Summary
The idea of looter RPGs came about when theDiablofranchise blossomed in 1997. The genre grew after that, with the biggest evolution happening in 2014 viaDestiny. That’s when the term looter shooter ultimately became commonplace.The First Descendantis the latest looter shooter to go after the king,Destiny 2, which just released its bigThe Final Shapeexpansion.
Is there enough room forThe First Descendantto exist alongsideDestiny 2: The Final Shape? Of course, there is because the more games the better and it doesn’t hurt thatThe First Descendantisa free to play gametoo. Also,The First Descendantdoes some things better thanDestinyand other looter shooters out there. Let’s see where it excels.
6The Colossus Boss Battles
Adding A Bit Of Shadow Of Colossus To Destiny
Shadow of Colossuswas one of thefirst big games to include gigantic bossesthat towered over characters. There have not been that many games since 2005 that were inspired byShadow of Colossusdirectly but the developers behindThe First Descendantseem like they are fans. On the world map players can tackle a variety of colossal bosses, aptly named Colossi, which unlock after players reach certain thresholds in their levels.
Grave Walker is the first one that players can encounter which is like a spider tank not unlock the monster fromWild Wild West. On each page, players can find information and weaknesses about the Colossi and it’s a good idea to study them. It’s a good system to offer players daily reasons to tackle these behemoth bosses without having to go through whole levels. It’s like a piecemeal version of a boss rush mode and not many games, including looter shooters likeDestiny, have done this.
5Matchmaking With Missions
Getting Into Private And Public Matches Quickly
There are a variety of ways players can go into multiplayer inThe First Descendant. For example, certain big missions will ask players if they want to go into a mission solo or if they want to search for others. The system is similar to something likeTom Clancy’s The Divisionbut the matchmaking feels more sophisticated inThe First Descendant.
Also, thanks to the power of the PS5 and other modern consoles, matchmaking and loading back into the game from death is a breeze. Besides these standout missions, players can also see random players running around environments. If they are on a smaller mission, players can join without having to toggle a menu. It makes everything flow well while exploring the various maps.
4The Map
One Planet, But Expansive
On the subject of the map, players can see the entire world as soon as they beginThe First Descendant. Not all of these lands are unlocked of course, but it’s nice to get a scope of what players can look forward to. Also, unlike Destiny again, these aren’t planets that players have to fly and load into.
There are still load times to transition into new environments but they are lightning fast comparatively. They’re all uniquely stylized from one another too. One standout is the second unlockable area, Sterile Land, which may not sound appealing but it has some great canyons in it that are as beautiful as they are frightening. The bite-sized nature of these areas makes it less daunting to explore too.
3Character Classes Transfer Levels
No Need To Replay The Game Ten
At the beginning ofThe First Descendant, players can choose a hero, or Descendant, to main including Viessa, Lepic, and Ajax. It’s a typical trope in a looter shooter, includingBorderlands, to lock players into one character or class. Players have to replay aBorderlandsgame multiple times to see what the entire experience has to offer.
It’s different inThe First Descendantbecause levels transfer over between unlocked heroes. There is still a grind to unlock more Descendants like Bunny, but at least players don’t also have to grind with her to catch Bunny up to speed with the starter hero.The First Descendantis admittedly not the first looter game to do this asGotham Knightshad a similar system with its four heroes.However,The First Descendantstill deserves some credit since it has way more characters to play with.
2The Weapon System
Diversify Or Simplify Loadouts
The First Descendanthas eleven types of gunsin the game and they all fall under one of four ammo types. There aren’t any types of weapons players haven’t seen in a shooter before including shotguns and sniper rifles. However, the cool part of the weapon system is choice. Typically, players will get locked into equipping certain gun types into slots for most experiences.
Players may be able to carry one rifle-type weapon, a handgun, and then maybe something wild like a rocket launcher like in aDestinygame. InThe First Descendant, players can freely equip any of these eleven gun types into their three slots. Players could even equip three shotguns if they wanted which would be unwise since they share the same ammo type. The point is, choice matters and players have that ridiculous option inThe First Descendant.
1The Grappling Hook
Make Traversal More Fun
Grappling hooks, when done well in a game, can be a lot of fun.Flinthook, for example, is a roguelike indie game that revolves completely around grappling hooks. WhileThe First Descendantdoesn’t have as robust of a grappling hook mechanic asFlinthook, it’s still pretty fun to use.
Players can grapple onto ledges to shoot enemies from above. They can grapple toward enemies like a reverseScorpion fromMortal Kombat. The most fun can be had during the Colossus boss battles though. Overall, more looter shooters should have grappling hooks or give players ways to engage more vertically with their gameplay.
