Should you try The First Descendant as a Warframe player?

The First Descendant is about to debut its final technical test, and many Warframe players are understandably interested in it. An offering from the makers of MapleStory, The First Descendant presents the latest "Destiny-killer" in a long line of looter-shooters: but is it worthwhile for a Warframe player?

In this article, we will try to go over what you might and might not like about the game from the perspective of a long-term Warframe fan. Note that the game has not been officially released yet, and this is our subjective opinion based on our experience with the beta tests.

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The First Descendant might be great for Warframe players, but there's a catch

The First Descendant will release sometime in 2024 (Image via Nexon)

Warframe players should give The First Descendant a chance on release, but they should curb their expectations according to how the microtransaction model pans out.

The First Descendant shares a great deal of similarities with Warframe. While its movement system is not as smooth, it is fast-paced, and the core gameplay loop is quite similar to Warframe's earlier days.

There is a lot of overlap to be found among the Descendants and the titular Warframes, but this much is to be expected as certain class archetypes need to be fulfilled in these ability-based shooters. The Descendants themselves are well-conceived from a design standpoint, with most presenting coherent ability synergies.

Much like Warframe, the grind for gear takes the center stage in The First Descendant. You grind for gears and loot to progress further and tackle more difficult content, which in turn leads to another bout of grind.

Currently, its hook is the Destiny-like open worlds, which are vaster than Warframe's common tilesets. This open-ended approach allows for some interesting possibilities. Think of it as Warframe if all the nodes were open zones like Duviri or The Plains of Eidolon.

What The First Descendant arguably stands out with is the Intercept bosses, its de-facto end-game in the betas. While Warframe's end-game activities like Eidolon Hunts and Profit Taker Orb have become relatively more accessible due to gear power-creep, The First Descendant does not have this problem - at least not yet.

That being said, in its current form, this novelty is also a double-edged sword. There is certainly the foundation of a great looter-shooter, but the content we could sample from the beta does not guarantee the game will hold your interest long-term.

The final gambit you will have to juggle as a Warframe player is how The First Descendant handles microtransactions. Warframe is exemplar for fair free-to-play models, but the history of The First Descendant publisher Nexon paints an unfavorable picture in that light.

The game presents a potentially important competitor to the relatively monopolized Warframe-Destiny market, but how the publishers will play it forward with its full release remains to be seen.

We don't have an exact release date for the game yet, but it is supposed to release in summer 2024. Until then, check out what we know about The First Descendent's technical test.