NEXON Games launched their free-to-play game, The First Descendant, on June 30, 2024. Fans of looter shooter games have a new live-service game to catch for just an internet connection. However, this doesn’t mean you’re hopping on to the simplest of gameplay. You could still find yourself in over your head. So before you get into the action, here are The First Descendant’s 10 best tips for beginners.
10. Familiarize Yourself with the Basics
There’s so much content in The First Descendant, so no need to rush things. Take some time to learn the basics. Learn the basic controls, understand character skills, see the weapon choices, materials, and more. Ideally, the tutorial goes a long way in getting new players acquainted, so don’t be quick to hit skip.
9. Pick Your Starting Characters
Knowing The First Descendant has over a dozen playable characters is exciting. As players take on the game, they get three basic characters. However, as they progress, it becomes up to them to choose a solo-play character and co-play characters. And like multiple shooter games released, each of them has distinctive concepts and combat styles. You must unlock the rest as you progress with the gameplay. Lepic wins over Ajax and Viessa if you pick it up with a solo player. Lepic deals massive damage and is a survivor. His grenades also have a considerable area of effect.
8. Don’t Get Stuck with the Same Characters
The first character is rarely cut out for the depths of any game. Even though you will upgrade your character’s strength, you can get more from unlocking new players. The First Descendant allows you to unlock players using real money. Simply pay your real money and exchange it at the in-game shop for Caliber, the game’s currency. Characters require different amounts of Caliber to unlock depending on their category. Alternatively, stack up materials and credits from missions and then review characters from the research institute.
7. Use the Right Weapons for Your Enemies
The First Descendant offers players a few different ammo types. Players can equip three different ammo at the same time. While it may be fun to deal instant fatal damage on foes, it doesn’t make sense to equip your best weapons early when dealing with smaller enemies. Even lighter weapons like the white ammo will easily drop the first couple of enemies before you get to the bosses. It keeps your stronger and long-range weapons well-stocked to deal massive damage to the boss monsters, even from a distance.
6. Focus on the Missions
Upon entering the First Descendant game world, you become a descendant. You immediately begin your mission to battle the invaders to ensure humanity survives and that the Ingris continent remains protected. Of course, the game provides you with sophisticated weapons for combat, but having a variety of them places you ahead. Accomplishing missions within the game or in the world missions will help you unlock more equipment and, at the same time, make you stronger. Besides, there’s still an exploration thrill in clearing missions, and you can finally uncover the descendants’ secrets.
5. Leverage the Advantage of Coop Mode
The First Descendant is a unique looter shooter game that supports solo and coop gameplay. It’s easy to get caught up in the thrill as a beginner and enjoy accomplishing the first few missions independently. Before you know it, you will be battling monster bosses unsuccessfully and probably kill the mood. That’s where the coop missions come in. Some bosses can only succumb to cooperative play, no matter how strong you are from completing previous missions. You can team up with up to three other players to defeat the giant boss monsters and complete missions faster.
4. Don’t Let the Enemy Surround You
This tip is more important for players who love to dive into The First Descendant’s combat solo. In coop mode, your party members can have your back, and you can be mowing down enemies coming from all directions. Provided you stick together. However, for solo players, letting the enemy surround you means you remain unshielded from damage. Your health will obviously and quickly drop. Having your back against a wall shields you from enemies emerging from your rear. You will also have a clear line of sight on all oncoming foes.
3. Increase Your Mastery Rank
The Mastery Rank Up is a unique model embedded in The First Descendant for leveling characters up. You can quickly check your Master Rank level at the Prime Hands terminal in Albion. However, note that your rank doesn’t rise automatically. You have to earn the 40 Mastery Ranks to reap their benefits. They include higher ammo capacity, more inventory and storage slots, fresh weapon modules, and more. At the Prime Hands, you can see your level and the amount of EXP required to jump to the next rank. You can then work on earning the EXP by completing your first missions, boosting weapon proficiency, and more.
2. Check on Your MP
You could be new on The First Descendant, but you probably had this experience with your MP. Just when you’re about to unleash a nasty drill on an enemy, you realize you are running low on MP. It’s even worse if you are in a boss fight that will now kill you in a single strike. You can always avoid this by keeping your MP bar in check and conserving them. As a beginner, start by knowing the amount of MP your favorite skill consumes. Also, keep an eye on enemies that drop their MP packs when they die so you can pick them up.
1. Know When to Take Cover
Some enemies come in all fired up. And even if you had your head high playing the invincible Ajax, crawling back helps sometimes. Besides, holding your ground means you take all the damage and could quickly lose your health. You can take cover momentarily to help your possibly broken shields recover. You can also heal your shrinking health bar and restrategize on how to take down the enemy elites.
So, what’s your take on our First Descendant 10 best tips for beginners? Let us know your thoughts here on our socials or down in the comments.
Sasha Guiye is a gamer who has a knack for writing video gaming content. Blending words to express one of my biggest interests keeps me in the loop on trendy gaming topics. Aside from gaming and writing, Sasha is a tech nerd and coding enthusiast.