The Destiny 2 Beta
Introduction
So over the weekend (actually ever since Tuesday night), I’ve spent the majority of time playing the Destiny 2 Beta. It’s got some good, it’s got some bad, and it’s got some things that left me scratching my head. The Beta consists of three main phases: the story mission, the strike inverted spire, and the crucible. I’ll break down my thoughts on each of these sections, as well as address some overall solid efforts, and criticisms, I found and heard while playing the beta.
I’m coming home
Let’s start with the story, Homecoming. The first story mission of Destiny, it sets the stage and narrative of D2. While D1 focused a ton on world building and NPC depth, D2 has the freedom to focus specifically on a narrative, and this first mission does just that. First thing I notice is the world. The level of detail does offer a stark difference in terms of lighting, depth, and atmosphere not really seen in the original destiny. It’s definitely an upgrade. Something as mundane as rain shimmering due to light refractions in the night sky, really feels impressive. This new engine really flexes the muscle of the game, and shows a ton of promise for the game.
I’m still disappointed by my silent protagonist. I suppose it’s a hard problem to solve, how to inject personality into your custom creation. I’m sure Bungie has their reasons, but a bit of acknowledgement from my character that “HEY EVERYTHING IS BURNING”, rather than having my ghost induce panic on my behalf, would be nice to connect me to the conflict more.
But, there is a positive. The NPCs actually do stuff. Cayde-6 greets you, casually slays 3 cabal, and moves on with his life, Zavala barks orders, while offering tactical support as you fend off barrages of enemies. Ikora dumpsters a whole squad of cabal right in front of your eyes like Power Girl, but better. It’s feels interactive, they feel powerful, these characters we’ve learned through quips and small sequences, now feel a part of the story of being a guardian, of returning our light.
To add to the sense of connection of struggle and conflict, there is seamless multiplayer integration. When defending the tower, other guardians show up. Real players, not NPCs or AI bots. Supers flying everywhere, tactical barriers, healing rifts, orbs of light. Destiny has never had this before, and I hope more of this integration shows up during the story. It adds to the realism of it all, that all of us are fighting to protect our home
From there we assume our role as the chosen one, and this sequence is good. Level is well paced, a good mix of Majors and an Ultra. As said before the design and art direction makes huge strides with the power of this engine. Nothing is second best.
We end the story mission by basically falling to our death, and a fade to the title screen. This sets up the story well for the rest of the campaign. It reminded me of the initial taken king mission, via setup and delivery. If anything, this campaign is a huge step up from the initial Destiny launch campaign, and one people really will enjoy.
The Revised Trinity
All three classes, each with 2 revamped subclasses. Speculation suggests the TTK subclasses will be there at launch, but we have no idea for now.
Warlock
Let’s start with the Warlock, my main class in the original Destiny, and most likely the class I’m be maining when Destiny 2 launches.
Dawnblade
The Dawnblade is a better Sunsinger class, hands down. It still retains some common elements found in sunsinger, but the difference in play style helps cement this as a great class for the Warlocks. The super feels power, albeit a tad weak? The long travel times for each sword swings requires a good amount of initial prediction for PvP, or to literally close the gap hard and chase down the enemy in order increase the odds of getting a kill. Their tactical dodge (stolen from titans because lol), makes it fairly easy to chase down opponents, due to the slower pace of PvP (since titan skating and warlock surfing were removed).
Voidwalker
I’m split on Voidwalker. There are design decisions that make me feel as if steps have been taken to neuter the class, however I can the potential Voidwalker has in order to shift engagements in his or her favor. The grenade charge up is a cool mechanic, and due to how infrequently we get supers in PvP and PvE, it bring a bit more benefit to engagements. Problem is, grenades are infrequent, and should only be used when you’re really really ready to engage (i.e. coordinate a push with your team to collapse on the enemy). The super is an interesting change. Really aggressive tracking, like truth levels of tracking. But unless you’re blindsided by it, it feels way too easy to outrun and evade. And by the time the super clips a wall, or is shot by it’s caster, you can be long gone for it to do anything meaningful. However, Voidwalker have blink, and that’s huge. The tactical advantage blink brings you in gun fights, especially on console, can set up some massive kill streaks. Blink-Shotty is back, and it’s here to stay (unless subject to massive nerfs like always with Bungo). Blink alone kept me on warlock, using it to get the drop on enemies, slipping and ducking through cover. The HUD fade from blink recovery isn’t too bad, although you do notice it’s length as you get ready to face the enemy. Voidwalker has fairly weak individual elements, but with good play can make a solid argument for play.
The Rift
Warlock’s class ability is the Rift. And the class ability itself presents a good amount of synergy in PvE, and some tactical advantage in PvP. Healing rits can keep you up just long enough to sustain a team fight for the double trade, provided you have the gun skill, and aren’t being focused. Empowering rifts are solid for increasing DPS on PvE encounters for Boss Burning, as well as asserting dominance down contested chokes when an enemy makes a push. The viability of the rift is amplified with the rally barricade. Ducking to reload automatically, popping out of cover to shoot, rinse and repeat. It’s a great addition to class synergy, cementing roles on the team, and gives us the potential for great team play, especially in stuff like strikes and raids.
Hunter
Gunslinger
The gunslinger maintains most of the kit they had in OG Destiny. Tripmines, Chain of Woe, Golden Gun are all back, but with some interesting tweaks that add for class synergy. During a PvP match, I was able to activate Chain of Woe fairly regularly, when over the comms, my fireteam mate said in shock, “why do I have chain of woe activated…”. Turns out, when you activate chain of woe, it procs for your entire fireteam! This, in combination with smaller tweaks to gunslinger (like the fact it can shoot 6 times rather than 3 via a perk), keeps it relatively the same, but offers more utility to the class for more team play.
Arc Strider
MAN, this class is split. I spent some time browsing forums, reddit, and watching various YouTube videos and Twitch streams to gauge the opinion of arc strider. This rework of blade dancer has positives I say, but the super is more nuanced than what I was expecting. The beautiful thing about most super abilities in destiny is their easy pick up and play nature. You press a couple buttons and you can basically figure out the basics of the class. It’s a little different with the arc strider. There’s actually some real depth. Different button combinations can lead to various combos with the staff, allowing for some majestic pursuits against sluggish guardians. Most of the kit still remains, in regards to their grenades, melee, and jump. Blink was removed from the class in favor of a more traditional jump, but that’s fine I suppose.
The Dodge
The class ability, dodge, solidifies Destiny’s Shadestep as the defining trait of the hunter, buffing it with some added utility. Reloading your drawn gun to continue optimal DPS in PVE, or rolling out of harm’s way to rebuff your melee. The issue I see brought up is that the trait is unlike the Warlock or Hunter, as in it basically offers utility for just the Hunter. Which is a valid argument. But what it also does is ask the question, why? Bungie is a smart studio, filled with incredibly talented minds, and trying to figure out the path of design decisions that resulted in this more selfish ability has left me, and many other players, scratching their heads in confusion. Honestly, I don’t have an opinion, the ability kind of just exists as a small utility in a more DPS oriented class. A class more designed for AD control with arc strider (at least until the return of stormcaller), or more boss damage with gunslinger. The last thing I expect it to be is a hindrance on raids, as the utility is less on group survival and more on “killing all things no matter what”.
Titan
Striker
The striker titan has had the super reworked into a roaming super, and that is both incredibly fun, and very scary. To be honest, all of the Titan’s supers now have roaming capabilities, if we are to expect the Sunbreaker on launch. Shoulder Charge is already a great ability, and using that unlimited pursuit mechanic to rip through minions of the darkness or an enemy team is terrifyingly powerful. The ability to perform multiple smashes makes the titan a more dominant force on any battlefield. Just look at him coming towards you, arms jacked, fists clenched, a burning look in his eyes, the way he or she throws themselves into the air to slam you out of existence Hulk smash style. The overall popularity of titans will definitely increase as the game picks up steam.
Sentinel
The sentinel is a mobile version of the defender titan. A rework aimed for the more aggressive play, which is funny because the game is technically slower. Most of the existing defender titan’s abilities are retained, but the real star of the show is the new shield. Reminiscent of the relic in the infamous Vault of Glass, the Sentinel shield becomes the new pillar of the void titan. Able to be thrown once Captain America style, designed for mobile defense with block, as well as an effective ad clearing tool, it’s a welcomed addition to the already strong arsenal of the former defender. I’d even go so far to say that the new sentinel is so potent, it’s the scariest class to fight against in the crucible.
The wall
Titans protected the wall of the last city in the first game, and now, they are the wall. There are two walls in Destiny 2, the towering barricade, and the rally barricade. One provides massive defensive benefit at the cost of no retaliation, and the other offers a balance of aggressive and defensive playstyle. I found myself using the towering barricade in situations where cover is most desired, or when a teammate has fallen. When you’re surrounded by ads or other enemy players, it gives just enough time and protection to deal with the threat, by falling back or tipping the scales into your favor. The rallying barricade is one of my favorite to use in PVE. It’s instant reload mechanic pairs well with the titan exotic, Sweet Business, to offer disgusting amounts of DPS. The most utility i found in it was when I was paired with two warlocks during the strike. Deploying a rally barricade, and dropping both types of rifts, we held our ground as we fought out the hordes of enemies, barely fighting off death. The wall of the titan is definitely the most well thought out ability of the three.
I’VE COME UP WITH A NEW RECIPE
KEP vs PSH
Kinetic, Energy, and Power weapons replace the Destiny one system of Primary, Secondary, and Heavy. And this was met with eyes cocked, heads tilted, and question marks abound. Why change this system? How will this affect the game as the whole? Will the players adjust and come together?
I’ll assume you’re familiar with the basics of Kinetic vs Energy, as well as what classifies as power weapons in D2, and instead get into the rant. The thing about the first loadout setup, in D1, was that it felt designed for PvE first, and PvP second. Primary weapon is used for the majority of the engagements and enemy fodder, special is used for the off targets and majors, and heavy is used for large boss damage, quick ad removal, and reversing overwhelming situations. It made sense with the design of the game. Each had role in the PvE gameplay loop. Where it struggled, was PvP. Special weapons, these high powered killing machines, became quite strong, especially under the right hands. They could one-shot kill. The can upset games, and cause massive reversals in gunfights. Hell, some were just incredibly cheesy and overpowered. And this fluxed with the balance of the game.
People used specials as primaries. There was less gun skill involved, and more about enemy placement and map knowledge. Why face off in a 1v1 down a hallway, when you can just bait your opponent to a place where you have an advantage, go on a tear by flanking, and single handedly disrupt a match? This screamed “BALANCE” from players alike, and with the PvE scene dying, and PvP taking up a majority of player activity, as well as frustration rising, this system was created. And it sucks.
Here’s why KEP, that’s what I’m calling it now, is a lackluster fix compared to the original PSH. KEP sets up two primary weapons, and one “power” weapon as the loadout for guardians. Two weapons of the same class, and one slot for classes of weapons. What KEP does well, is that it offers variety for primary battles, and forces players to rely more on gun skill. Instead of using a primary weapon that excels at the range a player is comfortable engaging in, it gives users the option to engage in more ranges, because some weapons perform better than others in different situations. This means I can run a pulse or scout rifle for medium to long range, and a hand cannon or SMG for short to medium range. So I can pick some off down main long, rush them down, and clean up with a hand cannon or SMG. If I’m being focused, I’m not crippled by my choice of weaponry. Someone is challenged me from across the map? I have a primary for that. I’m getting flanked? I can back the fuck up and switch to a different primary for that engagement. The emphasis on primary weapons is great, in PvP.
HERE’S THE FUCKING THING, this shit sucks in PvE. The initial load-out trilogy in D1 works because AI engagement compliments a Guardians load-out. But here, not so much. The argument can be made that you can apply the same rules of engagement on minions of the darkness, but from what I’ve been watching via the community, what I’ve been hearing and reading on reddit, it’s a redundant mode. The potential utility that energy weapons bring is only reduced to one thing: burning down elemental shields. Let’s take the Sunshot for example. A Solar Hand Cannon for the hunter, it has great DPS potential and solid stats for PVE. And was the only gun I ran for the entire story mission, as well as the Inverted Spire Strike. My auto rifle felt inadequate compared to the damage Sunshot could do, and Sunshot was more effective at various engagements when enemy fodder got thicker. The only time I switched weapons, was when I either couldn’t push on them due to enemy fire, the gun being ineffective at range, or I ran out of ammo.
This system is here to stay. But it will require some intelligent mechanics design to really push the limits of KEP. Just relying on burn modifiers, or more shielded enemies, doesn’t fix the problem, it only echoes the sentiments found in year one.
Recovery, Resilience, and Mobility
I’m very glad it’s not just me, but the frequency of abilities and supers in this build of the beta is laughable and poor, pushing the game into more of a space shooter vibe, than what makes Destiny special. Grenades are weak in PvE, and rarely effective in PvP, requiring again, gun skill, to finish the fight. When a scatter grenade can’t kill a legionnaire in PvE D2, where as in D1 I could wipe the floor with them, I lose that sense of might. Melees offer less utility overall. I usually find myself using melee a reflex, and never really saw it as an advantage. Whereas in D1 I’d rush a psion to gain my health back, in D2 I stand a better chance at surviving by running away and shooting behind cover.
Movement and pace have been greatly reduced. Lost is the sense of speed a titan or warlock brings, or the agility a hunter has from their jumps. I hate to say it, but it’s more “boots on the ground” than ever. I’m forced to pick my fights from cover, rather than run around as a ballerina, galloping from foe to foe. As a result, I feel sluggish and restricted, which again, detracts from the initial sense of power I felt in D1.
Shooting is still as solid as ever. There’s nothing worth changing here, they legacy of Bungie is shown through and through. Even the sound design of some of the weapons, the Sunshot sounding like a mini cannon stuffed into a small revolver, offers emotional feedback that makes it fun to shoot. As Destiny progressed, Bungie got more and more experimental with weapon and sound design, and that results speak for themselves in D2. The Nergal PR4, a void pulse by Omolon reminiscent of the PDX-45 by Suros, feels meaty and satisfying to shoot.
My Spire is rising
The little glimpse we got into the world of Nessus gives us a ton to desire. Playable locations and such are suppose to be sprawling in D2, adding to an even larger sense of scale, as well as a ton of content. The length of the strike adds to the potential the world may bring. It’s a beautiful location, with differentiating shades of colors adding the of speculation of what the world will bring.
The strike takes a good 20–30 minutes to complete. A well coordinated team can probably get it done in under 18. And it’s not a mindless shooting gallery, the variety the environment offers changes the dynamic of firefights. From the semi-lush jungle near the start of the strike, to the barren warfield as the cabal drill through the nessus, ending with the intricate catacombs the Vex have weaved throughout time. The pace never feels bucked or boring, it’s consistent with its brief periods of rest, as you trudge onto the next battlefield.
The environment gives way to some clever mechanics design and usage. The sheer size of the locals allows for far greater traversal, enclosed arenas give a sense of tension in some spaces, and even the final boss room, with a little bit of mechanics, offers some light tension the player has to account for apart from just taking fire. I wish the mechanics are less predictable, but hey we all have to start somewhere.
These elements give us a sense of difficulty we can come to expect from strikes. Of course by the time we reach end game max light, it will all be a cakewalk, but for now it respects the players skill. No longer can players simply sit and shoot, you have to manage your health, you need to respect your cooldowns, and you need to utilize your super in an effective way. Choosing to nova bomb the minions of the darkness for orbs of light, rather than toss it at the boss for a faster run, are choices players will subconsciously make when running the strikes. And that’s a good thing.
The strike is good. It reminds me of another strike, known as the Echo Chamber, but with less mechanics. And to be honest, I was hoping of a sense of that design in Destiny 2. Echo Chamber is very phase heavy, but it offers interesting team play. Grabbing the relic, attracting aggro, and opening up windows of boss damage while having to deal with ad control. That sense of design complexity was there, but it wasn’t abundant or plainly obvious. It was a safe attempt. Enemies felt more like a minor distraction than a major obstacle, the boss was challenging, but not impossible, and the mechanics of the engagement can be mastered after 2 runs. To some, it’ll get boring fast, losing interest and leaving it for the sake of PVP. To others, it’ll be fun enough to grind out over and over again, for the sake of loot.
Crucible 2.0
Countdown
There are two crucible modes, Countdown and Control, available in the Beta. Let’s start with Countdown. Pegged as the competitive mode, with the illusion of more balanced, close games, this mode is quite fun to play, albeit a bit tense. It’s also a mode the complements the new pace of Destiny 2. What feels slightly sluggish at first, actually pairs very well with the map design. High ground isn’t as abundant, there is tons of cover and ducking potential, and many creative ways to engage the enemy. Even reversals and comebacks are possible, with the help of power ammo (although the fusion rifle is a bit nasty in terms of potency, being able to single-handedly wipe a team). It feels fun to play because everything clicks. The split plays, the 1v1 duels, the attack/defend, the shutouts and clutch plays. Even the KEP system compliments this game mode well, allowing for interesting setups for various engagement ranges. I can’t really see this map working in other types of game modes, as due to the pacing issue, but for Countdown, it’s very well designed.
Control
Control is a different story. Setup as the more casual inclusion, it gives us a the classic control we know and love from Destiny one, but with various tweaks. When reviewing these tweaks, it made it feel the pace of control would speed up. Only one person needed to cap, A and C are pre-capped, power ammo spawning fairly regularly, the list goes on. And increase it did. The pace moved, and people weren’t initially ready for it. And changes were made to the way we played. The smaller 4v4 format, the abysmal base recharge rates for grenades and melees, the weird inconsistencies of power ammo across various weapons, led to the rise of the team shot. When you engage as a squad, you win as a squad. People traded way more often. Spawns flipped ALL the time, sometimes respawns dumped you right into enemy fire. More weird shifts occurred. Day one of the beta everyone flocked for point B in a instant fight to the death for initial control. But people got smart and crafty. And instead, push immediately for their opponent’s pre capped flag, in a gamble to get the early lead. Most times this work, other times, the team was ready and waiting for the backline ambush, ready to punish.
Finally, people just played this way more than Countdown. And that lead to the server ELO ranking to kick in. Initially everyone was having a blast. Pros were going on massive killstreaks, the average player was having mostly fair games, and the newbie was struggling to find their footing. 2 days laters, Pros are getting into harder and harder matches, due to their raw skill skyrocketing their ELO, and the rest of us getting matched more and more with players of our caliber. It was basically inevitable, especially considering the amount of time and matches put into the beta versus the average consumer, who plays it for maybe a day before making up their mind.
A look ahead
This was an interesting beta. Served as a tech test, it offers a serious but limited glimpse of the future of Destiny 2. The presented vertical slice leaves a TON of potential and speculation on the table. It’s convinced most of the existing population that they’ll be returning. What it has also done, is verify to those who didn’t stick with destiny post launch, that it’s not a different enough experience worth coming back to. The main point of the beta was mostly a server and matchmaking test. It held up well, albeit for the weird glitch where nothing loads initially. Destiny 2 will sell well on console, no doubt about it.
One major question I had for Destiny 2, was why. Why should I invest my time into you again for another 3 years? What did this beta do to convince me that you’re worth it? Games are fleeting, ever changing, and always breaking boundaries. Destiny broke boundaries by re-defining the genre of “Console MMOs” even though MMOs on console have existed for a while (see Final Fantasy XIV, and Warframe). I sort of figured out the answer when playing with an old friend, a friend who I brought, but fell off due to the boredom he got from grinding Destiny. He thought the beta was neat, but he can’t see himself pre-ordering the game, much less buying DLC for it. He reserved the same opinions and stance he had in D1. And maybe that’s the thing. Instead of search for reasons to play games, we should just stop and enjoy them for what they offer. If a game speaks to us, defines us, and makes us who we are as gamers, then celebrate that. Maybe that’s enough to convince me to continue to play Destiny.
