Destiny Reviews
It's unlikely the Destiny of today will be the same Destiny we're playing in a few weeks or months, but the reality of the matter is the Destiny of today isn't all that amazing. It has moments, sure, but right now Destiny relies too much on promise, and not enough on delivering.
With a lifeless world, a hazily plotted, repetitive campaign, and an endgame that quickly resorts to a slow grind for marginally better loot, Destiny fails to deliver on the promise of its concept and the enormous potential of its gameplay systems.
It will still eat up your social life and spit you out. It is almost worth purchasing Destiny to feel just how good a Generation 8 shooter could feel.
Destiny is a flashy and beautiful but somewhat generic online space shooter.
We just wish Destiny could captivate those same emotions a little better because if they were, we'd be hooked and ready for more. Instead, we're left hoping post-launch support will make the experience more enjoyable for all of those who believed in their favorite developer while we wait again to see what the future holds.
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.
So far Bungie has failed to exert their dominance but the foundation has been laid. In a year, will we still be talking about Destiny, or will we be looking out for what's next? That's the real question at hand.
It's a confused game that doesn't quite know what it wants to be; is it an MMO, a pure shooter, or a sprawling space epic? It tries to be all of them and misses the mark on most. As much fun as it can be - especially when played with friends - Destiny ultimately crumbles under its own ambition.
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.
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.
Ambitious, polished and clearly pored over by hundreds of people, Destiny is an incredible creative undertaking. It doesn't all click, but it's a huge achievement.
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.
Bungie has proven that it's not a one-trick pony - but we can all look forward to some of its repetition issues being fixed in the inevitable follow-up.
Playing around in Bungie's galaxy for its own sake is still just so undeniable and compulsive a draw that the disappointingly threadbare "why" starts fading into the background.
If your friends are getting it and you like multiplayer, it's worth playing.
Destiny is fun, despite an utterly disposable story and a lack of content in a number of departments. For now, the fun factor is enough to keep us coming back for more, but Destiny's long-term prospects once the initial shine has worn off altogether, don't seem particularly inspiring. It's not quite the epic space-faring journey we were expecting, but for the time being, we'll sit back and enjoy the ride.
Destiny isn't a perfect game, but it's a perfect gaming experience. The girth of the planets, the endless exploration, a fun co-op element and a strong PvP structure has this series on the right track. I can't wait to see what else the future expansions have in store for the overall body of work.
Bungie and Activision has opted to partner with Sony to release exclusive in-game content that you'll only find in the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 versions of the game. An additional 3-person Strike mission that takes place on Mars is missing in the Xbox versions of the game, as well as an additional competitive Crucible map taking place on the Moon. Along with the maps, two exotic weapons and a unique armor set for each class round out the exclusive content. There are also three unique ships, but those are cosmetic only and don't have any bearing on the game
Minor improvements make for an all-round better experience, but not without a few steps backwards
In summation, although it makes no artistic statement and conveys little in terms of story, Destiny is still one of the most fun and addictive games I've played this year, and I would recommend it to anyone sitting on the fence about it.