With the constant influx of games hitting Steam daily, one often experiences a profound sense of déjà vu when perusing the new releases page. We’ve all encountered our fair share of repetitive offerings, low-quality mobile ports, games designed solely for achievement farming, and a relentless stream of asset flips—all seemingly released in large quantities.
However, such a phenomenon is relatively rare in the realm of high-budget games, especially when discussing titles that aren’t attempting to mimic something popular or emulate specific aesthetics and mechanics months or even years later. Instead, this situation resembles the scenario seen in the movies “White House Down” and “Olympus Has Fallen.”
On September 8, Tencent’s NExT Studios released “Synced,” a free-to-play co-op shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world where rogue machines have devastated human civilization. It’s had a modest player turnout, peaking at 10,272 concurrent players, with a “Mixed” rating based on nearly 2,500 player reviews on Steam. This fits the pattern of some free-to-play Asian games struggling to gain traction in the Western market.
However, there’s a notable exception: “The First Descendant,” currently in an open cross-play beta, has gained significant traction on Steam’s most-played games list. As of now, it boasts an impressive 77,591 concurrent players, and this number is steadily climbing. It wouldn’t be surprising if it broke into the top 10 by day’s end.
So, what’s the deal with “The First Descendant”? It’s a free-to-play, sci-fi, third-person, co-op shooter set in a post-apocalyptic world. But instead of rogue machines causing the downfall of humanity, players face off against monsters in a battle to safeguard what’s left of human civilization following an alien invasion.
Distinguishing between the two games can be quite challenging, and much like their movie counterparts, only one of them appears to be thriving. To be fair, there are some discernible differences between them. Synced offers PvP combat, whereas The First Descendant is strictly PvE (with a four-player mode compared to Synced’s three). The First Descendant also boasts Unreal Engine 5 and emphasizes epic battles against colossal monsters. However, when it comes to moment-to-moment gameplay, these two games are hard to tell apart.
In both games, characters have abilities assigned to a hotbar, weapons lack impactful feedback, and you’ll see numerical values popping up when you shoot enemies. If you weren’t already familiar with both titles, you’d have a tough time distinguishing one from the other, especially given their highly generic names.
Having a variety of choices in games is generally a positive thing. Whether you’re in the mood for a “rogue machines destroying humanity” storyline or prefer the “fight off aliens to prevent extinction” narrative, you have options aplenty at the moment.
It’s truly intriguing to witness how two similar games can garner such different receptions from players, especially considering the crowded and highly rated gaming landscape we’re in. Whether either of these games will have a lasting presence remains uncertain, given the recent decline in service games.
In the short term, it’s evident that “The First Descendant” is making waves, aided by its captivating gameplay and impressive visuals. It’s a title worth keeping an eye on if nothing else.
