One thing that keeps people coming back to video games is the loot. Once limited to RPGs, loot now appears in video games of all genres, including shooters. Thus, the loot shooter was born.

Games such as "Borderlands," "Destiny," and "Warframe" have long reigned on the throne of shooters and loot, but there have been many games that have tried to take over. and others have attempted to draw players away from long-lived games to varying degrees.

I admit to getting caught up in the hype of these games, but "Destiny 2" brought me back into the comfortable arms of the hunter. Eventually, I grew tired of "Destiny 2" (as well as "Borderlands" and "Warframe"), and I completely moved away from the loot shooter genre.

But with "The First Descendant," that changed. I haven't had this much fun shooting bullets at enemies and watching colorful loot fall from the sky since the first time I played "Borderlands". I'm back again, and it feels so good.

Like many of these games, when you first step into Hub City, it feels like someone has scattered icons all over the map. But once you know what each NPC and other hard-to-find objects are, you'll feel as comfortable as you would navigating Destiny 2's towers. You'll know how to get from the Descendants' trainer to the research NPCs. It will feel like a second home, and that's what you want from a game like this.

As you enter the various combat zones, you will find that there is a lot to do. Between the main story-based missions and the fun side missions where you can get new guns, equipment, and even new descendants, this game will keep you busy for a long time.

Each zone has a different look and feel, so you won't feel like you're playing a rehash of the same content. Sure, some mission types will be repetitive, but that's to be expected in a game like Warframe or Destiny 2. How many times can you defend this against the enemy and gather information about that one? For me, the answer is thousands of times, as long as the shooting and power feel good to play.

After all, a game that you spend hundreds of hours on needs to be fun. If the gameplay is boring, it doesn't matter how much is in it. Thankfully, the shooting and power included in The First Descendant is fun. As you level up each descendant, their abilities become more powerful, giving you a sense of growing with the content.

Most importantly, it feels good to point your gun at enemies from a third-person perspective. There is something satisfying about the sound of a gunshot when you hit different types of enemies. Speaking of enemy types, the developers have developed some interesting mechanisms to outlast enemies (although some do exist) without simply making them bullet sponges. There are exciting uses for shields and evasive maneuvers that even the most ordinary enemies use.

The game is just plain fun, and NEXON Games has taken all the elements of popular loot shooters and mixed them together to make playing it a satisfying and accomplished experience. Players of this genre are here to shoot things, get loot, and get stronger.

I can talk about how fun this game is until I'm blue in the face, but you should play it because it's free; if you like shooting things and collecting loot while completing various quests in RPG-like games, you'll love "The First Descendants" is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PS4, and PC, so there's nothing stopping you from playing and shooting your way through it.

Sure there are microtransactions, but I haven't spent a penny after a few hours of gaming, unlocking new Descendants and finding tons of cool loot. I might buy something to support the developers and the great games they have created, but I don't feel like I have to buy it to enjoy it.

Of course, like most people with full time jobs and responsibilities, I have yet to progress to the endgame. If the endgame is not fulfilling, players, myself included, will quickly fall behind. I have read about this game and it sounds interesting. However, it will be a test to see if this game can keep me hooked for a long time.