Key findings
- Game developers are shocked by the low Metacritic score of 57 points for The First Descendant.
- Players were unhappy with the overuse of Bunny, unfair drop rates, and “predatory” monetization.
- The team is now focused on making quick, organic changes in response to feedback to retain the player base.
With the start of the first season of The First Descendant, the development team has revealed details of their plans for the future of Nexon’s free-to-play hit, including how they plan to update the “experience efficiency.”
Additionally, the game’s producer Lee Beom-jun and director Joo Min-seok spoke to Korean website Inven about the game’s launch and shared that they were shocked at how poorly received The First Descendant was.
“I didn’t expect it to be that high, but I didn’t expect it to be 57 points either.”
The First Descendant had a strange start. The game reached a staggering high of almost 265,000 concurrent players on Steam, but was marred by controversy.
Complaints from players quickly arose about the excessive use of Bunny, seemingly unfair drop rates, disposable colors, and “predatory” monetization practices. And aOver time, dissatisfaction grew in the community as players were unhappy with the game’s “bloated” seasonal challenges and the new “garbage” descendant Luna. These complaints prompted the two Nexon developers to share their thoughts on the game’s release.
“When I saw the Metacritic score, I was initially lost in thought. I didn’t expect it to be high, but I also didn’t expect it to be 56 points… no, 57 points. Initially, I was hoping for a better rating, even if the indicators left something to be desired, but the exact opposite was the case. The ratings were much lower than expected and the indicators were better than expected,” Lee said.
I work with the mindset of doing my best to solve the problems that are right in front of me rather than painting a big picture.
Director Joo shared a similar opinion: “I think there’s a lot missing. For me, everything I’ve experienced since release is new. It’s the first time a game has been so popular, the first time I’ve gotten so much feedback, and the first time I’ve had to worry so much,” he said.
These feelings led to a drastic change in the way he works. “Since everything is new, I work with the mindset of doing my best to solve the problems that are right in front of me, rather than painting a bigger picture. Sometimes I get nervous when I see harsh feedback, but most of the time they are problems that the developers and I agree on. We are also diehard First Descendants players, and sometimes we get feedback from staff that is not so different from what the players feel.”
Although Lee was unhappy with the reviews, he took comfort in the fact that Bungie had gone through something similar. He told Inven, “Two years ago, I heard a talk from Bungie at IGC. In the end, Bungie had the same concerns as us. I think the most important thing is ‘speed.’ Making changes as quickly as possible, reacting naturally to feedback, and making decisions quickly. We’re focusing on that perspective now, too.”
This attitude towards rapid change is likely to be received positively by the game’s hardcore players, as over 70% of players have dropped out since release.