Destiny: The Dark Below Reviews

Destiny: The Dark Below is ranked in the 17th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
40 / 100
Dec 15, 2014

The Dark Below, and Destiny in a wider sense, specifically exploits the player's relationship to its systems. Like the processes of neo-liberalism that have clearly, through intentional design or not, been the inspiration for its various systems, Destiny asks one thing of players—that they are more productive. Through both reward and limitation, the game is constantly encouraging the player to commit more work and time to its processes, demanding constant attention.

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Dec 17, 2014

Even after three months of back-and-forth with the community, Bungie is still 'Destiny's' worst enemy.

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4.5 / 10.0
Dec 23, 2014

If you've enjoyed "Destiny" and are looking for more of what you've already enjoyed, then this will scratch your itch, though not very efficiently. But if you're looking for something new and interesting in the world of "Destiny," give this a pass.

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Impulsegamer
Unknown
Top Critic
3 / 5.0
Dec 16, 2014

I love the new weapons, gear and areas in Destiny the Dark Below but was not a big fan of starting that grind again in terms of my gear… but damn, they've got me hooked again!

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GameZone
Top Critic
Unscored
Dec 11, 2014

The Dark Below is a great reminder of what Destiny could be, but isn't. Its best content is the raid, the gunplay is smooth and playing with friends is a great time. Unfortunately, Bungie doesn't seem to have any clue how to give players a sense of progress without giving them hundreds of hours of grinding and then releasing better gear.

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5 / 10
Jan 1, 2015

Life with Destiny continues to be a vast range of meaningless numbers set up in a small but complex maze that breaks players will to fight before a way out is found. The core gunplay mechanic may be genre leading, but the wrapper that surrounds it continues to be irreparably broken.

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4.8 / 5.0
Dec 14, 2014

So is it worth buying the pass to get the Dark Below expansion? Absolutely. And if the second expansion (which your purchase of the pass gets you as well) is anything like this one has been, I cannot wait to see what Bungie has up their sleeve for expansion number two of Destiny. So grab the expansion pass and then suit up in your favorite gear and become a legend, because the Dark Below will put your skills to the test.

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6.5 / 10.0
Dec 15, 2014

The Dark Below is just More Of The Same, which will be good for hardcore fans of Destiny that have accepted the game for what it is, but will be a disappointing for those that had hoped the game would change its direction.

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6 / 10
Dec 16, 2014

As it was in the original release of Destiny, The Dark Below features timed exclusives that can only be found on PlayStation consoles (until Fall 2015). The Undying Mind strike takes players further into The Black Garden to face a timeless Vex Hydra. The strike is a tad on the lengthy side and features multiple spots where you face incoming waves of Vex. The final showdown against the Undying Mind (the third Hydra boss in the game) features three force fields. The 4th Horseman, an exotic shotgun, is the other PlayStation exclusive. This four barreled shotgun can quickly eat away at foes, if you are lucky enough to have it drop.

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7 / 10
Dec 27, 2014

The problems Destiny has are not rectified by the DLC, but nor are they intensified.

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8.6 / 10.0
Dec 15, 2014

I understand the fierce criticism accompanying The Dark Below, but I don't think it merits such animosity. The new content offers more frequent loot drops and there are many options for buying higher-level loot. This expands access to high-level activities for both players who buy and those who don't buy the expansion. Making Destiny more accessible in this way is a welcome addition to a game built around its cooperative environment. This remains a game best enjoyed with friends, so the more people playing, the better.

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Dec 12, 2014

An expansion that could have confirmed Destiny's greatness only leaves you feeling underwhelmed. If you want more Destiny, here's more Destiny, and it's still a lot of fun. There's more loot to collect, more weapons and armour to try out, and a handful of new strikes and activities to try with your Destiny friends. When we've played the new Raid there's a chance that it might all seem incredibly worthwhile. For now, however, the main reason to buy The Dark Below is that it gives you more reason to keep plugging away and a handful of new activities, not because it adds anything that new or substantial to the game.

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7.5 / 10.0
Dec 22, 2014

Is it worth it? That's hard to say. For the ultimate Destiny experience, yes, you will need The Dark Below. You may find more of the same content, with some palette swapped enemies and similar bounties to what we traditionally had access to, but the new content allows Destiny to continue to surprise us. I put a ton of time into Destiny, and The Dark Below is just extending that clock even more for me, though I can see how it will bring on a ton of complaints from many players for at least some of its facets. The divide between those that love Destiny and those that hate it is growing with the release of The Dark Below, but I personally can't wait to see how these additions allow the game to continue to evolve and expand until the next expansion release.

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Unscored
Dec 14, 2014

The challenge in recommending The Dark Below at this price point to anyone other than a hardcore Destiny fan (who was likely never on the fence about the purchase, anyway) is that this DLC tries to please too many masters. If you don't care about the Crucible, that new content doesn't matter. If you don't have a Raid group, Crota's End is irrelevant. And what Destiny really needs—a satisfying narrative—is still entirely absent.

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Jan 22, 2015

The Dark Below is all about adding more stuff to Destiny. If you've reached the endgame and you're still enjoying yourself, consider this essential.

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Dec 29, 2014

Destiny's first expansion is a fun but mostly uneventful assortment of "been there, done that" moments, which only hardcore fans should consider purchasing.

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4 / 5.0
Dec 9, 2014

While there were many valid complaints levied against Destiny after its release, the developers have taken many strides in bringing the game closer to the promised game. The Dark Below is one more step in that direction.

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7 / 10.0
Jan 5, 2015

As a dedicated Destiny player, I have been happy with the new content included in The Dark Below, but find myself hoping for a bit more variation in future content. I can't imagine that anyone other than the hardcore fanbase will find value in this expansion.

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5 / 10
Dec 17, 2014

On a fundamental level, The Dark Below fails to justify its expensive price point for anyone who isn't a hardcore Destiny fan. While the story missions are enjoyable and the Strikes are some of the best, there just isn't enough new content here to reinvigorate Bungie's project for more than a few hours at most.

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Jan 8, 2015

The lure of a new Raid and higher level cap gives renewed purpose to Bungie's excellent social shooter. But by so thoughtlessly wiping away the hard work players put in with the previous end-game, we're now a little reluctant to do the same hard work again this time around. Hopefully, March's expansion will be approached more carefully to restore some confidence.

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