Destiny Reviews
As someone who genuinely, deeply cares about games as works of art, to see a game as limited as Destiny become the game that is on the front pages of mainstream news is like a slap in the face. I can't deny that the game is entertaining, beautiful, or content-rich, but for all that Destiny is not even close to a masterpiece.
This game will be an absolute slam dunk for certain players, though others will find themselves severely disappointed if they're expecting it to light the gaming world on fire.
Over-hyped beyond reason, Destiny is a fun shooter with some serious flaws. Despite those flaws, there's still a ton of fun to be had. Temper your expectations, grab some friends, and settle in for a good time.
Destiny may not have been the shooter that we were hoping for, or even the revolutionary experience that Bungie promised, but we've still got high hopes for the game's future.
I still don't really know why anything I'm doing in 'Destiny' matters to the characters in the game, but I do know that getting a new gun and leveling up to 26 in preparation for the upcoming raid, or the weekly strikes, or the daily mission, or for the simple fact that I enjoy getting (admittedly generous) headshots on both the aliens and my fellow guardians, pushes me onward.
Destiny . . . can hopefully do what other successful MMOs have done before and build on its foundation by adding new content. It doesn't have the drilled-down focus of a shooter nor the grand sense of exploration or community of a good MMO so it might be a hard sell for purists of both genres. If it manages to bring together the best elements of those two game types together, however, then it still has a chance of realizing its destiny as a game changer in the gaming space.
Destiny is an ambitious and content-rich shooter that pushes the genre forward, but it lacks the quality storytelling that maker Bungie is known for.
The studio has a 10-year release plan for new Destiny content, including the first two expansions some players have already paid for. What Bungie has released so far is merely a scaffolding, which isn't immediately honest with the player about its core identity. It's a beautiful scaffolding, though, and in the triple-A video game industry, merely beautiful is almost always enough to satisfy the baseline consumer.
But it's not that game right now. Destiny is a confident, solid, sometimes stunningly beautiful shooter with RPG mechanics that add longevity and depth, and the beginnings of what could be an incredible online universe. But it feels like the tip of the glacier, and I'm not sure it's a good thing to be more excited about what a game might one day be, than what it actually is.
Destiny hasn't gotten off to the best start but I do see potential down the line. If more social features are added, loot is improved, and new content keeps coming, it will be worth the entry fee. We'll be covering Destiny along the way, but for now I'd be wary of picking it up at full price.
But in the white heat of the Strike playlists - or in Heroic mission runs with a friend, or in the unheralded arrival of a public event whilst tooling around in Patrol - Destiny blazes a clear trail through the middle of the desolate no man's land that, for years now, has segregated the bombastic emptiness of shooter campaigns from the frenetic slaughter of multiplayer. And it does so with a poise and depth that its few peers - games like the charming but scrappy Borderlands and Far Cry - cannot match; a poise and depth that will keep people playing it for years.
The game is packed with so much content that it'll keep you busy for hours on end. And it's even more engrossing when you're playing with friends.
By overlooking features that have made other massively multiplayer games and first-person shooter/RPG hybrids successful, Bungie has created a game that lacks immersion and is in need of a wow factor. Still, thanks to some quality gunplay, addictive multiplayer and beautiful presentation, Destiny exists as a decent game and isn't a bad way to spend one's time.
Well-polished shooter/MMO hybrid with addictive loot hunt properties, great visuals on next gen consoles, fun multiplayer experience with co-op and PvP options; Some dialog cheese, party search and creation could be improved, episodic missions can endlessly be replayed but with long term effect on the world.
Flawed, yes. Fun? Certainly. A total failure? Not really.
Destiny is a great-handling first-person shooter that manages to seamlessly weave multiplayer elements into its campaign. Bungie has managed to craft plenty of great mechanics for the new game, as well as allow for player expression through the RPG skills and customization system.
Destiny, Bungie's ambitious space opera, has vision in spades and is mechanically sound--but it falls short of its lofty goals.
There is room to improve and build upon this base, but it's a fantastic base regardless. It should only get better from here on out.
Despite its flaws and despite its repetitiveness, I haven't been this invested in a shooter in a long while. Whether that lasts is up to fate.
Those craving a solid shooter to enjoy with friends and have no interest in taking on the Fallen alone should definitely give Destiny a shot.