Preview: Destiny 2 begins to right the wrongs of the original game

Introduction:

In 2014, Bungie released their passion project that has been brewing since the early days of the Halo series. Destiny was supposed to light the world on fire and changes games forever, sadly it was very, very underwhelming at release. It got significantly better with updates but the game they shipped was less than great. For the last few years, Bungie has been developing a sequel and after being pushed back a few times, it’s finally almost here!

This week, we got a taste of what Destiny 2 has in store for us when it hits shelves this September, thanks to a beta, and oh my god it’s glorious. I stopped playing Destiny in 2015 due to the fact that I didn’t have time to dedicate to the constant grind in a game that lacked any real substance. I personally watched from the sidelines and caught the occasional Twitch stream and read up on what was going on in the Destiny universe and I wanted to jump back in but I couldn’t get myself to do it. With Destiny 2, saying I’m excited after playing this beta would be an understatement.

Destiny 2 may retain the look and feel of the original game but you can tell Bungie really wanted to right their wrongs here. When I loaded up the beta, I was treated to the game’s opening mission which is seemingly packed with more story than the first game ever had. In a mere 30 – 45 minutes, I was captured by this story and I really wanted to play more.

There's finally a real story and it's REALLY good:

The Tower, the supposed last city on Earth, is under attack. This is where Guardians from all over the world have been gathering for three years, meeting new people, getting legendary gear, and having dance battles. This is home for many, this is personal. All of the characters players have grown to love and their belongings that they spent hundreds of hours grinding for are dead and gone for the most part. This iconic area that people spent so much time in is in ruins. It’s such an incredible way to open the sequel, it’s so simple and feels like the obvious next step but it works so damn well. It also benefits from a really breathtaking score that captures the epic nature of what's happening on screen.

As you progress through the opening mission, you’re constantly questioning “Why? How? Who is behind this?” and while the answers to those questions are still yet to be seen, Bungie is clearly laying the foundation for what will be an epic story that should make up for the first game’s shortcomings. There is clear sense of purpose and an actual enemy, Bungie has a vision for this game and it’s very apparent. The first Destiny lacked a story both in the beta and the final game. At the time, it was easy to shrug off the beta and figure that maybe the actual game would bring all of the content Destiny 1's beta was missing. With Destiny 2, leaves nothing but high hopes and excitement for the tale that is going to unfold in front of us when September rolls around.

The PVP is much more intimate and team based but there are some issues:

The big question outside of how the campaign is would have to be the obvious: Is this Destiny 1.5? Yes and no.

Yeah, it looks like the Destiny you know and love with a fresh coat of paint on top of it, but there's a looming feeling that it will be a competent sequel. The PVP has this much tighter, more compact feeling. The maps have been shrunk down significantly, there doesn’t seem to be any vehicle combat (at least in the modes available in the beta). It’s purely Guardian vs. Guardian combat where teamwork is heavily emphasized. You will get absolutely destroyed if you don’t have even the slightest idea of how you want to approach a situation. Guns blazing will very rarely work, you’re going to have to coordinate and think on your feet. It’s a nice spin on the fast-paced gameplay of Bungie’s previous shooter series, Halo, where you could mostly go and wreck shop on your own. The combat is quick and there’s a lot happening but there’s still a lot of teamwork involved whether it’s through verbal communication over the headset or through assisting a teammate with a kill or capture.

One of my biggest complaints is that the time to kill did feel a bit inconsistent at times and that there didn’t seem to be a huge focus on skill. More often than not, the first one to start shooting and land a bullet was the one who ended up winning the firefight. I could aim right at someone’s head and it seemed like I’d always die if I wasn’t the one who shot first.

It also takes a LONG time to kill someone. You have to drain their shield which seems to be way too powerful and then you have to take away their health, you’ll be lucky if reinforcements from the other team haven't arrived by the time you take down someone’s shields. It felt like I was emptying entire clips into enemies before they were down for the count. Luckily, this is a beta and there’s still quite a bit of time to get this patched up before the final game launches.

When in combat, you always have the option to play offensively or defensively with your skill set based on what class you choose. It allows you to always be prepared for any situation (provided your abilities are charged up) and is very useful when you’re trying to capture/defend a point.

The level design is much more unique and playful this time around:

I have to tip my metaphorical hat to Destiny 2’s level design both in The Crucible and in the Strike mission that was made available. In PVP, there’s so much verticality and options for flanking. It keeps you on your toes and allows you to move through the dense maps strategically without breaking your momentum.

In the available Strike mission, it feels much more loaded with activity than anything I experienced in the first game. I was bouncing off of platforms, getting shot through these cannons (yes, I’m aware both of these things were in the first game), and dodging a drilling device that is swinging these saw-like arms at you while battling hordes of enemies. It’s super intense to have to not only be aware of your enemies but your surroundings as well. Furthermore, the boss at the end of the Strike mission is constantly shifting the environment to his advantage by literally pulling the floor out from under you and dropping you deeper into a cavern. He uses the environment to his advantage in all sorts of ways which constantly has you moving, you can’t just hide in one spot and unload bullets into his weak spot. It gets the adrenaline pumping and makes your sweaty palms grip the controller out of anxiety. The madness that ensues is incredible and I truly hope Bungie capitalizes on these elements in the final product.

Overall impressions:

If you didn’t adore Destiny’s satisfying combat the first time around, you won’t like the sequel. The combat feels the same for the most part, which is good in my opinion. The game makes an effort to fix what was wrong about the first game and goes to extra lengths to make some elements much stronger. While there are some issues present here, it’s nothing that can’t be fixed in the near future. Destiny 2 is what the original game should’ve been and so much more, if you’re a hardcore Destiny fan you’ll love this and if you didn’t get the chance to play the original and enjoy a meaty shooter… you’ll definitely want to give this one a shot.

Destiny 2’s beta is currently open on Xbox One and PS4 for those who pre-ordered, it’ll open up to everyone else on Friday and will run through Sunday. The PC beta is set to begin sometime in August. Destiny 2 will release on Xbox One and PS4 on September 6th with a PC release shortly after on October 24th, 2017.