If you’ve stumbled across viral clips of over-the-top boss fights, customizable characters, and 4-player co-op missions on your social feeds lately, you’ve probably wondered what is the first descendant game, and why it’s become such a hit with looter shooter fans. I’ve sunk over 120 hours into the game since its full launch, testing every playable character, clearing every endgame raid, and even grinding the seasonal event paths to unlock limited skins. I’m breaking down everything you need to know before you download it, from its core premise to the hidden details most new players miss in their first 10 hours.
What Is the First Descendant Game’s Core Premise?
To clear up the most common confusion first: the game officially titled The First Descendant is the first (and currently only) main entry in Nexon’s planned Descendant franchise, which is where this common question comes from. A lot of new players assume it’s a sequel to an older, lesser-known game, but it’s a completely original IP built from the ground up on Unreal Engine 5, with cross-play support across all major console and PC platforms.
The story is set in a near-future version of Earth that’s been invaded by the Vulgus, a hostile alien race that feeds on energy sources. Humanity’s last line of defense is the Descendants, genetically modified super soldiers infused with a rare alien energy source called the Inherit Core, which grants them unique superhuman abilities. You play as one of these Descendants, fighting to push the Vulgus off the planet and uncover the hidden truth behind the invasion and the creation of your own kind.
What makes what is the first descendant game different from other looter shooters is that each character’s abilities are so distinct that you can have a completely different play experience just by switching to a new Descendant. You can go from a close-quarters tank that soaks up damage for your team to a long-range sniper that freezes enemies in place with ice powers, all without having to restart your account or lose progression.
Key Gameplay Features That Make It Stand Out
One of the biggest draws of what is the first descendant game for many players is its focus on cooperative play. Almost every mission in the game can be played with up to 3 other players, and the massive Colossus boss fights are specifically designed to require coordinated team play to beat. Each Colossus has multiple weak points that require different damage types to break, so you’ll need a balanced team of different Descendant classes to take them down efficiently.
The modular weapon customization system is another highlight. Unlike most looter shooters where you just swap out weapons as you find rarer ones, here you can dismantle unused weapons to collect parts and mods that you can attach to your favorite guns. You can change everything from the fire rate and recoil to the elemental damage type, so you can build a weapon that perfectly fits your playstyle even if it’s a common-tier drop you got in your first hour of play.
The core gameplay loop that keeps players coming back for hundreds of hours breaks down into three main parts:
- Mission grinding: Run story, side, and weekly missions to collect rare loot, level up your characters, and unlock new cosmetics. Missions range from quick 10-minute patrols to 30-minute objective-based runs with multiple boss fights.
- Colossus raid runs: Team up with 3 other players to take down 10+ massive boss enemies, each with unique attack patterns and exclusive reward drops. The hardest Colossus raids can take over an hour to beat if your team is new to the fight, but the rare loot you get is worth the effort.
- Character progression: Unlock new Descendants, upgrade their abilities, and earn mastery ranks to unlock permanent account-wide bonuses. Each Descendant has their own progression path, so you’ll always have something new to work toward even if you’ve maxed out your main character.
It’s also important to note that the game is fully free-to-play, with no pay-to-win mechanics. All gameplay content, including every Descendant, mission, and raid, is accessible without spending any real money. Microtransactions are limited to cosmetic skins, emote packs, and quality of life items like extra storage slots, which you can also earn for free by completing seasonal challenges.
The Lore Foundation of The First Descendant Universe
When people ask what is the first descendant game, they often don’t realize how deep the story goes, especially if they only play the main campaign and skip the side quests and lore entries. The main campaign only scratches the surface of the universe, with hidden lore logs scattered across every map that reveal the dark truth behind the creation of the Descendants, the real reason the Vulgus invaded Earth, and the corrupt agendas of the human government leading the resistance.
Seasonal updates expand the lore every 3 months, adding new story chapters, new Descendants, and new regions to explore. Each season introduces a new threat to the remaining human settlements, and your choices during seasonal missions can even impact small parts of the game world, like which NPCs are available in the main hub area. I’ve spent hours hunting down hidden lore entries, and they add a lot of depth to what first seems like a simple “shoot aliens” plot, with a lot of moral gray areas that make the story feel surprisingly grounded.
Nexon has already confirmed that they have plans for multiple years of content updates, including spin-off media and potential sequels, so the lore we’re seeing now is just the start of a much larger universe. Even if you’re not usually someone who cares about the story in looter shooters, it’s worth taking the time to read the lore entries you find, since they often give hints about upcoming content and hidden unlocks.
Tips for New Players Getting Started
Another common question people have after learning what is the first descendant game is whether it’s friendly to new players, and the short answer is yes, but there are a few mistakes most new players make that can make their first few hours feel frustrating. The first tip is to not rush through the main campaign. Take time to test out the different free Descendants you unlock early on, because the first character you start with might not fit your playstyle as well as one you unlock 5 or 6 hours in.
Prioritize upgrading your weapon mods over buying new weapons early on. A fully modded common weapon can be way more powerful than a rare unmodded one for the first 20 levels, and you’ll waste a lot of in-game currency if you keep swapping out weapons every time you find a slightly rarer one. Save your rare upgrade materials for when you find a weapon you really like, and you’ll have a much easier time with early boss fights.
Don’t be afraid to join public squads for Colossus fights even if you’re underleveled. Most experienced players are happy to carry new players through lower-level raids, and you’ll get way better loot and experience from those fights than you will grinding solo missions. You’ll also learn the attack patterns of the Colossi much faster by watching more experienced players, which will help you when you get to higher-level content later on.
One last tip: save your in-game currency for extra storage slots first, before you buy any cosmetic skins. You’ll collect a ton of loot in your first 10 hours of play, and you’ll run out of storage space very quickly if you don’t buy extra slots early. You can earn all the cosmetic skins you want through seasonal challenges later, but running out of storage space will slow down your progression a lot if you don’t plan ahead.
Whether you’re looking for a new co-op game to play with friends or a deep looter shooter to sink hours into, understanding what is the first descendant game and what it offers can help you decide if it’s right for you. It’s not perfect—queue times for endgame raids can be long during off-peak hours, and some of the grind can feel repetitive if you’re chasing a specific rare drop—but for a free-to-play game, the amount of polished content you get is hard to beat. If you do decide to download it, take the tips above into account, and don’t be afraid to ask more experienced players for help in public lobbies, most of the community is really welcoming to new players.