Would Explaining Boss Mechanics Improve The First Descendant Gameplay? 

Bosses (or Colossi, to be specific) are infamous in The First Descendant for their weird and sometimes downright punishing mechanics. From “Shoot these balls, but not too much!” to “If we do this, he’ll party wipe us”, tougher Colossi can be a pain to deal with, unless you know how they work. At the moment, the exact mechanics of each boss are not common knowledge, ie, they are not explained in-game. You have to figure them out on your own (or look for help online).

Some Players Demand In-Game Explanation of Boss Abilities

An increasing number of players say that having some in-game explanation would be of immense help. No longer will you have to rely on trial-and-error or outside help. This would also prevent players from making bad decisions and then claiming “I didn’t know”.

One player, named AcanthocephalaNo9242 on Reddit, started a discussion on this subject. They claim that adding some form of an explanation would “not [be] game changing, but I imagine it would make it so a lot less people come in not knowing how a boss mechanic works“. Others agree, with xBlack_Heartx saying: “…especially for mechanics that if not done correctly lead to a party wipe that they seem to just love doing.“ and STB_LuisEnriq adding: “I don’t know why this isn’t a thing already.”

Explaining Bosses Would Ruin the Experience…

However, a lot of players like it just the way it is. The general idea is that the lack of info is intentional, and the players should figure things out on their own. That is the whole point. “This takes away from players who enjoy the progression playstyle and figuring out stuff for themselves…” said z_drive_resonance. User Submersiv added: “…You want the game to tell you in-game exactly how to play the game and give you all the answers, showing you every attack in a video? Why are you even playing the game then?…”

…Or be Simply Ignored

Alternatively, there are those who claim that the players would ignore the instructions anyway and run blind. “No one will read it anyways so it’s irrelevant imo. The game explains a lot of stuff to you and most people just skipped all that too.” said N1njagoph3r2. “I believe you underestimate the ability of gamers to outright ignore things like this. Prime example: World of Warcraft Dungeon/Raid journal. Explains every encounter ability in detail. Even highlights counters. Players proceed to actively ignore it.” added Dom09532.

While we understand that players love to figure stuff out on their own, some basic info would be appreciated. Or at least just to warn players about the party wipe mechanics (no one likes those). However, some say that this is very intentional, as the devs want you to struggle. Whatever the case, we’ll see if anything changes down the line. What are your thoughts?