The First Descendant Enjoys Big Player Numbers on Steam Despite ‘Microtransaction Hell’
ign.comNexon’s free-to-download looter shooter The First Descendant has enjoyed a huge launch on Steam but players have hit out at ultra aggressive microtransactions.
The First Descendant is a Warframe-esque action game designed to be played co-op with friends, with progression tied to a deep-rooted grind that involves completing missions and defeating bosses. Check out IGN's The First Descendant review in progress to find out what we think of the game so far.
But it’s the monetization that has sparked debate during the early days of The First Descendant’s launch, as well as issues giving players rewards they're owed that have forced Nexon into offering compensation.
Korean company Nexon, which is behind other multiplayer-focused free-to-play games such as Kartrider: Drift and Maplestory, launched The First Descendant with a packed cash shop that sells everything you’d expect from a game of this type: a premium battle pass, new characters, premium character and weapon skins, and even experience boosts and increased inventory capacity.
New characters, called Descendants, are sold for real-world money, but the premium virtual currency, Caliber, is sold in bundles that come in just under the cost of a new character itself, forcing players to buy more virtual currency than they need and, thus, having some left over.
Caliber can only be obtained by buying it with real-world money or by buying the premium battle pass. There is currently no way to earn it through gameplay alone.
While you can grind (a lot) for new characters, you can save time by spending money to buy them. You can also pay to gain immediate access to an ‘Ultimate Descendant’, which is a Descendant with better stats and an exclusive skin. Expect to pay upwards of $55 for one.
The First Descendant also locks a paint to a skin, which means if you want to re-use a paint you’ve already obtained, perhaps from the premium battle pass, you have to spend real-world money on it again.
Some players have called The First Descendant
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