First Descendant players love to experiment with weapons, modules, and Descendants, but they all agree that shotguns are just plain mediocre.
Weapon Proficiency FULLY Explained | The First Descendant Beginner's Guide
Shotguns, the short-range, burst-firing, head-popping weapons popular in many games (particularly looter-shooters), are universally disliked by The First Descendant’s playerbase. They’re so hated that one Redditor put together a detailed analysis of why shotguns are bad on July 31st, detailing exactly why the weapon archetype is useless.
While the game encourages you to experiment with different weapon archetypes, hardly anyone uses a shotgun. The reason? It’s a very inaccurate weapon with disappointing firepower and none of the efficiency we’ve come to expect from other shooters.
According to user PizzaCrusty's Reddit post, accuracy is still way below par, even when you put an accuracy module on a shotgun. Commenters also compared shotguns to weapons like sniper rifles, which are also disliked, but at least do more damage and can penetrate enemies. The worst aspect of shotguns seems to be that critical hits don't do more damage.