The new co-op looter shooter The First Descendent seems to be a huge hit on Steam in terms of player count, but has received generally “mixed” reviews from users.
The First Descendent is a new third-person looter shooter that launched today as a free-to-play title on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X. On PC in particular, the game looks to be a great launch for developer Nexon Games, as it shot straight to the top of the Steam bestseller chart just hours after launch.
What dethroned it from the top of that list, you wonder? Only Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, the massive downloadable expansion for FromSoftware’s critically acclaimed and widely beloved RPG that came out in 2022. Shadow of the Erdtree has been out for over a week at this point, and it’s worth noting, but that’s still an impressive feat for a brand-new game like The First Descendent.
However, it’s not all sunshine and beauty for the third-person shooter. After over 4,100 user reviews on Steam, The First Descendent currently holds a “mixed” rating out of the total reviews, with just 43% of players giving it a positive review. Unfortunately, a large portion of the negative user reviews criticize the shooter’s microtransactions.
“I bought the Calibers pack and the money was debited, but there’s no Caliber, what’s up?” one user wrote in their review, while another added, “I bought Caliber for the battle pass but never got it, Steam payment went through but there’s nothing in the game.” Caliber is the microtransaction currency in The First Descendent, with which players can acquire cosmetic items, such as brand new outfits for characters, or pay to level up their characters.
on Nixon site However, the developer wrote that it is well aware that players are experiencing delays when purchasing Caliber. “When purchasing multiple items through the PlayStation Store shopping cart, there may be a delay in the items being delivered to your inventory,” Nexon wrote, admitting that it omits any mention of issues on PC.
Otherwise, a fair number of players actually enjoy the looting and shooting in The First Descendent. One positive reviewer wrote: “A very good game. If Destiny and Warframe made a baby together, this would be it.” Another adds: “The game is boring, just like Destiny, but it looks better. There are a lot more enemy types and the skills are fun. You’re not limited to lower classes but have a lot of variety based on how many descendants you unlock.”
It’s been a rough launch for The First Descendent on Steam, but the game’s placement at the top of the best-selling chart suggests it has a player base, at the very least.
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