spreadsheet wizard, you’ll love it. If not, you might find yourself lost in menus wondering what “Phase Boost x12” means.
Ubisoft might need to simplify some of this in future updates.
🧠 Story & Lore: Serviceable, Not Stellar
Let’s be honest: you’re not playing The First Descendant for its story.
Yes, there’s a war. Yes, you’re humanity’s last hope. Yes, you’re fighting aliens called the Vulgus and Colossi who want to wipe us out.
But the plot is mostly a thin excuse to send you on cool missions. The cutscenes look great, but the writing and voice acting are mid-tier at best. It’s fine — not offensive — but definitely not BioWare-level.
Fortunately, the world-building through environmental storytelling and lore entries is surprisingly rich. If you want to dig into it, there’s depth to be found.
💀 Boss Fights: Giant Alien Carnage
Where The First Descendant really shines is in its Void Intercept Battles — huge, multi-phase boss fights that demand teamwork, dodging, and raw firepower.
These aren’t bullet sponges. They have mechanics, weak points, and patterns to learn. Think Monster Hunter meets Destiny 2 raids. It’s a real highlight and arguably where the game feels most original.
The best part? You can queue solo or with friends — and matchmaking is quick.
🧩 Monetization: The Elephant in the Room
Let’s talk about the big question: Is The First Descendant pay-to-win?
So far, no. The game offers:
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Cosmetic microtransactions (skins, emotes, etc.)
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Accelerated progression packs (XP boosters)
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Optional currency for unlocking Descendants faster
The core gameplay is entirely free, and all major content can be unlocked by grinding. Yes, it’s grindy — but not unfair. As long as Nexon keeps this balance, the game stays F2P-friendly.
🤔 The Destiny 2 Comparison
So… how does The First Descendant measure up against Destiny 2?
| Feature | The First Descendant | Destiny 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Gunplay | 8.5/10 – Fast & flashy | 9.5/10 – Tight, iconic |
| Characters | 9/10 – Diverse & ability-driven | 7/10 – Limited build identity |
| Story | 6/10 – Serviceable | 8/10 – Expansive (but lore-heavy) |
| Endgame | 8/10 – Promising bosses & depth | 9/10 – Raids, Gambit, Trials |
| Monetization | 7/10 – F2P-friendly (so far) | 6/10 – Expensive expansions |
| Graphics | 9/10 – Unreal Engine 5 wow | 8/10 – Stylized but aging |
It’s not better than Destiny 2 — yet. But it’s different, and refreshingly fresh.
📦 Final Verdict: A Worthy Challenger
The First Descendant is a bold new entry in a crowded genre — and it holds its own.
It delivers gorgeous visuals, high-octane gameplay, deep build customization, and excellent co-op boss battles. Yes, the story could use more heart. Yes, the systems are a bit too complicated. But overall? Nexon has crafted a fun, addictive looter-shooter that’s only going to grow with time.
If you’re a Destiny veteran looking for something fresh — or new to the genre entirely — The First Descendant is 100% worth a download.
🏁 Final Score: 8.6/10
“A strong start for Nexon’s sci-fi shooter — and a real threat to Destiny’s throne.”