If Warframe and Destiny 2 got waifu-ified and had a janky lovechild. Beware overpriced microtransactions. Verdict at the bottom.

This looter-shooter has a lot of shocking similarities to both games, for example...

Warframe-equivalent mechanics:
- Upgrades/modding card system (mod slots, polarities, mod drain, forma, orokin reactors)
- Upgrading mod cards and dissolving them for upgrade resources
- Elemental and physical weaknesses
- Mastery rank/weapon proficiency
- Defense missions (down to similar UI)
- Third person perspective
- Character abilities and mana/energy
- Level 30/40 character cap
- Character switching and ultimate/prime counterparts
- Relic/Anomalous loot system
- Universal double jump and ripline/grappling hook
- Simulacrum firing range
- Long crafting times (dozens of real-life hours) and sub-parts to craft new characters

Destiny-equivalent mechanics:
- Exotic weapons with unique perks (the first one you get is literally just Riskrunner)
- Power level/light level grind for gear specifically
- Gear level infusion
- Armor/modules and weapon loadouts
- Weapon ammo types and ammo scarcity
- Instanced dungeons/void intercepts
- Open zone activities/patrols
- Open zone fast travel
- Nearly identical weapon archetypes (scout rifle, pulse rifle, hand cannon, sniper, shotgun, trace rifle, sidearm, etc.)

The good ✅
- Borrowing mostly good mechanics from familiar games in the genre like Warframe and Destiny
- Gunplay feels quite solid, almost Destiny tier (sound design is immaculate, visual feedback is solid)
- The ability to lock and reroll substats (thank the lord, this should be industry standard)
- Ultimate/prime character variants are technically obtainable for free (should also be industry standard)
- Void intercept battles feel relatively original and are a great balance of challenge and fun

The bad ❌
- Egregiously overpriced microtransactions
- Inability to get most/any cosmetics without paying real money
- General lack of polish (translation, grammatical, animation, performance, etc. issues)
- Poor movement options when compared to Warframe
- Relatively boring and uninspired story
- Nexon, which has a history of having overpriced/predatory microtransactions and poor management

Verdict 🏁
If you're familiar with Warframe or Destiny, or just want to dump some time into a decent looter shooter, you should give this a try. Just don't dump $100 on the Ultimate Bunny bundle... don't think I don't see you.

The First Descendant takes a lot of its inspiration from Warframe with a sprinkle of Destiny 2. As someone with 1,900 hours in Warframe and thousands of active hours in Black Desert, I’m very familiar with the looter shooter genre and the typical Korean game grind. Now, 30 hours in and almost at the end of the main story, I find the game enjoyable so far, with a well-implemented mix of Warframe and Destiny elements.

Similarities to Warframe

• Descendants in this game are essentially your warframes.
  
• The Descendant and weapon upgrade/modding system.
  
• Open-world missions are inspired by various game modes in Warframe.
  
• Mastery rank and player progression.

Similarities to Destiny

• Various weapon types that use different ammo.
  
• Eight open-world zones in different biomes.
  
• Instanced infiltration missions.
  
• Enemies and missions drop weapons and gear of similar levels.
  
• Randomized perks for weapons and gear.

Advantages over Warframe

• Research time is significantly shorter; most research can be done within hours, eliminating the over three-day wait to build your warframe.
  
• The game provides ample weapon and Descendant slots right from the start, so you’re not forced to spend money to manage your growing arsenal.
  
• Built using modern technology and Unreal Engine 5, the game offers good graphics and even ray tracing. While optimization might need some work at launch, the potential is certainly higher compared to the decade-old Warframe.

Disadvantages compared to Warframe

• The in-game shop is quite expensive. A regular Descendant costs about $6 to $20, while their ultimate versions cost $60 each.
  
• Items equivalent to Forma and Orokin Catalyst are harder to obtain and more expensive to purchase.
  
• Customization options are currently very limited and cannot be obtained without paying.
  
• The lack of player trading means you must either grind for hours or buy items from the expensive in-game shop. Player trading in Warframe makes the grind more bearable.

Verdict
Overall, The First Descendant has a lot of potential as a mix of the two most popular looter shooters, Warframe and Destiny. The gameplay loop is fun, and the graphics are decent. However, they need to tone down the microtransactions, reduce the grind, and introduce more free customization options.

Warframe but made by nexon.
The game is heavily monetized and handled by greedy publisher with shady practices.
but its a good change of scenery if youre from warframe, its a free game, give it a try, but avoid "investing" in it