In response to player feedback, the South Korean conglomerate in Nexon has announced update plans for their free-to-play looter shooter The First Descendant which will include enhanced “jiggle physics” for female characters.
This update comes after considerable demand from the game’s community, particularly in South Korea, where the game was initially met with mixed reactions due to its lack of certain visual features. The game’s developers have taken the criticism to heart, leading to this unexpected but welcome addition of more lifelike animations for its female character models.
However, this update isn’t without controversy, especially given South Korea’s escalating gender tensions. The nation has been grappling with rising friction between men and women, fueled by modern feminist movements challenging traditional norms. Anti-feminist sentiment has surged, with many Korean men feeling marginalized by the cultural shift.
This has led to ongoing backlash against what they perceive as the growing influence of feminist ideologies across various sectors, including gaming.
Adding to the tension is the rise of the “4B Movement” in Korea, which stands for “No Dating, No Sex, No Marriage, and No Childbirth.” This radical feminist ideology rejects all forms of relationships with men and has gained traction not just in Korea but also among American circles following Donald Trump’s recent election victory.
His win has seemingly sparked a cultural backlash, fueling social activism that aligns with the 4B philosophy. Disillusioned American feminists are now looking to this Korean-born movement as a model for resisting what they see as a rollback in women’s rights.
Amidst this societal clash, Nexon’s decision to introduce jiggle physics feels like a calculated move to appeal to its core fanbase, a demographic resistant to political correctness. With the surge of feminism in Korea, companies seeking profit from male-dominated audiences have to double down on appealing content, as seen with The First Descendant, which not only capitalizes on microtransactions and time-gated content but also ramps up the sex appeal to attract players.
Nexon’s decision to cater to male players demanding more spicy content is a middle finger to the ongoing trend of censorship in gaming, pushed by woke sociopolitical agendas like ESG and DEI. Hell, it’s no surprise when you’ve got feminists running the show at Western gaming companies while BlackRock’s arm-twisting mandates for “diversity” and “inclusivity” seep into foreign markets. Even big-name Japanese studios like Square Enix, Capcom, and Bandai Namco are bowing to these corporate overlords, forcing censorship that their own creators and fans don’t want.
But hey, while most developers are bending over backward to strip femininity and “objectification” from their games for a squeaky-clean, “inclusive” image, Nexon’s doubling down on accurately representing the female form. Gamers are celebrating this as a much-needed win for fan service and creative freedom, proving that some companies still have the balls to give fans what they actually want.
The update enhances the realism of some of the game’s more attractive characters by making specific improvements to the “soft-body” animations. Players have particularly noticed these changes in the way female characters move during combat and exploration, which has unsurprisingly sparked debates on social media about the portrayal of women in video games.
For a looter shooter as fluid and fast-paced as The First Descendant, adding a bit of extra eye-candy is a welcome change, especially since you’ll spend most of your time watching your characters in action, usually from behind.
It’s highly likely that these jiggle physics will be introduced with the game’s upcoming second season, which was officially announced just a day ago. Titled “Void Chaser,” the second season of The First Descendant is set to launch in December, bringing much-needed story content to the looter shooter. Players can also look forward to two new characters joining the roster, along with a fresh batch of premium skins for those eager to invest both their time and money into the game.
Despite Nexon’s typical focus on abusive monetization, The First Descendant launched to significant fanfare, peaking at over 260,000 players on Steam, even in an oversaturated market dominated by progressively woke titles like Destiny and Warframe.
However, as time has passed, the player base has dwindled, dropping to around 15,000 concurrent players during daily peaks. While the game still attracts fans who enjoy its visually appealing characters, its lackluster and short story remains a weak point, in my opinion.
The upcoming second season should help revive interest, given that these types of looter shooters thrive on cooperative play and shared experiences. But let’s be honest, its competitors in the genre have years of content development and narrative depth, leaving The First Descendant struggling to catch up, despite all the sex appeal it has going for it but hopefully its second season is a “bounce” in the right direction.
