Summary
The First Descendantis a game thattypically does an excellent job of introducing new players to its many systems. Tutorials are well-paced to prevent information overload while still being detailed enough to be useful. However, this is not the case for all the game’s features.
Many features are not explicitly discussed in the game. While this means there are mechanics for veterans to discover, it can also mean that players do not get to take advantage of some quality-of-life mechanics. At worst, players maywaste time farming for gear or materials they ultimately will not need. Some of these features may be brushed on by the game, but knowing the following factors will save time and frustration.
The First Descendant: How To Beat Gluttony (Boss Guide)
Gluttony is a new and extremely challenging boss that will take out your best Descendant without blinking and cannot be harmed as easily in return.
10You Do Not Need To Travel In The Overworld To Access Special Operations Or Infiltration Missions
You Can Start Infiltration Missions Next To Albion Fast Travel Point
While many of the Special Operations and Infiltration missions are easy to reach from nearby fast travel points,there are exceptions that can result in several wasted minutes of running around. The Bio-Lab Infiltration mission in White-night Gulch, for example, is located a few hundred meters from the closest fast travel station and requires the player to navigate through the Hatchery, which has a layout that can be confusing for new players.
The player needs to select the correct mission on the world map, which appears to start it.
Instead of trying to reach the mission start point from a fast travel point in White-night Gulch, the player can start it directly from Albion. Between the main Albion fast travel point and the Prime hands are two globes with icons above them. One has an Infiltration mission icon while the other shows a globe. The first can be used to instantly start any Infiltration mission, while the second can be used to start a Special Operation. The player needs to select the correct mission on the world map which appears to start it.
9You Can Get Crystallization Catalysts As Soon As You Unlock The Appropriate Farming Missions
Reset To Zero But Get To Upgrade By Half The Cost
Crystallization catalysts are one of the most important methods for increasing power inThe First Descendant. These add a socket at the cost of resetting a Descendant or weapon level to one. These sockets cut the cost of a module in half, allowing players to put more powerful modules on their gear. Normally, crystallization catalysts are fairly expensive at 300 Caliber a piece, which is a little more than $5,which adds up if the player wants to max out their favorite weapons and Descendants. Luckily, they can be researched and farmed.
WhileThe First Descendantwill provide a crystallization catalyst for free, this does not happen until the player reaches Mastery rank 12. This might lead to the belief that the rank is a prerequisite for researching the material, but this is not the case.Crystallization catalysts can actually be researched from the starting mastery rank, though the player will need to unlock the missions to farm the appropriate materials. White-night Gulch is the final piece of this puzzle, so once this area is reached, the farming can begin.
8Completing A Mission On Hard Mode Counts As A First Time Completion For Mastery Experience
But This Only Works For The First Time You Do It
While the first few mastery ranks are easy to achieve just by playingThe First Descendant, additional mastery ranks will eventually require extra work on the part of the player. Mastery experience will be gained the first time a mission is completed, but after the final level is done, there will be no unfinished missions. That is,there will be no more unfinished missions on normal mode.
This means a new chunk of mastery experience can be gained by running through the same missions the player has already completed, but at a higher difficulty.
After normal mode has been completed,hard mode will be unlocked. Hard mode increases difficulty and adds a score mechanic, which can increase drop rates for completion. However, what may not be immediately obvious is thathard-mode missions are counted as new missions for the purposes of mastery experience. This means a new chunk of mastery experience can be gained by running through the same missions the player has already completed, but at a higher difficulty. However, similar to the normal mode missions, this only works for the first time.
7Mastery Experience Is Not Gained Again After Using A Crystallization Catalyst
You’ll Have To Switch To A New Descendant Or Weapon
While mastery experiencecan be gained by completing a mission for the first time, there are other ways to gain it as well. Descendants have individual levels, and each weapon has proficiency levels. In both cases, the level will increase the stats of the Descendant or weapon. Increasing the level of Descendants and weapons will contribute to the player’s mastery rank.
The First Descendant: How To Level Up Fast (Best XP Farming Methods)
Leveling up unlocks various new benefits for characters in The First Descendant, but farming for XP can be a grind unless you use the right methods.
However, it is worth noting that just as mastery experience is only gained when a mission is completed for the first time, it is also only gained when a Descendant or weapon is leveled for the first time. This means that when a crystallization catalyst resets a level to one,mastery experience will not be gained from reaching the max level again. Increasing your mastery rank will thus require you to switch to a new Descendant or a new weapon.
6Presets Offer Additional Bonuses
Easy Loadout For Specific Missions and Automatic Equipment Retrieving
The First Descendantallows players to use multiple setups for the modules used by Descendants and weapons. This allows the player to use one setting for fighting Colossi, one for clearing missions quickly, and one for any other purpose. However,The First Descendanttakes this one step further with its presets.
Presets allow the player to save a specific Descendant, weapon loadout,The First DescendantReactor, and external components. This can be used tocreate a Bunny loadoutfor clearing missions quickly, a Sharen loadout for clearing outposts, or an Ajax preset for tanking. This is already convenient enough on the surfacebut presets will also automatically retrieve equipment from storage, allowing the player to save inventory space for loot.
5You Can Only Use An Energy Activator Once Per Weapon Or Descendant
They Are Quite Expensive But Can Be Acquired For Free
Modules are key to increasing power inThe First Descendant, and the more powerful the module, the more capacity it will use. Players will quickly run up against this limit, and it can be addressed in one of two ways. The first, as discussed earlier, is to cut module capacity in half by assigning sockets using crystallization catalysts.The other option is to use an energy activator, which will permanently increase capacity by 20.
The other option is to use an energy activator, which will permanently increase capacity by 20.
Unlike crystallization catalysts,energy activators can only be used once for each weapon or Descendant. To boost capacity, the player will have to pursue both energy activators and crystallization catalysts. An energy activator can also be acquired for free during the story, but they are otherwise quite costly. Each one will run 1,200 Caliber, about four times the cost of a crystallization catalyst.
4Descendants Can Be Pinned From The Descendants Menu
No More Time Wasted Looking For The Right Character
The First Descendantcontains well over a dozen options for playable characters. By default, a player is limited to 10 slots for Descendants. While this seems like a lot for a new player,it is only about half of the Descendants on offer. Even with just a few Descendants unlocked, it can be frustrating to select a specific one before a mission.
Luckily,there is an option to pin your favorite characters in the Descendants menu. After pressing the button to bring up the Descendants list, the player can click on the pin option at the top right of the list to save a Descendant as a favorite. This is especially useful for characters like Sharen, who are all but required to farm certain materials.
3You Should Unlock Sharen As Soon As Possible
The Only One With Stealth Abilities
While each Descendant can tackle most of the game’s content alone, there are some activities which essentially require the use of a specific Descendant. Encrypted vaults, for example, are technically doable by any Descendant, but Enzo has a much easier time and gets bonuses for clearing those vaults.When it comes to strategic outposts, however, Sharen is all but necessaryfor acquiring some materials.
Strategic outposts offer bonus drop rates for completing them undetected. This can even provide multiple amorphous materials for a single clear. Unfortunately, it is also the only way to obtain some amorphous materials, and that means Sharen will be required to farm some materials.Sharen is the only Descendant with an ability to go into stealth with her active camouflage ability. The only other way to complete a strategic outpost “undetected” is to lure out the enemies, kill them quickly, and interact with the consoles before the enemies respawn.
2Console Players Have A Faster Option For Accessing Dialogue Options
While many people playThe First Descendanton PC, a recent investor call from the game’s developer, Nexon, revealed that about 60% of the player base is on console. The game generally plays quite well with a controller, but certain activities, like menu navigation, still require the use of a cursor. This can be awkward and slow on a controller,but luckily, there are faster alternatives in some menus.
The most noticeable console accommodation is accessing dialogue directly using the D-pad. WhileThe First Descendantdoes not have the traditional dialogue options of choosing the player’s response, starting a cutscene often requires the player to select an option in the dialogue menu. When the playerpresses right on the D-pad, their cursor will automatically move to the options. This saves a second or two of scrolling the cursor, which can add up over the course of the story.
1Not All Fast Travel Locations Are Considered Outposts
Sometimes You Can Fast Travel But Not Change Descendant
Many of the maps ofThe First Descendantare large enough to warrant two or more fast travel locations. These fast travel spots are split into two types: outposts and temporary safe zones.Outposts are unlocked as soon as an area is unlocked during the story, but temporary safe zones have to be reached first. While both allow the player a faster option for navigation, they arenot the same.
If the player tries to change their Descendant in the field, they will be presented with a message reading, “Descendants can only be changed in Albion or at outposts.” That same player may be confused, then, if they fast travel to a location and are still unable to change their Descendant.This stems from the fact that temporary safe zones are not treated as outposts. Luckily,The First Descendantmakes a clear differentiation between the two, listing whether a fast travel node is a outpost or temporary safe zone above the name of the node.
