The First Descendanthas proven to be a bit more popular than some might have initially expected. Though it was panned for its generic looter-shooter art style, story, and gameplay ahead of its full release, its strong shooting mechanics and high-fidelity graphics helped it kick-start its live-service journey. Having said that,The First Descendantisn’t without its issues, and among the most prominent, predictably, is its implementation of in-game purchases.
As a free-to-play game,The First Descendant’s inclusion of microtransactions shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody. After all, the free-to-play model has always included in-game purchases, with worldwide phenomenon titles likeFortniteandWarzonegarnering no shortage of devoted fans in spite of their cash shops. However, things can start to get a bit dicey when these in-game purchases extend beyond the realm of cosmetics, whichThe First Descendant’s do. Even when looking at just the microtransactions revolving around customization, there are a few key issues that makeThe First Descendantseem far more aggressive and cynical than its competition.
The First Descendant’s Outfit Paint Is One of Its Worst Features
Paint Is a Single-Use Consumable In the First Descendant
Armor paint is easily one ofThe First Descendant’s most puzzling features. While it’s not uncommon to have to unlock alternate color sets or shaders for cosmetics in games, earning or purchasing these cosmetics usually means having access to them indefinitely. This is not the case inThe First Descendant, which makes the bold decision to make paint a single-use consumable, meaning that once a player obtains a paint color, it can only be applied once: if the player wants to apply the color to another piece of gear, or if they change the color of the previously customized gear piece, then that color will be gone for good.
Making this system exponentially worse is the fact that paint can only be obtained usingCaliber,The First Descendant’s premium in-game currency. At the time of writing, the only way to get Caliber is by shelling out real money, so if a player wants to change the color of a previously-customized piece of gear, they essentially have to throw their earlier purchase away, while spending even more money on the game. This borderline insidious model of in-game spending is surprising, even in an industry that is no stranger to predatory, microtransaction-laden products.
It should be noted thatThe First Descendant’s free character skins can’t be customized with paint, so a player will need to spend money on a premium outfit, then purchase individual paints, if they wish to change their colors.
Again,The First Descendantisn’t alone in its approach to microtransactions, as they are virtually a requirement in free-to-play titles, but there is a noted difference between in-game purchases that offer ways to enhance the experience of a game, and those that actively make the experience worse. The latter category is exemplified by MTX staples like the so-called ‘time-savers’ that many games (includingThe First Descendant) employ, urging players to spend real money to shorten an intentionally arduous grinding process.The First Descendant’s implementation of paint is a new, novel example of this frustrating practice.
By making paint so restrictive,The First Descendantactively discourages player expression and experimentation, essentially charging those who want to change up their avatar’s appearance from time to time, rather than stick to a specific style indefinitely. This can result in a frustrating treadmill effect when it comes to customization, as players will always have to cough up more Caliber when changing colors. AsThe First Descendantcontinues to evolve, Nexon ought to make outfit paint purchases permanent; this would not only engender good will from players, but also incentivize them to purchase the paints, as they can be sure that their money won’t be wasted.
