The First Descendant is a marvel to look at; between the character models and semi-open world, fans of Borderlands and other Looter/Shooters will instantly be familiar with it. The trailer released in August paints an exciting and impressive world to explore, and going hands-on with the game for the first 2 hours is awe-inspiring, especially during the beautifully animated and rendered cutscenes that play in between each mission area.

The general flow of an area is simple. First, players will enter a region through a teleportation device where an introductory mission will await. This mission will then have players explore and kill inside the area until they complete all objectives. Upon completion, another quest will open up, usually around the same place where the previous one ended, ensuring that players need not look far for the next story objective.

Attempting to explore outside of missions also reveals how empty the world is, as enemies do not spawn until after activating a quest. The problem only increases with the ability to unlock more characters later by grinding materials, which players can find on the corpses of fallen foes. Players must either repeatedly complete the same objectives or partake in a horde mode with others in a squad. The advantage of horde mode is that players can grind more easily, as enemies throw themselves headfirst into shotgun blasts.

After completing all primary objectives, players will unlock the horde mode. Once horde mode is activated, a specified site will overflow with enemies eager to kill players and the item they are defending. This mode is perfect for players who are looking for more of a particular resource or want to find a new gun. Being at the end of an area ensures that the enemies will be of the highest levels of the area, making sure loot is the best that players can find until the next area begins. This is where playing with friends is likely to be the most enjoyable, defeating enemies and grinding for new gear.

Combat is a mixture of gunplay and skills, and each Descendant works as a cog in a team composition that can be effective solo but works best in a team. When first starting the game, players choose between three Descendants with similar stats but very different powers. Descendants are unique individuals with powers that match their personality, meaning while some are similar, their powers will never be exactly the same. Each one has enough differences that it doesn't feel exactly like the same character with a new skin, but familiar enough that there isn't a steep learning curve.

The first Descendants players will meet are Viessa, Lepic, and Ajax. Viessa excels at close-range freezing abilities and is best suited for getting into the fray, freezing enemies, and allowing squad mates to finish any stragglers. Lepic strives to bend the battlefield in his favor, wrangling foes into a specific area and dealing significant damage. In contrast, Ajax acts as a bulwark, shielding his allies from any harm as they go on the offensive. These Descendants each fit into a particular archetype that works well together, as these will be the initial characters that players must choose for squad mates.

Gaining new Descendants works similarly to crafting in other games. As players fight, they will get materials and can spend them to create the parts needed to summon that particular Descendant. This freedom means that players have complete control over what characters they unlock, making each choice meaningful. However, Descendants and their skills aren't the only things players need to mind, as their weaponry directly impacts their skill damage.

Guns are widely different and end up in four different ammo categories: general, enhanced, impact, and high-powered. General weapons include automatic rifles, SMGs, and other similar varieties with readily available ammo drops. Enhanced weapons deal specific effects on enemies or have a unique mode of firing, like lasers. Enhanced rounds are harder to come by but have a high pool of ammo. Impact rounds are found on weapons like scout rifles and have increased stopping power, making anything caught in the crosshair flinch on impact. Finally, the high-powered ammo type is home to shotguns and sniper rifles, with damage high enough to take down most foes in a single blow but with low ammo and firing rates.

Guns alone won't make a Descendant unstoppable on the battlefield; runes will also significantly impact players as they progress through the primary campaign. A rune is a little trinket that will affect a Descendant and their guns, allowing further customization. Enemies have a chance to drop runes upon death, and the effects of each rune vary from enhanced fire rates to increased mana recovery. These runes have different categories similar to the ammo types, and each rune will only affect those types, and Descendants directly equip them. Once players find a rune they love, the rune master can enhance it in the hub world or scrap it for materials.