Summary
Highly anticipated looter-shooterThe First Descendanthas officially launched but already raises concerns about one practice.The First Descendantis akin to the likes ofWarframeorDestiny, two of thebest live-service games, where the player collects a series of characters known as Descendants that have unique abilities. These Descendants, along with the guns and gear, are responsible for protecting the remnants of humanity against an alien race known as the Vulgus. Though the gameplay and premise are promising, the game may have an underlying problem.
The First Descendantis developed by the South Korean studio Nexon. Despite the initial promise, concerns arose early over Nexon’s lack of experience with a game of this scale. Along with the fact thatthe studio is notorious for its microtransaction practices in its other games. So far,The First Descendant’suse of these controversial practices doesn’t seem like something that would kill the game, but does cause major problems in some areas.
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The First Descendant’s Microtransactions Have Egregious Prices
High Investment For Low Returns
The First Descendant’s major problem is how expensive its in-game purchases are, especially when compared to its rivals. For fairness' sake, everything regarding gameplay can be acquired in-game, sothe only benefit of purchasing them with premium currency is saving time. However, the cosmetics, characters, gear, and speed-up bonuses are pricey. For example, the Ultimate form of Bunny, the game’s poster character, costs 3,000 Caliber, the game’s premium currency, for the default bundle, or 5,000 for the Premium bundle. Buying the default version would be $70, and purchasing the Premium would be $100.
This pricing isfurther hurt by the trend wherethe in-game costs are slightly more expensive than the microtransaction options. Many of the base tier cosmetics are around 270-300 Caliber; thus, a player would have to move up to the $10 bundle for 520 Caliber. Though this may give more, it is further hurt by the fact the remaining Caliber wouldn’t be able to purchase an extra cosmetic. This is a common trend among games that heavily rely on live-service monetization but feels taken to another level inThe First Descendant.
The sole saving grace toThe First Descendant’s in-game purchases is its Battle Pass. The pass costs 500 Caliber, $10, but is worth the price. It is filled with 96 tiers of rewards containing cosmetics, boosters, and the seasonal Exotic weapon. However, each page is filled with a small handful of free rewards, one of which will be the Exotic weapon. Thus, in most cases,it is better to purchase the Battle Pass and receive a multitude of better offers than individual purchases.
How The First Descendant’s Prices Compare To Its Competitors
Better Bargains From Better Options
The First Descendant’s chief rival is the long-successfulWarframe, and comparing the two almost seems unfair. Gameplay aside,Warframeis a much better investment for cheap cosmetics and boosters. Though purchases ofWarframe’s premium currency, Platinum, are smaller, the prices are lowered to compensate. The two games have different styles and will suit players accordingly, butWarframe’s reasonable microtransactions make it far more consumer-friendly.
A second factor is how easy it is toearn free Platinum inWarframe–the game has an entire marketplace set up where players can safely exchange in-game materials or Warframe pieces for Platinum. If done correctly, it is entirely possible to never spend any money onWarframeand have as much Platinum as needed. This is a feature that would be an extremely beneficial addition to the future ofThe First Descendant.
The good thing is that these prices are unlikely to be the death ofThe First Descendant, but it certainly hampers the game’s reputation. The effect of its microtransaction sales, which is currently unknown, will likely be seen on the optional side of things rather than in the core gameplay. Though unlikely, it will be interesting to see if Nexon considers lowering prices or raising the amounts of Caliber purchased to become a game with well-crafted microtransactions. However, until that is seen, microtransactions will remain to be a major problem inThe First Descendant.
The First Descendant
Nexon Games presents The First Descendant, a third-person action RPG shooter set in a distant future where Humanity fights for survival against a hostile alien race. As a Descendant, players will embark on various missions and quests as they learn about the origins of the Descendants and partner up with up to four players to engage in expansive boss battles, unlocking new gear and skills.
