Nexon’s free-to-download looter shooter The First Descendant has loved an enormous launch on Steam however gamers have hit out at extremely aggressive microtransactions.
The First Descendant is a Warframe-esque motion sport designed to be performed co-op with pals, with development tied to a deep-rooted grind that includes finishing missions and defeating bosses. Check out IGN’s The First Descendant assessment in progress to seek out out what we consider the sport up to now.
But it’s the monetization that has sparked debate throughout the early days of The First Descendant’s launch, in addition to points giving gamers rewards they’re owed which have pressured Nexon into providing compensation.
Korean firm Nexon, which is behind different multiplayer-focused free-to-play video games comparable to Kartrider: Drift and Maplestory, launched The First Descendant with a packed money store that sells every thing you’d anticipate from a sport of this kind: a premium battle cross, new characters, premium character and weapon skins, and even expertise boosts and elevated stock capability.
New characters, known as Descendants, are offered for real-world cash, however the premium digital forex, Caliber, is offered in bundles that are available in slightly below the price of a brand new character itself, forcing gamers to purchase extra digital forex than they want and, thus, having some left over.
Caliber can solely be obtained by shopping for it with real-world cash or by shopping for the premium battle cross. There is at the moment no method to earn it by gameplay alone.
While you’ll be able to grind (so much) for brand new characters, it can save you time by spending cash to purchase them. You also can pay to realize speedy entry to an ‘Ultimate Descendant’, which is a Descendant with higher stats and an unique pores and skin. Expect to pay upwards of $55 for one.
The First Descendant additionally locks a paint to a pores and skin, which suggests if you wish to re-use a paint you’ve already obtained, maybe from the premium battle cross, it’s important to spend real-world cash on it once more.
Some gamers have known as The First Descendant “predatory” due to its monetization, whereas others have mentioned it’s par for the course with regards to video games from Nexon. On Steam, The First Descendant has a ‘blended’ consumer assessment ranking, with most of the destructive evaluations specializing in the microtransactions, however others are additionally delivering their verdict on the gunplay and mechanics. One Steam consumer known as the First Descendant “microtransaction hell.” Another mentioned: “This sport launched with extra actual cash purchasable gadgets than precise gameplay mechanics.”
Even those that have spent cash on microtransactions are having a tricky time, Nexon apologized to gamers who’ve but to obtain gadgets they paid for by providing compensation. “We will proceed to attempt to supply a extra secure service,” Nexon mentioned.
Here are the compensation particulars:
- Gold Gain Boost +30% (Duration 3 days)
- Kyper Shard Gain Boost +30% (Duration 3 days)
- Descendant EXP Gain Boost +30% (Duration 3 days)
- Weapon Mastery EXP Gain Boost +30% (Duration 3 days)
- 2 x Matte Red Paints
Despite all this, The First Descendant hit a Steam concurrent participant depend of 229,257, which was sufficient to place it within the high 5 most-played video games on Valve’s platform. The sport additionally launched on PlayStation and Xbox consoles, however Sony and Microsoft don’t make participant numbers accessible.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
