Storytelling in Destiny 2 - Effects of Guardian Progression (Destiny)

by Ragashingo , Official DBO Cryptarch, Wednesday, July 27, 2016, 02:43 (2833 days ago) @ dogcow

It's certainly a trade off.

In Halo, nothing you do in the future affects the way you replay past missions. You're always the Master Chief and there is a solidity and stability and ease of role play that comes from that. I'm leading these marines along this river beneath the African rain forest because I'm a noble, brainwashed supersoldier for whom completing the mission and bringing everyone home are my first and second most important priorities.

On the other hand, Destiny lets me play any mission as one of three characters that have the backstories and weapons preferences and superpowers and motivations of my choosing. I can be my tough experienced soldier far from home fighting to defend those who can't defend themselves. Or I can be my naturally talented but young and inexperienced street rat venturing beyond the walls who protected her all her life in order to provide for her sister. Or I can be my jaded robotic scholar who endured centuries of forced labor after our Golden Age collapsed and who fights to make sure no one claims him as a possession again. And you can choose to play as most any other kind of character you want!

Is a more set and structured character better than giving players the freedom to make up their own stories? Sometimes! It's often easier to slip into a specific place in a specific story as a specific character. And, it probably lends to making the stories you play though stronger and more impactful. Or at least it's probably easier for the developers to make impactful stories that way. But there is something to be said for having the freedom to approach a mission with huge variations in my strategy, loadout, and motivations.

I do wish there was enough content in Destiny that I could completely level up, or even just get to a Light Level where I can do any normal activity without hinderance, without having to repeat anything. It does feel kinda odd to complete all the story content and not yet even be able to use a year two Legendary weapon or armor piece...