The First Descendant Could Be a Decent Destiny-Like Co-Op Shooter on PS5 | Push Square

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Having spent a good few hours with The First Descendant on PS5 — ahead of its open beta release later this month — we're happy to report that this free-to-play shooter seems to have a solid base to build upon. Very reminiscent of Destiny in terms of structure, we didn't quite have time to dig into finer details, but the gameplay clicked almost immediately thanks to buttery smooth controls and a near constant supply of loot (even if we did end up spending a touch too much time rummaging through equipment menus).

Unlike Bungie's ongoing saga, The First Descendant is a third-person escapade, and you play as pre-defined heroes as opposed to making your own. Being free-to-play, this is obviously intended to be the game's hook, as you'll need to grind specific objectives and materials in order to unlock additional characters — all of whom come equipped with their own unique abilities.

Unfortunately, in our relatively brief time with the preview build, we couldn't get a proper feel for how demanding this process actually is. As is the case with any title flaunting a free price tag, you can only assume that there'll be a catch — and the game's extravagant character select menu, complete with lovingly animated models, does its best to convince you that true happiness is always within reach.

But we're trying not to be too cynical here, because as mentioned, The First Descendant plays well (and it looks great, thanks to Unreal Engine 5 and some tight art direction). Regardless of your starting hero, there's an emphasis on mobility; movement speed is fairly fast, you can double jump from the off, and you have a snappy grappling hook that immediately adds some verticality to both exploration and encounters. It's the kind of game