Once Human is a PvE shooter that dropped at the same time as The First Descendant but has not fared as well as its competitor. It has some really good moments, but the game has not improved on the interesting concept it began with at launch.
Now, it seems fans are also starting to feel the grind, and the complaints are starting to mount as the developers are trying to make the game more appealing. However, locking functionality behind specific resources that are made to generate revenue may be the game’s undoing.
Gamers Express Their Growing Frustration with Once Human
People are now used to live-service titles implementing microtransactions in their games as a way to boost revenue. Both The First Descendant and Once Human have a resource grind issue, and fans can opt for the microtransaction route, but the grind itself is something fans are getting annoyed by.
Reddit user BreakfastNails has explicitly stated in his post that they are no longer having fun playing Once Human. They claim it’s not just due to the many issues, such as regular server wipes or lack of content, but rather the practice of locking exploration and freedom behind specific barriers.
The examples they provide focus on acquiring the resources and tools needed to try out a new build. Instead of having the freedom to change their character as they wish, they are bound by the restrictions of Starchrom and are unable to experiment further.
Replies to the OP state that the developers did not expect people to have such a build this season.
One response finds it interesting how the community reacts to the various constraints in the game. The recent controversy with the game’s privacy policy is also something to be considered by the community.
The sentiment is that Once Human has a lot of potential to be a great game, all it needs is a focused content strategy to keep people hooked and enjoying the game, even if it can feel like a grind at times.
Live Service Titles Need to Make the Grind Feel Less Tedious to Retain Players
The grind is inevitable for all live service titles, as there can only be so much original content packed into a new season. Whether it’s Helldivers 2 with their Warbonds or new characters coming to The First Descendant, all of them will have some degree of grinding required to get the best items and also keep players coming back.
Fans of The First Descendant have already stated that they don’t mind the grind as much but would prefer the missions to be a bit more varied. Currently, they have expressed that it feels like the developers are sticking to the same formula for each mission, and the events are becoming predictable.
Once Human could learn from the mistakes of its competitors to avoid making the same mistakes. Currently, NetEase Games has a lot of work to do on its sci-fi PvE title, but fans don’t mind giving the developer more time to improve it.
What are your impressions of Once Human? Let us know in the comments below!
