Summary
WhileThe First Descendanthas reached impressive player count milestones in the short time since its launch, it’s also gotten off to a bit of a rough start. This is mainly due to server stability issues forThe First Descendant, which brought the game offline on its second day of release, although, the game’s monetization is also proving to be a popular controversy.
Without the benefit of hindsight of being familiar with the endgame grind, the impact of microtransactions and overall monetization inThe First Descendantcan be difficult to analyze. However, comparing this element of the game to other mainstream looter-shooters, specificallyDestiny 2andWarframe, can still provide insight into whether or notThe First Descendantfits the definition of being a ‘pay to win’ game.
Is The First Descendant Pay-to-Win?
Despite currently being in its pre-season period,The First Descendantalready includes several hundreds of dollars of microtransactions. This wouldn’t necessarily be the cause forcontroversy forThe First Descendantif these microtransactions were limited to cosmetic items, except powerful gear and progression shortcuts are also available as microtransactions.
Most of the cosmetic items inThe First Descendantare exclusive to the premium store, while non-seasonal items like weapons and Descendants can generally be earned naturally while playing the game.
As a modern free-to-play game, it’s no surprise thatThe First Descendantfeatures microtransactions as a way to support the game’s ongoing development in the long term. However, being able to outright purchase progression shortcuts and powerful gear typically fits the description of being considered a pay-to-win game. Ultimately though, there are multiple factors to consider, especially whencomparingThe First Descendantto other looter-shootersthat are both mainstream and free-to-play.
All Updates for The First Descendant Will Be Free
Similar toWarframe, all upcomingseasonal content and major updates forThe First Descendantare said to be free to all players. This is good news forThe First Descendant, considering that paywalled content is one of the biggest entry barriers forDestiny 2and has given the game a reputation for having a rough new-player experience. However, even though the newest updates inWarframeare technically free, they sometimes require players to be at a stage of the game that can be out of reach for F2P players regardless. So, depending on how convoluted the endgame ofThe First Descendantturns out to be, the lack of a price tag on future content could be misleading.
The First Descendant Will Have a Trading System
There are said to beplans to introduce a trading system inThe First Descendant, although the limitations and restrictions of this trading system are still unknown. Considering that there is currently no way to earn the premium currency inThe First Descendant, Caliber, without directly purchasing it, a player-to-player trading system could potentially change this. WhileWarframeis generally considered a pay-to-win game,Warframe’s trading system has received plenty of praise for allowing players to earn the game’s premium currency without spending real-world currency.
There is No PvP in The First Descendant
Another important thing to consider is that there is no PvP inThe First Descendant, which grants the game certain liberties in weapons and abilities balancing compared toWarframeandDestiny 2since these games both have dedicated PvP modes. So despite being able to gain an advantage over other players by purchasing items with premium currency inThe First Descendant, this won’t provide any competitive advantage, especially considering that most of the items that are exclusive to the premium store are typically cosmetic only.
As the community becomes familiar withthe endgame grind inThe First Descendantand as more items are added to the premium in-game shop, microtransactions will presumably have an increasing presence in the game. Although, even at launch,The First Descendantstill generally meets the definition of being pay-to-win.
The First Descendant
WHERE TO PLAY
The First Descendant is a next-generation third-person co-op action RPG looter shooter featuring high-quality graphics created in Unreal Engine 5.Players become a Descendant whose mission is to combat alien invaders – The Vulgus who crossed dimensions over 100 years ago and brought with them the devastating Colossi and destruction – for the survival of humanity and to protect Albion and the continent of Ingris. Players will encounter spectacular stories of forces fighting over the Iron Heart as they grow stronger through various missions and raids.Encounter features that make The First Descendant’s gameplay unique: a variety of characters with unique concepts and combat styles, massive boss battles with up to four player co-op, free movement and coordinated action with grappling hooks, a variety of weapons and compelling customization options.
