Destiny, the most recent game from Bungie game studio hit shelves on September 9 to a lukewarm reception. The game has some strengths, but the problems are far more numerous.
The lack of story is the first problem. The only meaningful exposition is given in the opening cut scene. Other than this, the player is left to listen to Peter Dinklage’s monotonous performance to get any scrap of information on the enemies and locations. Other characters blatantly say that they could give some backstory, but never do. There is even a line in the game that goes, “I don’t even have time to explain why I don’t have time to explain.” Character development is nonexistent, and the player finishes the story without really caring about anyone or anything.
There is some backstory through a system called Grimiore Cards however, which can be unlocked by in-game exploration. The player must log on to bungie.net, activate an account, and only then can the player read some lore about the game. Many of the cards are cryptic, and don’t reveal much more than what we already know… nothing.
While the story is abysmal, the gameplay is excellent. The shooting will feel familiar to first person shooter veterans. The movement is similar to Halo, which propels the “Guardian” quite high. Finding a perch to snipe from is almost always an option. The grenades, for the most part, are well balanced and deal respectable damage to each enemy. The melee abilities are also well balanced and varied. The Guardian’s super ability can allow the player to blast away large groups of enemies, summon an invincible shield for a short time, or even revive themselves after death. This of course depends on the class and sub-class chosen.
However, aside from the supers and some grenades, the classes all feel very similar. There are few instances in the story missions and strikes where a noticeable difference can be felt between the classes. While the titan can deal slightly more damage, the warlock’s shields regenerate faster. The hunter runs faster and jumps higher; there is not a large difference in their basic play styles. And unlike other RPG games, there are no weapon proficiencies to make classes better with one weapon or another. And none of the abilities target a single weapon class either. The assault rifle will perform the same way in the titan’s hands, as it will in the warlock’s.
There is one mission that highlights the difference between the classes. The hardest mission available, the level 26 raid known as the “Vault of Glass.” It tests every player’s mettle. The differences between the classes become more and more apparent in the two difficult jumping puzzles located between sections of the raid. To prevail, players will need to use teamwork and skill to survive against the vex hordes. Without getting into details, there is a reason it took the first raiders 10 hours to complete it. But don’t fret, as now most teams can beat it within 1-2 hours. The loot that can be gained is quite good, with legendary, exotic weapons and armor available. Even if you don’t receive these weapons or raid gear, there are plenty of materials that can level up higher quality gear.
However, while the raid is definitely the most fun and challenging aspect of the game, it is still marred by the game’s most fundamental flaw; all the loot drops are determined by random number generator, or “RNG.” It’s a fancy way of saying; all the loot drops are randomized. That exotic engram could just as easily have been a legendary or rare engram. This means no loot is guaranteed, even in the raid. From personal experience, having run the raid twice, I have only received materials and a ship. No armor or weapons. Again, every piece of loot in the game is completely random.
This feature is made even more infuriating by the leveling system. Once players reach level 20, they’re required to obtain pieces of armor with various “light” levels. To reach the level-cap of 30 players much reach a light level of 120, which is only possible with a full set of raid gear or 3 pieces of raid gear and one exotic. Which, as stated previously, is all randomly generated. While it is amazing to see an exotic, the reality that it could just as easily have been a legendary or rare quickly sets in.
In the end, “Destiny” is a game that failed on many fronts. While the gameplay is superb, the lack of story and frustrating “RNG” system make this loot-based game an absolute grind, requiring hundreds of hours to amass a collection of legendary and exotic gear. Unless you are prepared to put a large amount of time into the game, or are fine with running the same five or six repetitive strikes over again, “Destiny” is not for you.