Overall (Destiny)

by Kermit , Raleigh, NC, Friday, July 21, 2017, 10:54 (2684 days ago) @ dogcow
edited by Kermit, Friday, July 21, 2017, 10:57

I'm very excited. They’ve done a better job with the story in one mission that they ever did in D1 in-game, and that was the number one improvement I was hoping for. I care about what happens next, and just finding out what happened to the central characters provides more than enough plot for this next game. My first playthrough of the story mission wasn’t that enjoyable, but that I think that was because I struggled so much getting my bearings—I kept switching to weapons with no ammo, and died more times than I would’ve liked. My second playthrough was ace, though. Used my super twice in the public area, and had a blast. The strike was epic—the spaces are enormous, and the sightlines make me excited for the patrol areas—everything feels less bounded by buildings, mountains, and water. I’ve had fun in crucible, too, although that’s probably been more of an adjustment. I love it that team play is so effective, so I’ll probably be playing Crucible more with you all, and I hope you’ll bear with me.

I love the art style, and how they’ve made things look familiar yet different—I’m kind of amazed by that, actually, considering the variety that existed in D1.

Regarding all the changes and inevitable gnashing of teeth that comes with it, isn’t that par for the course with new Bungie games? Frankly, that’s something I love and respect about them. They never rest on their laurels and merely tweak the status quo. They almost always assume that they can improve things and haven’t been afraid of change their games, sometimes radically. I think they felt they’d done all they could with Halo, and you could say that 343’s struggles with keeping that franchise fresh is evidence that they had. I’ve never been one of those to debate small details regarding mechanics or perks, but if D2 weren’t so different from D1, I think I’d be disappointed. If I’m going to spend anywhere close to as much time with it as I did D1, I don’t want more of the same.

I’ll end with one note of disappointment. The music doesn’t strike me as instantly memorable to the degree that Marty’s did, but it’s very good. A little anxious about the sound mix, too, but maybe I’m listening for faults there. It’s still better than most games.

Kerm