The First Descendant, Nexon's first foray into the popular looter-shooter genre, will follow the same free-to-play live-service model popularized by rival titles Destiny 2 and Warframe. One notable feature that sets The First Descendant apart from its space-opera brethren is being on a short list of games developed using Epic's Unreal Engine 5. But it will take more than flashy visuals for the title to claim its own stake in a highly competitive market.
Game ZXC spoke with Lee Beom-jun about The First Descendant's narrative, development challenges, and influences. He also had a lot to say about the game's distinguishing features from both a mechanical and service model standpoint.
Characters, Load Outs, and Armaments in The Last Descendant
The core of Nexon's monetization and mechanical model for The First Descendant will be familiar to any Warframe or Genshin Impact player. Uniquely powered collectible characters are at the core of the experience, according to Beom-jun.
"Combat styles are dependent on the player's character, weapons, and runes. The characters are the core axis, and each character has unique appearances and skills."
Beom-jun said weapons and runes can be combined to create different play styles using the same character, and load-outs will also include stat-boosting equipment called support items. These items will come in three levels of rarity, and during the upcoming Steam beta test, the guns will have 11 different classes.
There is also an interesting economy of utility system in play that prevents the highest level or rarity gear from steamrolling every other option. Beom-jun said each piece of equipment will have a cost, preventing players from decking themselves out with exclusively top-tier gear. Consequently, players will need to find viable budget options to build around their impressive equipment centerpieces, making all loot potentially useful. This could go a long way in adding variability to character builds, and alleviating the frustration associated with gear grinding in games like Genshin Impact.
The First Descendant's Service-First Philosophy
While The Last Descendant's use of Unreal 5 has garnered the most attention to date, Beom-jun believes that Nexon's priority on service will set it apart from the crowd.
"Our goal is to create a game that will be loved and enjoyed by players for a long time. We aspire to provide continuous updates and satisfy our players with stable online services."
More than perhaps any other genre, successful live-service games improve over time. Sea of Thieves and Warframe are barely recognizable compared to what they featured at launch in terms of characters added, customization options, new areas, and entirely new forms of gameplay in some cases. Knowing that Nexon is committed to production in the long haul is reassuring, though what these "continuous updates" will entail has yet to be seen.
One likely possibility is boss raid missions. As the title suggests, raid missions pit a larger-than-normal number of players against enormous enemies for the chance at earning impressive loot. While Destiny 2 boasts comparable raid missions, The Last Descendant could get a leg up on the competition by improving rewards for challenging raids, or even emphasizing a greater variety of raids to undertake.
Play (or Pay) Unlocks
Beom-jun addressed the early concerns that players expressed over The First Descendant's monetization model, assuring "there is no plan to induce excessive payment." He followed up by saying characters, equipment, and stages could all be earned through gameplay, and while there will be paid products offered, they will be consistent with other live-service games in the genre.
It is reassuring to hear that players will be able to earn all the equipment, level, and mission permissions to enjoy The First Descendant without spending money. That said, Nexon's purported emphasis on service will need to extend to the generosity of its in-game marketplace and Battle Pass value propositions. Beyond reasonable price points, The First Descendant will need frequent content updates, attentive and effective balance changes, and a good rapport with its community to carve out a niche in the competitive science-fantasy, looter-shooter market.
The First Descendant is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
