The First Descendant Monetisation Might Be Our Fault
Summary
- No one likes predatory monetisation in games.
- Yet The First Descendant is a huge success despite these criticisms.
- The game is a carrot dangled on a stick that keeps gaming heading in the same direction.
The First Descendant has come under fire for its monetisation practises, just after [ADD GAME] came under fire for its monetisation, which followed on from [ADD GAME] coming under fire for its monetisation. I was going to go back and add those games in, but there really are too many. From EA FC/FIFA to Overwatch to Warhammer to Kingdom Hearts to Diablo to Mortal Kombat to Star Wars to Foamstars to [ADD SEVERAL MORE CANCELLED LIVE-SERVICE GAMES], monetisation is everywhere.
And yet, The First Descendant is a hit. It enjoyed a peak of 250k players in its first week, and is seventh in the current Steam Charts, beaten only by the everpresent PUBG, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2, as well as the expected surge for Elden Ring's DLC and Nakara: Bladepoint’s latest season, plus the idle clicker Banana (more here on what the heck that even is). As I look at the industry today, my biggest question whenever this happens, is why?
How Do Live-Service Games Retain Popularity?
I understand why studios make cash cow games. It's the cash part. Games like these can be milked for profit endlessly (at least that's the idea, most end up failing), and you just need a few whales to rake in the big bucks. They don't seem particularly fulfilling to make, and no one is calling out for them in such a crowded marketplace. But why play them? Far be it from me to tell you what to play-
Actually, that's not true. I love to tell people what to play. Balatro is the closest thing I've found to an indie to rally around this year, but last year, I couldn't shut up about Paranormasight, Slay the Princess, and A Space for the Unbound. The year before it was Immortality and Citizen Sleeper. Before that, Chicory, The Forgotten City, and The Artful Escape. I consider it part of my job to tell people what to play.
I suppose what I'm getting at is I try not to tell people what not to play. I have been open about how extremely not for me Elden Ring and Breath of the Wild (or Tears of the Kingdom) are, but I would never tell people not to play them. In fact, I would encourage people to try them out as I know what wonderful experiences they can be if they click for you. I was highly critical of Cyberpunk 2077, and Phantom Liberty barely moved that needle for me, but I've spent 200 hours in Night City. We find our gaming bliss in mysterious places.
Games Rely On Boom And Bust Economies
It just amazes me that so many people find their bliss in this. 'The grind is fun' is not a sentence that particularly sells me on a game, but even if that's true, aren't there dozens of games out there with that tagline already? Isn't that a genre of already established games that have settled into a more palatable monetisation pattern, that you can play right now and expect stability from? A game, perhaps, that has not been accused of lying to its players to make the monetisation even worse?
I understand that Shiny New Toy syndrome exists, but nobody likes these toys. Why do we keep taking them off the shelf? I don't mean this as a rant, but we all, collectively, tend to agree that these games suck. Not the anime aesthetics or the general gameplay that come down to personal preference, but predatory money generators disguised as video games. We all hate the business practice of microtransactions and loot boxes and near-impossible gacha odds. If asked for problems on the player-facing side of gaming today, 'greedy' would likely be the top adjective. 'Boring' might be near the top too.
Why do these repetitive wallet vacuums go through these dramatic rise and fall arcs each time? Wouldn't we all be better off if we left them down there in the first place? It's not that I want The First Descendant to fail, it's that I've no idea why anyone who doesn't stand to profit off it would want it to succeed. It's such a clone of other games that it’s been accused of stealing banner logos from Destiny! This game might just be a flash in the pan, but some poor suckers are going to burn their eyebrows off.
I don't hate The First Descendant. I nothing it. I'm amazed anyone else feels anything beyond that. It's one of a dozen boom and boost online cash-extractors we'll see this year, and it's a disheartening trend to see. They won't stop it. Will we?
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Like Follow FollowedThe First Descendant
Action RPG Third-Person Shooter Systems 8.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 56/100 Critics Rec: 26% Released July 2, 2024 ESRB Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes, Strong Language Developer(s) Nexon Games Publisher(s) Nexon Engine Unreal Engine 5WHERE TO PLAY
DIGITALThe First Descendant is a next-generation third-person co-op action RPG looter shooter featuring high-quality graphics created in Unreal Engine 5.
Players become a Descendant whose mission is to combat alien invaders – The Vulgus who crossed dimensions over 100 years ago and brought with them the devastating Colossi and destruction – for the survival of humanity and to protect Albion and the continent of Ingris. Players will encounter spectacular stories of forces fighting over the Iron Heart as they grow stronger through various missions and raids.
Encounter features that make The First Descendant's gameplay unique: a variety of characters with unique concepts and combat styles, massive boss battles with up to four player co-op, free movement and coordinated action with grappling hooks, a variety of weapons and compelling customization options.
