The First Descendant

The First Descendant is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing looter shooter developed and published by Nexon Korea Corporation. The game was released on July 2, 2024. Players take on the role of "Descendants," individuals who possess mysterious powers and are humanity's only hope against the hostile alien race, the Vulgus. As a Descendant, the player is tasked with objectives related to repelling the Vulgus threat. Albion serves as the main hub where Descendants receive quests. Quests are completed in various battle areas unlocked through progressing the main story. Each Descendant has one passive skill and four active skills that can be used after a cool-down period. The game features an arsenal of weapons, ranging from submachine guns to launchers, each with their own power levels and effects. Missions reward Descendants with resources, used for crafting, leveling up, and increasing power through the Research system. The game also includes items like external components, reactors, and mods, which aid in Void Intercept Battles, boss battles involving Descendants fighting giant Colossi. Each Descendant has affinities for different play styles, from focusing on defense to pure damage. The game also features a hard mode with increased difficulty and rewards. The First Descendant received "mixed or average reviews" on Metacritic, and mixed reviews on Steam with players criticizing its grind and incentivization of microtransactions. Despite this, the game topped Steam's best-sellers chart upon release, and reached 10 million players during its first week.