The First Descendant, boasting "Very Positive" reviews on Steam, launches Tomorrow - Upcomer
Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
A player character on a mission in The First Descendant.
Image via Nexon

The First Descendant, boasting “Very Positive” reviews on Steam, launches Tomorrow

Very Positive reviews likely mean this is a gem waiting to happen...

The First Descendant is a new free to play looter-shooter from the minds at Nexon Games. It launches in less than a day, but should you be excited about it? Let’s take an in-depth look at The First Descendant, starting with launch times.

Recommended Videos

When does The First Descendant Launch?

It launches on Tuesday, 2 July, at 7 am UTC. That’s midnight in the PT time zone, 10am BST, and 5pm AEST. You can download the game right now, but all you’ll see when you boot it up is this launch screen.

The First Descendant's launch times from the pre-download of the game.
Screenshot by Upcomer

What is The First Descendant?

The First Descendant is a third-person action RPG looter-shooter game that combines popular elements found in other games and is developed by Nexon Games. It plays like something of a mix between Warframe and Destiny 2, but feels like an amalgamation of many current looter-shooter games.

You play as a Descendant, which is one of a number of fixed characters currently in the game. That means you can’t create your own character, but rather you’ll unlock these fixed characters by doing a series of quests.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it’s similar to the system employed by Warframe. The game will also feature challenging player quests and co-op with up to three other players. Many of these quests can be played solo as well.

It all sounds good so far, but is it pay-to-win, given Nexon’s reputation for implementing this model in some of its older games?

Is The First Descendant pay-to-win?

Nexon is the company behind pay-to-win (P2W) titles such as Maple Story and Kartrider: Rush, but also slightly less P2W games like Vindictus, Mabinogi, and Kartrider: Drift. Their current model seems to be pay-to-progress-faster, which is certainly better than hardcore P2W.

This does mean that completely free players can expect to sink many hours into the game in a simple attempt to keep up. That said, so far it appears as though everything in the game will be possible to obtain by grinding. This includes gear and (likely) cosmetics.

If you’re okay with that sort of model, Nexon’s latest title won’t be a problem for you.

All in all, The First Descendant is not pay-to-win for the moment.

Download this game if…

If you enjoyed titles such as Destiny 2, Warframe, or even Borderlands, you will likely enjoy The First Descendant. So go ahead and download this game so long. It’s only about 36GB, and it could be one of the better looter-shooters we have right now, if it’s all executed properly.

This may be just slightly off-topic, but if you’re in the mood for a good Battle Royale-type game, why not go check out our list of ten games similar to PUBG, while we all wait for The First Descendant’s full release.

Author
Image of Kyle Ferreira
Kyle Ferreira
As the content manager at Upcomer, Kyle brings a lifetime of gaming and over seven years of professional writing experience to the platform. He holds a tender spot for indie games, but can sometimes be found in an FPS getting destroyed in a fruitless attempt to relive his old CS 1.6 glory days. After which he can usually be found licking his wounds in a chill game of Kenshi.