Review of Destiny 2

Depending on who you ask, Bungie had a lot of issues with Destiny to resolve between its 2014 release and the current version.There were two main areas where a lot of the first criticisms about the game originated.First, there was an inconsistent environment and a nonsensical tale in a game that appeared to lead you from place to place in pursuit of busy labor rather than providing any deep character or world building.The second was obviously a criticism of the game's disregard for the players' time, with many requesting improvements to the quality of life for a game that demanded a significant amount of weekly commitment to fully enjoy.Since Destiny is a game that is always changing thanks to DLC and patches, the most of the latter have been solved.I've played Destiny 2 enough to believe the former has as well.

While I won't sit here and claim that those are the only two issues with Destiny, these were two of the most common grievances expressed by fans of one of the most eagerly awaited new franchises in the last ten years, from one of the top game developers in the world.Many aspects of Destiny 2 might have been improved, and it seems like a more polished version of all the major elements that the previous game lacked. Whether you play Destiny 2 for its competitive gameplay, cooperative gameplay, or single player narrative, it's a more seamless experience overall.Not only is Destiny 2 a game designed to satisfy every single one of these itch-pats, but it also succeeds in doing so.That was my last thought before departing from a Destiny 2 "Preview" over a month ago.Activision threw an exclusive event in Bellevue, WA so that reviewers could see all of the moving parts in action before the September 6th release. Playing material that is supposedly close to, if not complete, I've spent more than 20 hours in Destiny 2 and have seen almost all there is to see. The truth is that, since the game is so integrated with online features, we are unable to provide a definitive judgment until we have seen how the real-world version of the game functions.

The Red War campaign in Destiny 2 follows a well-defined plot and transports you around the game's globe, which includes brand-new locales. Almost everyone should be familiar with this portion of the plot, since there have been many chances to play the game in beta testing.Dominus Ghaul, the emperor of a Cabal group, has his eyes set on the Traveler. He is leading the Red Legion in a takeover of The Tower, seizing the source of Light used by the Guardians.This disperses the Guardians and Vanguard, depriving you of your abilities and forcing you to find new strategies to face this new threat.The opening quest of Destiny 2 has more flavor than all of the D1 or D2 expansions combined.Do they continue like this is the question.After playing through it for around 75% of our "Review in Progress," Destiny 2's single-player campaign offers more variation than its predecessor and seems more in line with what we would have anticipated from the Halo franchise.I have no idea how Destiny 2 concludes at this time.I've played it enough to be confident in declaring that it's an upgrade, but not confident enough to assume that Bungie won't mishandle the ball when it comes to the goal line.By all accounts, they have fulfilled their promise to provide an unforgettable narrative that draws gamers into the Destiny 2 universe and elevates everything else to the level of worthwhile viewing.

Revision:I can now state with confidence that Bungie doesn't "fumble the ball on the goal line" in Destiny 2, having played the game for almost a full week.Their consideration for the game's narrative exceeded my most optimistic hopes for how to cleverly combine a compelling plot with a game that will be played long after the credits have rolled.

There's a lot more to explore here, and while the game's layout is identical to the original, there are upgrades to quality of life everywhere.The main emphasis of Destiny 2 remains on character development via loot collecting, which enhances your power level and enables you to take on more difficult tasks and opponents.The main difference between this and the original is that this growth is less task-oriented and more natural.The four additional venues provide a plethora of activities.In addition to the Patrol Missions, which are MMORPG-style tasks, each globe has tale missions for non-player characters.Even while these missions and chores don't seem like a significant departure from the original, they add subtle conversation, develop each character's past, and eventually expand the game's universe to make it more expansive, realistic, and complex.That is not to suggest that Destiny 2 is devoid of duties; rather, it is more defined than its predecessor in terms of outlining the rules and rewarding players with exclusive goodies in each globe upon fulfilling goals and narrative missions for all of the game's NPCs.The initial game's mechanics remain mostly unchanged, despite some significant modifications.

Gameplay of Destiny 2: Nessus Exploration

Your character's primary center, The Farm, is now where the Guardians are located rather than the Tower.There are some known faces in this new social environment as well as some unfamiliar ones, but you still need to build a reputation system with each individual there.Engrams or treasure may be obtained by completing objectives for these characters or turning in specified things.This well-known cycle of development hasn't undergone much modification.However, it seems like the methods you advance have been broadened to include the new NPC progression that gives you a motivation to visit these planets as they become revealed during the plot, in addition to the fundamental advancement system from the original game.Because the main route plot growth is controlled by your level, there may be times when you aren't leveled up enough to even try to complete some story tasks.Character level and character power level appear to increase together as you both finish tasks and acquire better gear, even though there are other mechanisms at play here.

Regardless of the game mode, Titan, IO, Earth, and Nessus will be the locations of all your actions in Destiny 2. Nevertheless, the structures of each of these planets—or moons—are more intricate than those of D1.One of the main modifications to the advancement is the NPC characters described earlier for each area. However, each zone is worth investigating due to a mix of new difficulties, well-designed levels, and enhanced quality of life.The map's "Lost Sectors," or secret locations, provide hints that something worthwhile is close by and often off the conventional route.You'll come across high-value targets at random, other players taking part in public events with regular and heroic modifiers, and challenges that provide you with world-specific coins to improve your reputation.Even though you're never really alone in Destiny 2, everything fits together very well for solitary players.There is a lot to do in the game, but more significantly, even after playing for more than 20 hours, there seems to be a lot more to discover and explore in each area. One of the most significant modifications to how you'll explore Destiny 2's content is the ability to move quickly throughout each zone.Fast travel eliminates a lot of the tedious parts of the game and allows players to access desired stuff fairly instantly.There is a lot less sitting around in orbit, repeating the same vistas, or taking lengthy Sparrow flights over large areas.

Strikes are now more of a sideshow than they were in the original Destiny, even if they were formerly connected to the main plot.Not that they don't still represent some of the greatest Destiny 2 content, but they don't always connect to the Red War narrative.The Strike seems to be the conclusion of a particular chapter in the first Destiny.a target that had to be defeated in order to advance in the game, and often a location with the most fight scenes, spectacle, and narrative.Because Strikes in Destiny 2 aren't connected to the plot, they feel quite different.In the end, Bungie continues to pad out the game with precisely what so many people complained about in the previous game: a lack of plot. It provides them the option to tell more side tales inside the universe and introduce new characters. Despite this, Strikes still has some of the greatest stuff.The objectives and fighting are more akin to the Raids in the original game, providing a substantial challenge with several degrees of difficulty.There are a total of six distinct strikes in this cooperative section of Destiny.You may still matchmake into the mode or create a fireteam to take on these tasks with pals.Since The Strikes were designed to be replayable, I don't believe there was a problem with it in the original game.The original Strikes game had many variables that changed the gameplay on each replay, providing challenging battle situations and plenty of prizes for completing the weekly tasks.We're not sure how much this system will change in Destiny 2, so once the game is out into the open, our review will need to go back and check what's been adjusted.The cooperative end-game activity found in raids and strikes is what keeps players in Destiny long after the narrative mode concludes, so Bungie's approach to these features in Destiny 2 is crucial.

Before we can assign a score to Destiny 2, a lot of unanswered questions have to be answered.While there was no option to get together to take on end-game material in the Raids or Nightfall Strikes in the original game, Bungie hopes to address this issue with the addition of Guided Games and Clan capabilities.In theory, this would enable individuals to see material that they would not have otherwise.We still don't know how this works in the real world.Will the community utilize it as intended, or will it encourage harassment?We'll find out in time.These features will be released sporadically after the game launches.It will take some time to determine if these improvements are worthwhile additions to Destiny and eventually enhance its feature set, even after the servers go online.

The quality of the game, first in terms of presentation elements like graphics, sound design, and music, is one item that isn't really up for debate. Here, Destiny 2 excels beyond measure.Every planet has its own distinct character, complete with secret cavern networks and works of art.Whether it's a heated skirmish or an exploration, the sound is always just right.Destiny's tone is always perfect for the task you're trying to complete.The gameplay comes in second.When it comes to first-person shooter design, Bungie has long held the top spot. Although they've added new enemy types and ways to fight each race, their core system of super moves and class-specific special moves—which can be combined with various armor and weaponry to create a wide variety of gameplay experiences—remains firmly in place.The three current archetypes are back, but for even more variation, each class—The Hunter, Warlock, and Titan—has access to three subclasses.The tale of the Guardians recovering their lost light to combat the Cabal menace is woven across the sub-class missions. The most amazing thing about Destiny 2 is how well everything is designed, showing that the creator didn't only focus on one outstanding aspect.

While cooperative Strikes, single-player exploration components, and narrative material are currently the simplest to assess and analyze, PvP will rely on how the game is played in real life.After playing Destiny 2 for a while, it's evident that: A) The multiplayer is well-balanced and functional; and B) The Player versus Player content in Destiny 2 has undergone some significant modifications.Different categories apply to weapons.There won't be as much of the original's trusted old favorites played here.Teams now consist of only four players.For shotgun aficionados, combat seems more like a mid-range shooting match than a one-hit massacre.There is a game mode for everyone in the fast play and competitive choices, however individuals who would want to play by themselves won't be able to access this.Regardless of whether you choose for the competitive or casual Crucible mode in Destiny, you're essentially forced to play any game Bungie decides to throw at you.Nevertheless, with a stronger emphasis on the fundamental weapons classes and less on one-shot kill guns, all the modes seem better than they did before.

The microtransaction system in Destiny 2 has been one of the game's more contentious features.As we go towards acceptance and begin to accept things as they are, we're seeing the introduction of cosmetic items and loot boxes into every game.With the inclusion of shaders that are exclusive to certain pieces of armor and have restricted applications, Bungie and Activision have further reduced the size of that pie. You can eventually accumulate a sizable cache of shaders to use in Destiny 2 without spending any money just by playing the game.You can personalize your character in a lot more ways with this new system, in some aspects.Since they have a limited supply, there's still a potential you'll run out of your favorite, in which case you'll have to either buy more or wait for it to drop again.

Loot shooters still dominate Destiny 2.This is still very much a game for folks who want personalization and a little grind-like growth in the final game, even with a beautiful plot that makes everything come together more cohesively.Both the Nightfall Strike and its variation provide difficult obstacles.It is probable that the Raid will be too.Over the next several weeks and months, we anticipate that live events will keep Destiny gamers coming back.In Destiny 2, level 20 and narrative completion are only the beginning. For players who like this kind of character development, what's beyond is a lot of fun to play.Whether the player prefers to cooperate with others, play alone, or compete against other players in PvP, Bungie does a better job of presenting all of the many approaches that they may take to overcome their hardest obstacles.

The Conclusion

The fact that Destiny 2 makes more sense than the first game and its expansions is one of its main improvements.Together, the cooperative, competitive, and story game modes provide a more seamless and targeted experience.