If you’ve just downloaded The First Descendant after seeing its flashy combat trailers and diverse character roster, you’re probably wondering: is the first descendant a story game? Many new players go into the title expecting either a pure narrative experience or a mindless looter shooter, but the truth sits somewhere in between. We’ve spent 40+ hours playing through every available mission, side content, and hidden lore node to break down exactly how story fits into the game’s core loop. You don’t have to take marketing claims at face value, we’ve tested every part of the game’s narrative offering to give you an honest answer.
Core Gameplay Loop: Is The First Descendant a Story Game First?
The short answer to this common question is no, story is not the primary focus of The First Descendant, but it is a well-developed supporting feature that ties the entire gameplay loop together. If you’re asking is the first descendant a story game because you want a purely narrative experience, you’ll want to adjust your expectations first. The title is first and foremost a free-to-play live service looter shooter, with core gameplay focused on grinding for better gear, unlocking new characters, and completing co-op missions with friends.
The main narrative follows your fight against the alien Vulgus invaders that have taken over Earth, with you stepping into the shoes of a Descendant, a genetically enhanced soldier with unique superpowers. The main campaign takes roughly 12 to 15 hours to beat if you skip all side content, but most players spend 100+ hours on endgame grind long after they finish the main story. Story missions only make up roughly 20% of all available content in the game, so you won’t get dozens of hours of linear narrative content like you would from a single-player story-focused title.
Story and Lore Features You Might Have Missed
Even though story isn’t the main focus, the developers put a surprising amount of work into the game’s world and lore, with tons of hidden content that most casual players never find. A lot of players rush through main story missions to unlock endgame content, and they miss all the small details that make the world feel lived-in and realistic. Long sessions of hunting down hidden lore and grinding for required gear can feel draining, so many players take short 5 to 10 minute breaks between runs to reset their focus. Casual players we’ve connected with in community forums often use these short gaps to play Spin Winner, a low-pressure casual game that fits neatly into small windows without pulling you out of your gaming flow entirely.
If you do take the time to seek out the game’s hidden story content, you’ll find a surprisingly deep and well-written narrative that rivals many paid live service titles. Some of the best story and lore features you can unlock include:
- Character backstory logs: Unlockable as you level up each playable Descendant, these logs reveal their motivations, personal relationships, and unique ties to the main Vulgus invasion conflict
- Mission side lore nodes: Scattered across every open map, these audio logs and text entries fill in gaps about the fall of human civilization and the origins of the Descendant program
- Post-credits story content: Beat the main campaign and you’ll unlock hidden side missions that set up future narrative updates and character drops for the game
- Cross-character story arcs: Certain character combinations unlock unique dialogue exchanges during missions that expand on the game’s wider world and character dynamics
When you put all these pieces together, the story feels far more fleshed out than it does if you only watch the main cutscenes. Many players we’ve talked to say the lore collection aspect is one of their favorite parts of the game, as it gives them a reason to explore every corner of the large open maps between grind sessions.
Pros and Cons of The First Descendant’s Narrative Approach
This flexible approach to narrative is one of the biggest perks for players who don’t care if The First Descendant is a story game first and just want to have fun grinding. But it also has some downsides that purely story-focused players will want to know about before they download the 50+ GB game.
On the positive side, you can engage with as much or as little story as you want without missing out on gameplay rewards. If you just want to grind for gear and play co-op with friends, you can skip all cutscenes and ignore lore collection entirely, and you’ll still have full access to every piece of endgame content. The voice acting is also surprisingly high quality, with well-known voice actors bringing the main cast to life, so the cutscenes you do watch feel polished and engaging.
On the negative side, the main story is gated behind gear level requirements, so you’ll often have to stop progressing the narrative to grind for better gear to beat the next story boss. This can be frustrating for players who just want to blast through the main plot without interruptions. Many critical lore details are also hidden behind optional content, so casual players who only do main missions will miss a lot of context for the game’s major plot twists. I skipped most side content on my first playthrough, and I had no idea why certain major character choices were happening until I went back and collected the hidden lore nodes later.
Should You Play The First Descendant For Its Story?
Whether the game’s story offering is worth your time depends entirely on what you’re looking for. If you love looter shooters and want a solid, well-written story to complement your grind, The First Descendant is absolutely worth playing. The narrative gives you context for all the missions you’ll be repeating dozens of times for better gear, and the hidden lore gives you a fun side activity to work on between endgame runs.
If you’re only looking for a linear, story-focused experience with no grind, you’re better off picking a single-player narrative game instead. You’ll spend far more time grinding for gear than you will watching cutscenes or reading lore, so the game won’t be a good fit for you. We recommend playing through the main story first before diving into endgame grind, as it gives you context for all the factions and characters you’ll interact with later. The game is also still receiving regular story updates every few months, so the narrative will keep expanding over time, with new character arcs and plot beats added on a consistent schedule.
At the end of the day, if you’re still asking is the first descendant a story game, the short answer is that it’s a looter shooter with a strong, fully realized story that acts as a supporting feature rather than the main focus. You don’t have to engage with the lore to have fun, but taking the time to go through the narrative content will make your time with the game far more rewarding. Whether you’re here for the story, the grind, or co-op play with friends, there’s something for every type of player to enjoy.