Free 2 Play Faceoff

Last week, we had two highly anticipated free-to-play games launch within days of each other: The First Descendant and Zenless Zone Zero. Both are fun to play and feature different forms of hero collection, but which one would be better for you to invest your time, energy, and resources into?

After spending a few days with both games, I’ve gotten a good idea of what each game has to offer. For anyone who’s followed my time playing Genshin Impact, you know I try not to dip into my wallet with F2P games. Some monetization practices are risky, if not downright predatory.

We’ll take a look at both games, focusing on their Story, their Gameplay, and the dreaded Monetization. There will be early-game observations, though I won’t divulge any major narrative spoilers. If you wish to go in completely blind, feel free to skip the Story segments and move straight to Gameplay and Monetization.

The First Descendant

Story

The First Descendant (TFD moving forward) is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi about humanity at war with extraterrestrial and extradimensional threats. We play as Descendants, people blessed with special abilities to fight.

In our first mission, we try to retrieve an ancient artifact called the Ironheart. This device of limitless energy is stolen from us by an enemy general. Now, we need to get it back before he can enhance his soldiers with its power.

However, we are not alone in this endeavor. During our brief contact with the Ironheart, a being calling herself the Guide manifested, claiming to be a creation of the Ancestors. She wishes to aid humanity in their defense and recovery.

In essence, TFD’s narrative is all about obtaining the MacGuffin, an object in the story that everyone and their mother wants to get their hands on. In this case, it’s the Ironheart. These types of stories feature plot lines of “the prize is constantly out of reach” or “I have it, but now everyone’s out to get me.” Based on the first few mission arcs I’ve played through, I’ve seen more of the former type of plot line.

An interesting thing to note is that the Guide is not visible to everyone. She appears strictly before Descendants, but not even to all of them. This leads to initial distrust of her intentions. In fact, humanity’s general, Alpha, is one of the most vocal in their misgivings. This was a nice touch. Instead of everyone blindly accepting this newcomer’s presence, caution and doubt circulated among certain individuals. This provides the opportunity for an “I told you so” moment, directed either at Alpha and the naysayers, or the ones who trusted the Guide.

Descendants also come with small quests that flesh out their characters a little more. For example, Bunny is sent on a mission that allows her to trace her missing parents. This is big for her, since her parents’ disappearance is an integral part of her backstory.

Unfortunately, the lackluster voice acting brings the immersion down. The female cast are either high-energy bubbly or sporting a seductive rasp. A majority of the male characters are monotone and bland. The few exceptions seem to be Blair, the arsonist cook, and Jeremy, an NPC who is an absolute prick (you hate him for all of the right reasons).

Gameplay

TFD is a third-person looter-shooter with grapple-shot traversal mechanics. You acquire random drops for weapons and armor, allowing you to constantly switch up your armaments or enhance your favorite pieces. The game I would say is most similar to it is Warframe, the sci-fi ninja slash-and-shooter.

Like Warframe, TFD utilizes a module system to enhance weapons and characters. These come with a lot of text, which can be daunting for first time players. Thankfully, there is an “Equip Recommended Module” feature that will auto-select modules for you. I’d recommend using this until you have a better sense for how everything works.

Locations are varied in terms to terrain and biomes, giving each area a unique feel. The grapple mechanic is a fun way to get around, but the targeting can be finicky at times. If you’re not careful, the ledge you were aiming for could suddenly be out of range and you will plummet to your doom.

For most of the game, you run around an open area completing small objectives. Other players can help you out, but their presence is inconsistent. This would be concerning for harder difficulty activities, such as Dungeons and Void Intercept missions. However, you are provided the option to enter these activities solo or in a matchmade lobby. You may not have as much coordination, but at least you won’t have to run and gun alone.

The biggest draw for TFD are the characters you can collect and play as. Each of them has unique skills and playstyles to master, from camouflaging assassins to electrified speedsters to turret-spamming supporters. The skills are easy to execute, so long as you remember the optimum order to use them.

Currently, there are fourteen Descendants you can play as. There are also five Ultimate versions of certain characters that have stronger stats than their originals. However, you can only pick one to start with. Acquiring the others leads us to our next point of discussion: Money.

Monetization

Because the game is free to play, developers need a way to acquire funds to keep it running. This is where monetization comes in, and TFD has some rather…interesting ways of going about it.

TFD’s in-game currency is called Caliber. According to the shop’s available bundles, you can get 250 Caliber for $5. Their largest bundle is 5,750 Caliber for $100. That’s more than a standard game these days. Who would want to pay that much? Well, there are some reasons why someone would.

You have two options for obtaining new characters: you can hunt for certain items to build them yourself, or you can buy them from the cash shop. Farming and grinding can take days, if not weeks, to complete. Some people, who do not have the time nor patience for that, would rather buy the character instead.

However, normal characters cost between 300-900 Caliber (about $10-$20). Ultimate characters, which come with bonus cosmetic items, run between 3,000-5,000 Caliber ($60-$100).

There is currently no way to test characters before you purchase them. Someone could look good enough to buy, but then you don’t enjoy their skillset and you’ve just washed money down the drain. That being said, the game is free to play. If you find that one character you gel with, the money is worth it and the game is enjoyable.

Cosmetic items are a staple in free-to-play games. TFD’s alternate skins cost between 125 and 750 Caliber. Like buying new clothes to make yourself feel good, finding a new style for your character can enrich your gameplay. This has become less of a pain than most monetizing practices.

That being said, TFD has an odd way of coloring said cosmetics. If you wish to change your character’s color palette, you need to acquire pigments individually. You can only apply a pigment to a single piece of gear. If you want to color more pieces, you need to acquire more of that pigment. If you can’t get them in the game, you need to buy them in the cash shop for 25 Caliber each. Many players have voiced their displeasure at this system.

Another cash shop trend is a battle pass. As you level up in it, you earn different rewards. TFD has both a free pass and a paid premium pass. You can earn multiple copies of a high-grade launcher on the current free pass, but it will expire after a time.

My Thoughts

Story: TFD works well as a “Pursue the MacGuffin” storyline. It gives us reason to search and explore all of these unique locations. While the characters are visually interesting, the mediocre voice acting can pull you out of the experience.

Gameplay: I couldn’t get the thought of “This is low-octane Warframe” out of my mind while playing this game. The slower pace does let you appreciate the view, so long as your grapple doesn’t misfire again. The chase for loot is also pretty decent.

Monetization: Unless there’s a character you really want to try and play as soon as possible, just play the game to earn them. They’ll be there waiting for you, and it’ll feel more rewarding once they’re complete. I don’t have much issue with cosmetic items being paid content. The game is free, after all. TFD’s pricing, however, is a bit extreme, and the paid route to color your characters is terrible.

Zenless Zone Zero

Story

Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ moving forward) is an urban fantasy story with some hints of supernatural mixed in. Pocket dimensions called Hollows litter the world. Some people called Hollow Raiders explore these areas in hopes of striking it rich. However, if they stay in there too long, they’ll turn into monstrous Ethereals that attack anything that moves.

The protagonists of ZZZ are Wise and Belle, siblings who run an antique video rental store. However, the store is just a front. Their true identity is Phaethon, an infamous Proxy duo that guides Raiders through the treacherous Hollows for a price.

The story begins with a heist/recovery commission, but Wise and Belle get more than they bargained for when their system is hacked and their clients are held hostage in a Hollow. They find a creative way out of the situation and save their clients, but at the cost of their Phaethon database. Now, they have to start from scratch and build their reputation back up.

Even within the early story, more intrigue about the world opens up, from industrial and government corruption to mysterious AIs that people are after (another potential MacGuffin, I see).

The characters of ZZZ are vibrant in both appearance and depth. Each one has a unique aesthetic, and the more you play as them, the more about their pasts and personalities you learn, although some of the art can be very suggestive. Acquiring these characters is what ZZZ is all about, in more ways than one.

Gameplay

The closest comparison I can make for this game is Genshin Impact, which is made by the same developers. Both games are party-based action RPGs that rely on party composition and switching between characters mid-fight.

Unlike Genshin Impact’s open-world exploration, ZZZ revolves around smaller, situational levels. The game is very story-heavy, so you don’t see combat as often. However, when you do get into a fight, it is very fast and engaging. Combat is smooth, counter-based, and easy to pick up, which is good for the mobile player base. With the right timing, you can protect yourself from enemy attacks and deal massive damage chains in return.

As you progress through the game, you unlock more minigames, puzzles, and enhancement material tasks to keep you occupied. Some are bound to a time of day like Persona 5, while others are stamina-based and will reset daily or weekly, so choose your activities wisely.

Location designs in the early parts of the game are generally similar: Derailed trains, broken buildings, and rubble with odd glowing parts mixed in. The only differences I’ve noticed so far are some lighting and weather changes. Of course, we all know the location isn’t the main reason why we play this game. It’s the characters.

Each character has an elemental affinity and a job style. For example, Anby, one of the first characters you acquire, has a Spark element and a Stun style. These elements and styles, coupled with aesthetics and various ways of fighting, add unique charm to each character.

That being said, the differences between the current sixteen characters on a technical level are subtle, if not negligible. Some characters do have notable play styles and passive abilities, such as requiring you to hold a button every third attack, but again, very subtle. Perhaps this will help us in regards to the financial elephant in the room.

Monetization

ZZZ is a hero collector, but in this case, it falls under the Gacha category. Basically, that means you can acquire new characters and weapons through a roulette system. Higher ranked targets have a much lower drop rate. If you’d like to call this simulated gambling, you wouldn’t be wrong.

The main currency in ZZZ’s cash shop is called Polychrome, which you can use to buy summon material or other game-enhancing items. For a 10-item roulette pull, it would cost you 1600 Polychrome, which you could buy for $15. While this may not seem bad, there are bundles available, including a $100 one that can net you about 80 pulls.

There are both paid and free options for acquiring more of these materials. You can receive a login bonus everyday, though it does reset if you don’t log in for consecutive days. There is also a $5 monthly perk that grants you daily bonuses, as well as a Battle Pass with both free and paid premium tracks.

Gacha games are notorious for generating FOMO, or “fear of missing out,” in order to get more people to spend money. ZZZ has rotating banners that feature certain characters and items at slightly increased rates. If you miss a banner, you don’t know when that character will be available again. It could take months, if not years, for them to be featured again.

However, ZZZ has some features in place that make things a bit more forgiving.

First of all, you can test characters out before you roll for them. A character can be aesthetically pleasing, but could be difficult to play as. On the other hand, an unassuming character could resonate with your playstyle in surprising ways. You receive small rewards for testing them out, and you can make a more informed decision about where you spend your money.

Furthermore, there are some summon guarantees. On the Standard banner, you will acquire a guaranteed S-rank character every 90 pulls. At every 300th pull, you can choose the exact S-rank you want. These may seem like big numbers, but these guarantees are far healthier than other gacha games.

My Thoughts

Story: As a narrative-focused game, the characters and their world are very intriguing. There is plenty to discover, and it’s easy to get sucked into the story without getting bogged down by too many new terms. Cutscenes and dialogue do dominate the game, leaving less room for the combat sequences that characters are built around.

Gameplay: Combat is frenetic, flashy, and, as I said before, easy to pick up. Learning different characters’ playstyles and mastering the counter mechanic enhance gameplay further without growing overly complicated. It does get overshadowed by cutscenes, so it feels like there is much less combat than originally expected.

Monetization: Collecting as many characters as possible is extremely tempting, so be sure to pace yourself. You should be set if you have at least one person of each element. Gathering roulette resources in game does slow down after the start, which makes the desire to pay and obtain more characters even more enticing. My advice with fighting FOMO: keep rolling the Standard Banner to reach the guaranteed S-ranks, and save your Polychrome for when a unique character comes around on the Limited banners. Make sure you test them out first!

Final Thoughts

Both games have their attractive pros and cautionary cons.

If you enjoy the daily grind and prefer cooperative gameplay with your friends, I’d suggest going with The First Descendant. It’s good as far as looter-shooters go, even if the cash shop items can get dubious.

If you enjoy a more intricate story and the solo-player experience, go with Zenless Zone Zero. The story will keep you engaged for hours on end. Just mind your wallet with the gacha roulette.

To those who’d claim I’m being wishy-washy by not taking a side, I will say this: I will keep both games on my PS5 for a while, but the one I personally see myself investing in more is ZZZ. As an author, story is a major selling point for me, and this one has been hitting multiple items on my checklist.