Destiny: Rise of Iron Reviews
The latest in the series is proof that ‘Destiny’ will never end
With the long term in mind, Rise of Iron is a great addition to Destiny. They’ve embedded secrets, past references, and nostalgia in ways that few other games can, because few other games retain this strong of a community for years following their initial release.
Rise of Iron seems to hold an indelible bit of content on initial playthrough, and I’m excited to see how it holds up under pressure of full release and repeated scrutiny.
Destiny: Rise of Iron is an excellent addition to Bungie’s open-world shooter, but is held back by a weak story, and a leveling meta that requires a bit of grinding. Overall, Destiny looks, sounds, and feels better than it ever has, and there has been no better time to be a Destiny player.
Short on single-player campaign but long on loot collection and exploration, new expansion of first-person shooter ticks most boxes – but might not win new players
Latest expansion doesn't move the game on, but has lots to like for returning fans
Destiny has evolved in so many ways since it's release. It still boasts some of the best combat mechanics around in a game that moves both horizontal and vertically across engagement ranges. With two years worth of content behind it already there is a wealth of gaming for the uninitiated; and with a decent endgame, variety in play styles, and a dynamic and active community, there's still enough in the Rise of Iron expansion to keep year one diehards happy. Shame about the story though. I really hope Bungie can figure out that crucial element before Destiny 2. But until that day comes, Rise of Iron does set the scene to keep a massive community playing through this next stage until what will likely be the reboot into the inevitable sequel.
Destiny: Rise of Iron is a decent enough expansion that fans will likely enjoy, but it feels lacking in wake of The Taken King. Time for Destiny 2, we think.
Rise of Iron has its moments.
Unlike The Taken King, Rise of Iron isn't an essential reincarnation of Destiny, but it is an expansion that delivers on its promise of rejuvenating Bungie's shooter – even if it does refuse to step outside of the game's well established comfort zone. A few fun story missions, a great new Raid, and a suite of fresh reasons to get back to the grind for better loot should be enough to keep the ever-present darkness at bay.
I continuously caught myself completely zoned out and just enamoured by the sheer size of the ships and mile high structures constantly seen throughout the campaign.
Much like "The Taken King" before it, avid fans of Destiny are already playing "Rise of Iron" and enjoying the new content. If you're one of the few shooter fans who hasn't tried Destiny yet, the value added by "Rise of Iron" makes the new Destiny - The Collection an easy recommendation as well. Those things being said, "Rise of Iron" feels thin in content and quality, especially when compared to last year's "The Taken King".
Rise Of Iron is the best Destiny's DLC. PvE campaign is immersive, solid, and culminates in a great Raid; guardians progression is well structured, and the new PvP mode is way more entertaining than the old Fracture.
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Rise of Iron does a brilliant job in building up the legend of your Guardian, but offers very little innovation or advancement of the game's core features. Despite this, it stays true to what makes Destiny great – offering truly satisfying shooter encounters as a backdrop to a fantastic social experience.
While new armor and weapons are sprinkled throughout Destiny: Rise of Iron, we can’t escape the feeling that we’ve seen this all before.
It lacks for the two things Destiny has never been short on from day one: personality and imagination.
Rise of Iron is a rather pedestrian expansion to what has become a pretty great first-person shooter. If you're looking for more Destiny, then you can't go wrong by picking it up, but nothing here will convince lapsed players to come back. It's simply more of the same, but that's fine.
It’s hard not to compare “Rise of Iron” to “The Taken King.” “The Taken King” was “Destiny’s” finest and most robust expansion. Even at its $40 asking price, it seemed like it was just shy of achieving full sequel status rather than an expansion. “Rise of Iron” doesn’t quite reach those heights, but it’s still better than other expansions like “House of Wolves” and “The Dark Below.” Bungie has learned from its experience. “Rise of Iron” mostly adds more of what “Destiny” players want. Year Two of “Destiny has been a huge success for players who want the game to head in the right direction. If this is indeed the final expansion, expectations will be high for “Destiny 2.”
Overall, Rise of Iron may not be as robust or as game-changing as The Taken King was, but it still has some has some worthy experiences that any Destiny fan would enjoy.
As the last full expansion for Destiny before Destiny 2, and a follow-up to The Taken King, Rise of Iron had big shoes to fill. It’s a shame then that it doesn’t.