The First Descendant Hands-on: Another Destiny killer joins the fight

There have been so many 'Destiny killers' throughout the years. Anthem, The Division, Outriders, Borderlands 3, Warframe, these are just a few examples of games that have made their debut and been dubbed by fans as the game that will be able to take down Bungie's Destiny 2. Most have failed in that quest - even if plenty have been fantastic and fun games in their own rights - as Destiny 2 is still pretty much the gold standard for a long-running, live-service, looter action game with broad multiplayer capabilities. Why am I bringing this up? Because from what I've seen, Nexon's The First Descendant is shaping up to be the next member of this growing gang.

Recently, I have had the chance to go hands-on with The First Descendant for a while, all as part of an early taste of the game's Crossplay Beta. Within this preview opportunity, I've been able to experience The First Descendant in two ways: the regular way with a fresh character at the very start of the prologue, and through a Boost mode that presented me with access to all the characters currently available, many of whom were significantly levelled up, with some even being stronger, mythical variants, all so I could get a glimpse at how the game feels after sinking in many hours. Regardless of the way I chose to play, the gameplay and the way that The First Descendant feels in practice both impressed but also felt a little too safe to be interesting.

Before I delve into the gameplay, let me just say that this game will seemingly face the same issue that Destiny and Destiny 2 both faced over the years, in that Nexon is attempting to create a world that will tell stories for a significant amount of time all without spending too much time explaining the narrative or leaning into worldbuilding. Most live-service games face this same issue, and in return, the narrative of these games is usually paper thin or delivered in such a way where the developers throw tons of jargon and niche terms at you hoping that some will stick and help paint the picture of the world they are creating and what your motivations are as a player. Needless to say, I couldn't really tell what the story of The First Descendant is about, but clearly there's an emphasis on powerful humans grappling and fighting back against hordes of invaders all in the hope of ensuring humanity's survival.

Fortunately, the gameplay does come across as a bit more engaging, at least if you find PvE looter-shooters to be compelling. The First Descendant will see you exploring a host of different locations, completing quests and tasks, and shooting and blasting through loads of enemies, all in the hunt for better gear and experience to level up. It's not challenging the dynamic of what we've come to expect from these types of games, but thanks to being an Unreal Engine 5 project, the gameplay is incredibly fluid and smooth, the world and graphics are astonishing, and there really does seem to be a ton of things to spend your time completing.

I will say that some of the quests and tasks feel one-dimensional. Similar to what anyone who has put significant time into Destiny 2 will know, eventually all the activities start feeling very familiar, and that's the case in The First Descendant too. Between running between locations, shooting enemies, and completing minor tasks such as planting bombs in enemy structures, the gameplay doesn't really wow you. However, as I mentioned a moment ago, the gameplay is very tight, so while the events and quests are a little mindless, the characters and their abilities and the gunplay is about as good as you will find in the PvE space.

One of the key features of The First Descendant is that you don't play as a class or an individual that the story revolves around like other similar games. Here, you play as a defined character, who feature their own set of abilities and skills that make them unique. Viessa is all about cryo attacks and zipping around the battlefield on a frosty path like The Incredibles' Frozone. Ajax is a more team-centric character who is all about defending allies and soaking up damage. Bunny is a shocking character who is agile and fast. Lepic is the jack of all trades, an Action Man-type. For some of these characters, an Ultimate version is possible to reach, with this making them significantly more powerful and resilient and perfect for late game activities, challenges, and foes.

I don't mind this choice to revolve around defined characters, as the individuals that Nexon has created do feel unique and complete, but with this being said, I feel like it could limit buildcrafting options in the long-run, especially for players who don't feel the desire and drive to have multiple Descendants on the go at once.

On the topic of buildcrafting, this almost feels JRPG-esque, with lots of different and minor ways to enhance a character. Between switching guns (which you can have three active at once) as well as slate of modifiers and additional elements that each adjust health regeneration, shield size, and damage, all the attributes that would make your Descendant a more competent and capable fighter. And this is something you will want to do, as there are many very powerful bosses that you will need to face and overcome throughout the game, some of which you will need the help of other players to survive.

Nexon has got a clear vision for what they want The First Descendant to be, and it already ticks a lot of boxes and succeeds in its gameplay. But I can't help but feel like this game is on the same trajectory as that of Warframe or The Division 2, which is that of a successful title that falls short of what Bungie has managed to achieve over the past decade. The First Descendant is a stunning game with striking visuals and smooth mechanics from what I've seen, and the characters are complex and interesting too, but will it manage to entertain for hours, days, months on end? That is hard to make a firm judgement on currently, but what I do know for a fact is that it won't be pulling me away from Destiny 2 anytime soon.