The First Descendant - What We Know So Far

Gamescom 2022 came and went with plenty of announcements to get excited about. Deck Nine, one of the studios behind the "Life is Strange" series, showed off "The Expanse: A Telltale Series," PlayStation finally confirmed the controller fans have been asking for, and Hideo Kojima unveiled his new podcast rather than a game. 

One announcement from Gamescom came in the form of a formal reveal for Nexon Games' brand new free-to-play title: "The First Descendant." Developed using Unreal Engine 5, the game aims to wow audiences with detailed visual fidelity and high-octane gameplay. The official "The First Descendant" Steam page bills it as a third-person co-op action RPG shooter that focuses on character customization and loot progression. Players familiar with looter-shooters such as "Borderlands," "Destiny 2," and "Outriders" may want to keep their eyes on this one especially considering the low price of entry.

While "The First Descendant" doesn't have a fixed release date yet, a PC beta test is scheduled to run from October 20 to October 26 later this year. Players can sign up to possibly be selected for the beta via the game's official Steam page and should expect to hear additional details in the coming weeks. While this first beta is exclusively for PC players via Steam, the full game will launch on a variety of platforms. Not only PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, but even PlayStation 4 and Xbox One players will have the chance to give the free-to-play action a spin.

Originally, the title was teased under the name "Project Magnum." According to the developers, production began using Unreal Engine 4 and that is the engine being used within the game's first teaser. Now, however, the title not only has the name "The First Descendant," but the development has transitioned to Unreal Engine 5.

Nexon released a reveal trailer showcasing the work that's been done on the latest Unreal Engine. The segment primarily focuses on gameplay and pieces of the world. According to the official "The First Descendant" Gamescom page, the title takes place on an alternate version of the Earth. After a dimension hopping race known as the Vulgus came to Earth and began sacrificing and experimenting on humans, another interdimensional force called the Colossuses arrived and razed the entire planet. 

Eventually, a group of Vulgus known as the Magisters allied with humanity and even gave a select few the ability to wield magical powers and their advanced technology. Those chosen humans became Descendants, and it now falls to them to not only protect what remains of humanity, but to stop Karel, the leader of the Vulgus, from destroying the entire universe. Some of the Descendants players will be able to choose from include Lepic, Viessa, Ajax, Bunny, and Gley, with the promise of more characters to arrive in the future.

The trailer allows players to get a pretty good look at character models and outfits up close before springing into a sizzle reel of cooperative action with some pretty enormous bosses and plenty of different environments. From futuristic factories and overgrown ruins to arid canyons and lush grasslands, "The First Descendant" does seem to put Unreal Engine 5 through its paces to deliver some truly next-gen visuals in a variety of ways.

As shown in the The First Descendant reveal trailer, gameplay consists of third-person shooting either solo or with others. While there isn't a detailed gameplay rundown, the Steam page says players will be able to choose from various characters that each have their own skillset. In the trailer, characters use shielding abilities, ice powers, seismic attacks, flames that erupt from their hands, and even deployable turrets. 

Abilities in "The First Descendant" vary between each character, and they're built to fulfill different roles within a team. Gley, for example, is described as a "close-range dealer" who can heal herself by eliminating foes and dealing large amounts of damage. Meanwhile, Viessa is a "debuffer" who focuses on ice abilities to manipulate and limit enemy actions. In addition to their unique, individual powers, each character will have a loadout. "Equip characters with 3 guns, 4 pieces of secondary equipment, and various sub-weapons," the official description explains. Players can earn new items by completing missions, a list that includes grappling hooks and firearms.