The Complete ‘Destiny 2’ Review: Hope You’ve Saved Up Your Sick Days
I never would have imagined that I’d come out of hours upon hours of playing Destiny 2 thinking to myself: “Can I skip work to play some more?”
The sequel to Bungie’s love-it-or-hate-it first-person loot fest definitely improves upon the original with a story worth caring about and gameplay so smooth it makes its predecessor feel a lot older than it is.
We start with a much-needed refresher of the prior title, a welcomed one-minute thirty-seconds that fills newcomers in on the basics of what they need to know.
In Destiny 2 you’re a guardian, a gun-toting powerhouse, a protector of humanity, and Bungie even lets you get a taste of this raw power before tragically stripping it away from you and launching you into a futile quest to save humanity.
For a few missions, you’re just an average Joe with a pistol and submachine gun, and it says a lot that, even without those powers you got a taste of, combat is still a solid part of Destiny 2’s improvements. In fact, had it remained a matter of exchanging bullets sans upgraded powers for a few missions longer, it still wouldn’t have grown tiring.
The secret to Destiny 2’s entertainment value is all in the weapon system, which underwent a few changes from its predecessor. Instead of Primary, Special, and Heavy weapon classes, Guardians can equip Kinetic, Energy, and Power, making it easier to customize the perfect trio of guns for every situation.
As I plowed my way through the Fallen and the bug-like Hive, I found myself having to switch between weapons frequently as each one was useful for a specific purpose.
Some FPS games let you use a submachine gun and long-rage rifle almost interchangeably, but in Destiny 2, they are like night and day. Trying to clear a claustrophobic room with a slower rifle will likely leave your Ghost, or very vocal companion, having to revive you often (when revival is an option). The enemies you go up against are far from cannon fodder and will use every advantage they can to take you out.
When not slinging bullets, once you start unlocking powers and abilities, you’ll be using them as often as possible. People complained about only having one new subclass per class, but “Arcstrider,” “Dawnblade,” and “Sentinel” do wonders to enhance your Guardian on the battlefield. Dancing around the battlefield, electrified staff in hand, was easily one of my favorite parts from my time as the Hunter, and the Warlock’s flaming sword was brutal.
If you did love some of the original subclasses, you can unlock them through story progression. Typically, being forced to trudge through a tedious story just to enjoy your favorite aspects of a game, especially in Multiplayer, is viewed as unforgivable. But playing through Destiny 2’s narrative is far from a chore and the more you press forward, the more rewarding content you’ll unlock. Side-missions, dungeons, raids, and public events expand upon the already grandiose experience, leaving behind the game’s PvP multiplayer as its weakest, yet still pretty strong, link.
The Crucible, your hub for competitive and casual multiplayer, transports your Guardian directly into the battlefield, complete with your arsenal, armor, and upgrades from the main worlds. Not only are you building your character for the many environs of Destiny, you’re also ensuring your Guardian can demolish the competition in the 4v4 multiplayer arena.
A drop from 6v6 to 4v4 may not sound like the best move, but the smaller, more intimate maps mean every player makes a difference and there’s less of a lull in the action. It’s rare for me to ever feel like I make any difference in multiplayer, especially since my skills are borderline rubbish. But in Destiny 2, whether I was racking up the kills or trailing behind, I knew the team was certainly feeling it as I didn’t have a dozen others to fall back on.
Countdown serves as the newcomer to Destiny’s playlist of match types and pits one team in a race to plant a bomb while the other hopes to stand in their way, creating a frantic firefight around the intended target. Each of the five modes works in their own way, but Control and Supremacy were arguable the best. The control zones of the former created a tug-of-war for control of the entire map while the latter rewards points only when a defeated opponent’s Crest is collected.
In the PvE world, which makes up much of the game, working together was a necessity in random Public Events and raids. Just like with PvP, every player had to pull their weight as AI enemies weren’t keen on showing mercy. I played through much of the main game solo, but it was fun running into other players in Public Events and coming together to score some rare loot.
Helping you navigate your character loadout and space travel is a character menu that’s laid out in a way that puts just about everything you need right in front of you. Press one button, and you’re looking at your character screen where weapons and armor can be swapped out on the fly. Hold another and you’ll be brought to the Director, which is how you’ll navigate the many worlds of Destiny 2.
Even localized maps are available, ensuring you know where to go for main story missions, side quests, and central hubs where you can find characters to purchase your arsenal from. Compared to the original layout, Destiny 2 is far more user friendly and negates a lot of the pesky load times when traveling from one place to the next.
Amidst all the other things Bungie did right with the Destiny follow-up, the dev team ensured it was a mostly beautiful, beautiful game. Too often did I find myself stopping to admire the work put into the incredibly picturesque environments like the snowy mountains of Earth or Hive-ridden halls of Titan’s rigs. The alien worlds are so incredibly detailed that you start to feel out of place and completely lost.
If Destiny 2’s successes prove anything, it’s that Bungie not only cared how players felt, but was also willing to act upon the many complaints that kept Destiny from surpassing mediocrity.
Mark LoProto is a horror-loving gaming enthusiast who also has a soft spot for Ghostbusters, bubble wrap, and kittens. Look for his work here, here, and here.
