Destiny 2 Review

It has been three years since the launch of the original Destiny game from Bungie. It was/is a game I thought very highly of back at launch and one that garnished me more abusive comments from gamers, including an editor of another website, that stretched on for weeks. My Destiny review is still one that I agree with and one that was based on the sole fact that groups of people who bought into the first game had loads of fun. I know the group I have had since that alpha still came out to play up until the week of the Destiny 2 launch. No regrets on the review, as I almost always had fun with the first game.

So here we are again. A restart for many gamers. A Destiny 2.0, if you will. A game that features a story you don’t have to look online to learn about. A game that has reworked its algorithm on leveling and introduced new ways to get better. A game that has created bigger worlds, harder nightfalls and seemingly, at times, an impossible raid.

This is Destiny 2.

And it’s everything they said it would be.

You’ve got the POOOOWEEEERRRR!
Before we can get into the glory of visuals, modes and whatnot, knowing how Bungie reworked everything under the hood, at least assuming it, is the best way to get started. The leveling system in Destiny is divided into Power and Level. If you make it through the campaign in the game, which should take 7-10 hours (depending on if you’re touring or powering through it), you’re almost assured hitting level 20, which is the current max level. Beating the campaign is quick, along the same lines as a Call of Duty campaign, and by beating it the game opens up doors for new and powerful weapons, as well as earning you items you can use, such as a Sparrow. That latter there doesn’t seem like a big deal, but wait until you see the worlds you roam. We’ll talk about that in a second.

Light in the game, which was prominent, especially in the reboot of the first game, is replaced by ‘Power’. Going along with the story in the campaign, where bad cabal Ghaul takes your light, you have to find a different way to rebuild yourself. Even when you *spoiler alert here* regain your light early in the campaign *spoiler alert ends* you’re still left with power as a gauge. Gaining power equates to what gaining light did in the first title — opportunities to get more powerful. You gain power through completing missions, which gains you equipment and that, in turn, gains you more power levels. It’s a circular gameplay design that keeps you going in Destiny 2.

In addition to gaining weapons and such, you gain mods, which you can add to weapons and armor. This could also gain you additional power levels for those pieces and ultimately for your overall. The mods range from mid-to-legendary. They help you in categories such as defense, offense and just better ways to use the weapons/armor. Consider them the new motes of light upgrades because initially that is what they are in the game. Now, that might seem like Bungie is exchanging an apple for another apple, but the seemingly limitless options of mods for weapons/armor actually prevents the restrictiveness of the mods that you were used to seeing in the first release. What this means is that you can use specific mods across various items, something that wasn’t guaranteed in D1. Exchanging and using mods in different ways to power-up several pieces of equipment is a more manual way to allow gamers better gear. Again, it’s less restrictive than just giving them only specific mods to their weapons/armor, as it was in D1. I’ll take an open option any day of the week.

Mods aside, both power and leveling are the prime focus of your success and failure in Destiny 2. Knowing how each works and how you can manipulate them to work in your favor is the crux of doing well in the game. For example, one of our clan members figured out that your weapon drops will go up, if you clean out lower levels of your weapons. So, if you have a 269 helmet in your group and everything else is 272, then you’re more than likely going to get a 269 item, either weapon or armor on your drops. Should you upgrade your helmet by finding an exotic or opening up a bright engram, which is an engram you acquire every time you level up after hitting max level, then that will shift things to a new power level for engrams. It’s a grind-y sort of deal, as you will be constantly on the hunt for better equipment to get everything going upward in the power category, but it’s not something you aren’t familiar with if you played the first game. The grind for power hits around 260 and doesn’t loosen up until you’re in the 270s, so expect it.

Grinding doesn’t mean that you’re not going to get cool weapons and armor, though. On the contrary, Bungie seems to have built a bridge between the end of D1 and the beginning of D2 when it comes to interesting weaponry at your disposal. You get grenade launchers (new), trace fusion, special hand cannons, submachine guns (new) and even a pulse rifle that emits a consistent laser beam out that does some nasty damage when aimed properly. The bevy of different choices in the game, even later in the upper power level range is impressive. I didn’t have a lot of repeating factors for the majority of the first week of this game, which I was happily surprised by, but I have seen a little bit more as of late. Regardless, there seems to be a large variety of weaponry options. The armor was the same way, though I’m positive I haven’t hit my stride in discovering some cool armor quite yet. The closest I have gotten so far is an astronaut’s exotic helmet. It’s creepy with the right color.

Anyway, getting back to weaponry, the big plus with weapons in the game is how they’re now arranged. The reorganizing of weapons into four different categories has helped quite a bit when it comes to not only PvE, but also PvP. The four weapon types are as follows:

Kinetic: Kinetic weapons are standard weapons. They include auto rifles, pulse rifles, hand cannons and common things you might find along the way. The variety is comparable to D1’s first group of weapons, which makes sense. They’re not as exciting as the other categories, but kinetic weapons have a few tricks up their sleeves, especially when you start going on exotic quests.

Energy: Energy weapons take the concept of kinetic and throws in some goodies to keep it different. For example, you can still get pulse and auto rifles in this category, but you can also get submachine guns and trace fusion here as well. You will see some overlap in this category in comparison to kinetic, but you will also have the opportunity to change the burn of the weapons (solar, void and arc) using mods. That will be very useful when you get into timed Nightfall missions. So. Very. Useful.

Power Weapons: I know a few players have been pissed off about this category. Sniper rifles and shotguns, which were prominent in the secondary weapon (energy) category in D1, have been moved to power weapons. This means that you have to find purple ammo drops to actually acquire ammunition for these weapons and the ammunition isn’t exactly abundant. Well, not initially. Honestly, it was a good move to put sniper rifles and shotguns here, especially when you go into PvP, where shotgun-ing a-holes are generally everywhere (slide, boom, move on). Having less ammo drops for this and having to give more effort/decision-making to use those two particular weapons works out well, in my opinion. Anyway, PvP aside, you also get grenade launchers, rocket launchers and really awesome powerful weapons with adjustable burns in this category. They do make a difference, especially when you get ahold of an exotic grenade launcher. Such destruction.

These are the weapon categories and they work out well. I do particularly like the fact that I can equip two different auto rifles (my weapon of choice) without having to be forced to use something I’m not too fond of, which happens to be submachine guns in D2. They are just too unpredictable in controllability and aim. Anyway, nothing here feels shortchanged, nor does it feel like a grind acquiring new weapons in these categories. Everything simply feels like it was properly placed.

Now, getting back to the grind of leveling, it actually doesn’t ruin the experience because outside of acquiring weapons/armor, you also can gain mods, shaders and additional quests that will provide other avenues for better stuff. Before we get into quests/adventures/modes, let me just add that the shader topic, which is apparently a thing of controversy amongst Destiny 2 players, is silly. Let’s dig into that before we get into the beef of this game.

Shady Argument
I have spoken with quite a few folks that have played D2 since launch and a common complaint is that there is a limitation of shaders, which means you get a limited amount of them and once they’re gone, then they’re gone. Acquiring shaders allows you to color customize your weapons, armor, ships and pretty much anything you own. You can style your guardian in anyway you want, which allows you to be as OCD as you would like, which can consume some time (believe me, lots of time). For example, I dressed my Titan up in shiny red and in a mermaid gradient color scheme shader. Essentially, my Titan looked like a giant Christmas ornament, which was my intention. Anyway, 89% of my Titan had this shader scheme, but I ran out of the shader before I could color code my weapons, which meant that everything didn’t match. It is a bit of a put-off that not everything is the same shader scheme, but I’m not going to bitch/gripe about the lack of shader, rather it just gives me motivation to keep playing to reacquire that shader through my accomplishments. If that means grinding out the game, then by God I’ll be grinding out the game to get the shader back, so that everything matches. It’s not a big deal in the general scheme of things, certainly not a deal breaker by any means, and it adds another layer of fun and intrigue to the overall package. This argument proves that gamers will find the dumbest shit to complain about because they are taught that nothing in this world is perfect, or they’re as cynical as ****. Even when something is perfect, they have to dig for an imperfection.

A shader.

Seriously.

Anyway, in short I think it’s a dumb argument and complaint. I can’t believe I just typed up a paragraph dedicated to shaders, but it had to be done. Shaders are earned customization and additional reasons to keep going through some of the modes and accomplishing tasks.

Speaking of modes…

Modes and modes and modes and modes
There’s a lot going on here and many different ways that Bungie has handled the PvE content inside of Destiny 2. All of it, in my opinion, has improved the gameplay immensely. It has opened up how much content exists within the game and given reason to go and explore the landscape. We’ll get to landscape in a bit, but there’s a lot of good things going on, so let’s break the modes down.

(PvE Content)
Campaign: This is a fun campaign to go through. A cabal named Ghaul has come and kicked everyone’s ass at the Tower. He has captured the Traveler and stolen the light from all Guardians, thinking he is more deserving, and you have to fight to regain it, while looking for a way to put Ghaul down. The story has a basic three-act structure to it with a compelling villain, though some will argue the final fight can be a bit of a breeze. Regardless, knowing what is at stake and feeling motivated to take everything back for the good of the people is what makes this campaign memorable. Of course, Bungie rewards you big time for going through the process of the campaign, so don’t skip this and go adventuring or PvP-ing, folks. Get through it and bathe in the reward glory of your efforts. In short, it’s a good story to run through that properly gives you your due at the end.

Quests: You jump from a large story-driven thrill ride to a multi-layer series of adventures that open up planets and new opportunities to gain cool shit. While the quests are the driving icon behind the campaign, there are additional quests you can open after the campaign is finished to continue smaller storylines that equal out to really great rewards. This option also opens up opportunities to introduce seriously difficult situations that you are properly rewarded for participating in. They’re represented by a blue flag on the destination map of planets you unlock. They generally have multiple steps before you can complete them. I enjoyed the quests, especially during the campaign, very much so, and really had a great time with the ones outside of the campaign.

Adventure: This is probably what I was most excited about when it was announced in May during the Bungie event we attended. Adventures are daily events assigned to you by a planet’s main guardian (not ‘us’ guardians, but someone who resides on each planet). The adventures take players through different places (underground, above ground, in large structures) and require them to do multiple things to finish up an adventure. Sometimes it’s discovery of new places, elimination of enemies or reacquiring something that is lost, such as information that wasn’t known. Regardless, they come in a variety of shapes and structure, which means you won’t be bored with what you’re doing. The rewards equate to planet related coins, and glimmer/equipment, which can be gathered and turned in for engrams. Exploration of the planets might be reward enough for some players.

Public Events: I think the design of public events in D2 was brilliant. Instead of a random happenstance in the middle of a mission, Bungie has actually set up flags around maps that players can launch on their own. The events are specifically timed, meaning that they start in 4-5 minutes depending on time of day, but there is a bevy of them on each planet. This means that players can choose when/where to be apart of the event at any given time. This is useful when you’re trying to accomplish daily challenges set forth by the game.

Strikes: If you played D1 and the beta for D2, then you know how strikes go. They are mini version of the Nightfall and require about 20-30 minutes of a player’s time to complete. They generally end in gigantic bosses that require a hefty fire team to complete. They were not made for solo use, which is why they assign you teams of three, if you don’t have your own team. I went through about 3-4 of these before I started to repeat, yet they were fun and engaging.

Nightfall: So far Nightfalls have been rather difficult. I’m not for certain, because I haven’t really bothered to google or check, but so far all of the Nightfalls have been timed events. This means you have a countdown during the event and you have to get through the entire Nightfall before the countdown is over or you will have to start over again. Having them timed is a challenge, if not a huge pain in the ass. The first Nightfall that dropped when the game was released was brutal. Each enemy you killed gave you back a certain amount of seconds. Not bad, right? Well, the burn in the game kept rotating, meaning that some weapons were effective, while others were not. Then two minutes later the effective weapons became the ineffective weapons. It was a constant and painful rotation that required you to think on your feet and communicate with your team. Again, it was brutal.

The most recent raid, as of this review, is timed, but instead of giving you seconds from enemy death, you gain seconds by literally jumping through hoops. Those hoops are timed, meaning they will appear than disappear (forever) in a certain given time, so it’s stressful, but just like the first Nightfall, communicating with your team is imperative.

While both Nightfalls has been a huge pain in the ass, they certainly bring a team together, which is one of the brighter and more important spots for Destiny 2. You really have to strategize and plan, just like a regular MMO. Go figure. I enjoy that aspect of the game, though my kids have certainly gained new vocabulary from being around me during the Nightfalls.

Raid: Leviathan dropped on Wednesday (9/13) of this week. It’s brutal. I’m not through it yet, but it’s damn challenging and enormously unforgiving. I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s certainly worthy of the moniker of ‘Raid’. If you were expecting a challenge, then you certainly will get it.

Challenges: In the order of operation of things, the game comes with challenges you have to meet each week. These challenges correspond with the above modes and you’ll reap the rewards for completing them. To see your challenges you simply go into a destination (pick a planet), hold down L2 on the controller and they will appear on the left. The list will have overall challenges stretching across the entire game. It’s nifty and, again, very rewarding.

Smaller lists of challenges are located on each planet (you hold down the touchpad to access them while you’re playing on whatever planet you might be on). Those challenges are less difficult (they don’t include a Raid or Nightfall) and the rewards are not as great, but there are still rewards. Challenges on this list range from completing Lost Sectors (hidden sectors on planets that contain nice loot) to completing a certain number of public events. They vary and change from day-to-day.

The PvE content of Destiny 2 is what makes this game so damn good. There’s so much to do and see, as well as plenty of space to explore on your own without really being attached to any of these modes. I actually had to pull myself away from the PvE so I could dive into PvP. That’s how good it is, which is the opposite of my experience with D1.

(PvP Content)
I won’t spend a great deal of time on this section, but I would like to say a few things for the record. The move to 4v4 mode in PvP was brilliant. It works, as it allows for small pockets of teams to go at each other, which also prevents unfamiliar and unmic’d stragglers from screwing up strategy during a PvP match. When they announced the move to 4v4 I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but it was for the better. Again, everything seems a bit tighter and more intense with less strangers involved on your team, as silly as that sounds.

That said, I’ve played Competitive and Quick Play PvP modes and I’m generally happy with them.

Competitive was in the beta, where you and your team guard activated bombs and deactivate bombs. Whatever you are doing during the round, the other team has to do the opposite. So, if you’re arming bombs, then you have to guard it and defend against the attack of the other team. If you’re trying to defuse one, then you’re hunting down the other team. It’s quite an easy concept. There is no self-respawning in this game, as you have to get revived by a teammate, so it does force you to be careful with your decisions during the match. Rarely will going in Rambo style into a firefight have any good outcome during one of these matches. Competitive PvP is an intense experience that opens up the opportunity for teammates to hate each other quickly. Communication is the key here and the only way to survive. It also helps to know the map you’re playing on and the only way to do this is to continue to play. It’s a great PvP mode, though certainly not for the Call of Duty players out there, who enjoy running and gunning.

The Quick Play mode is a cornucopia of different modes ranging from Supremacy to Clash to Control (and I’m sure there are more familiar faces in there, but this is the gist of it). These are traditional modes from D1 and fit nicely into the scheme of things for D2’s launch. Eventually, I’m sure Bungie will change things up as the game gets a bit more settled, but if you need a quick fix of the old familiar then this is the way to go.

All this said, if there had to be some criticism of PvP it would start with the map. There are maps where 4v4 absolutely drowns inside of it. For example, last night I was playing a level and our team had a hard time finding the other team. The scope of the map was HUGE, so it was difficult to traverse it fast enough to locate the other team. It was like two teams running in the same direction on opposite ends in a circular fashion. Someone had to stop and wait for the fighting to begin, but both teams essentially had to search for the other. It caused a low scoring affair, which is never fun.

Another knock I have to make and politely ask Bungie to reinstitute is the full power of the shoulder charge. It has been nerfed in PvP. It has been nerfed to the point where it is basically useless. Out of all the things to exclude in PvP, this would not have been my first choice. I would have brought down the shotguns a level, as they are still too powerful in the game, and refined how the shoulder charge can be used. Pretty much rendering it useless? No. That shouldn’t have happened. I think that if they can take it and gauge the power of it based on the speed and angle of the attack, then that would be a fine compromise, as it would give you a fighting chance to get your hit right. But flat-out killing it is incredibly unacceptable. For example, I had an enemy in my sights last night, one that didn’t see me coming from the left, and I rushed, charged up my hit and slammed into him. Half of his energy bar decreased, he jumped into the air to confuse me and then killed me with a barrage of shots. That type of stuff is unfair. It was a clean hit on an unsuspecting enemy and it should have taken him out. Anyway, it needs to be brought back the way it was in D1 or refined enough to make it work at certain times. I will play less and less of PvP if it doesn’t.

Overall, I’m generally happy with the PvP offerings at the moment, minus the shoulder charge nerf. I think that there needs to be some improvement here and there, and I’m sure there will be some adjustments as time goes on, but for the most part it really does play a balanced game. It will be fun to see in motion six months from now.

This is deep and beautiful
Beyond all the content in the game that makes the gameplay special, the biggest improvement in Destiny 2, which you will notice right out of the gate with the game, is the scope of it all. The planets are huge, large and explorable. They’re deep with caverns and ever-expanding in scope. The lack of load time in the game will baffle you when you see the huge environments sprawl out around you. If a PSVR version of this ever rears its head, I’m so there. It would make a beautiful escape from Kentucky surroundings.

On top of this, the game is stunning to look at, as it teems with life (depending on planet). You will have animals running/flying around you, waterfalls cascading into an electric river and/or miles of scorched landscape where astronauts from yester years have crash landed in devastating fashion. There’s so much to see, so much to explore and so much to appreciate. It’s video game art at its best. It’s an art show where you live and fight inside the art. It’s one of the best looking games I’ve seen in this generation, and there have been some pretty damn fine games out there.

On top of the pretty, you will also get some good script and acting from the supporting characters around you. There’s a lot to appreciate in the presentation department of Destiny 2 and plenty to discover along the extensive journey you’re given.

Wrapping this up now. I’ve talked your eyes off.