Sometimes when you go into an area in Story or Explore mode it feels more like this...

than this...

other than that, in the limited time I've had with it so far, It's the game I've longed for.

The story missions aren't as cinematic as I expected them to be. I'm not asking for cutscenes and elaborate dialogue in every mission, but it would be nice to have some sense of importance attached to what you're doing. All we get is Dinklage telling us "there are some Fallen/Hive in this cave/building and the Speaker says we should check it out."

It's a great game, but there are a few glaring missed opportunities.

It's the sense of isolation while exploring that I'm missing. Too many allies and antagonist encounters at times.

Oh.

Well, I disagree. I like the encounters. The social aspect of Destiny is its biggest draw for me. I just wish it felt like I was doing something of consequence rather than, "Dinklage says there's a Big Bad in this tunnel and we need to kill him, because... uh... just because." It just comes off as really generic. It comes off like a side quest.

I have no problem with side quests in Explore or Strike mode, because those are supposed to be pick-up-and-play deals just like the Crucible, but in the story missions I was anticipating something a little more earth-shattering than simple boss battles with the thinnest possible story explanations for their existence.

Oh.

Well, I disagree. I like the encounters. The social aspect of Destiny is its biggest draw for me. I just wish it felt like I was doing something of consequence rather than, "Dinklage says there's a Big Bad in this tunnel and we need to kill him, because... uh... just because." It just comes off as really generic. It comes off like a side quest.

I have no problem with side quests in Explore or Strike mode, because those are supposed to be pick-up-and-play deals just like the Crucible, but in the story missions I was anticipating something a little more earth-shattering.

Don't get me wrong, I like the encounters too, but sometime's areas feel overpopulated. I like the social aspect but minus extended periods of isolation, whether solo or in a fireteam, they lose their impact. It's truly arresting when you find yourself in a hairy situation and someone shows up randomly to give you a dig out, but it needs the longer sections where you(ye) are alone to increase the dramatic quality of this.

What console are you playing on? I'm on the 360. I don't think I've ever seen more than 7 or 8 other players on the map at a time in any mode but the Crucible and the Tower, both of which are supposed to be crowded.

The story missions aren't as cinematic as I expected them to be.

What a load of crap. I wish we, as fans of a medium, could get over this collective cinema-envy.

The big thing that makes video games special is the interactivity. Cinema works by the control being totally in the hands of the creator. It's good for something things, but not for others.

A movie can never give you the feeling of double jumping through the air, landing a perfect grenade toss into Riksis' face for the killing blow and then sliding through his disintegrating corpse to knife the last of his minions in the chest. Because you have to put that effort and skill in to get it out.

The story missions aren't as cinematic as I expected them to be.

What a load of crap. I wish we, as fans of a medium, could get over this collective cinema-envy.

The big thing that makes video games special is the interactivity. Cinema works by the control being totally in the hands of the creator. It's good for something things, but not for others.

A movie can never give you the feeling of double jumping through the air, landing a perfect grenade toss into Riksis' face for the killing blow and then sliding through his disintegrating corpse to knife the last of his minions in the chest. Because you have to put that effort and skill in to get it out.

But then what's the difference between Destiny and Borderlands, really? Destiny, to me, felt like it was going to be the Bungie cinematic style Borderlands with a grand vision and story to tell. Right now it sort of feels like a hodgepodge clone of multiple genres. It plays well, don't get me wrong, but loot investment as a sole reason for time investment isn't enough for me.

The only part I would describe as cinematic is the array opening and it's impact can be lost if you`re fighting inside the building.

The story progression is definitely not hitting you over the head but it's there. From the Fallen ships (This close to the surface?) and Fallen patrols tearing shit up (WTH Guardian, look into this.) , the Hive wizard (FROM THE MOON!), the Warmind (Rasputin!) and then the Last Array. The Devils Lair strike suffers by comparison in terms of story.

What console are you playing on? I'm on the 360. I don't think I've ever seen more than 7 or 8 other players on the map at a time in any mode but the Crucible and the Tower, both of which are supposed to be crowded.

That's pretty much what I'm getting at. If you keep bumping into others all the time you lose the sense of exploratory isolation I'm referring to. It's a minor issue, hence my only real complaint.

Emmy and I keep having the issue of random people showing up and bugging us. Seeing another Guardian fighting in the distance, running over and covering them, reviving them if needed, etc. That's fun. Trying to explore and complete a mission while some dick dances around and steals your kills, then teabags the bodies and spams you with Friend Requests is not.

There seriously needs to be a "remove from my world" option or "Friends-Only World."

I believe there is a private and friends only setting. It's under 'Roster'.

Ta muchly.

I don't disagree that there's some story, and honestly I feel like what's going on in Old Russia is unfolding at a typical "Bungie" pace, if not a little slower than normal.

My biggest questions pertain to the why of "why we are fighting." Who are they and why am I killing them? Even if the answer is "We don't know, but they shot first," its at least acknowledged. Right now it just feels lazy.

Emmy and I keep having the issue of random people showing up and bugging us. Seeing another Guardian fighting in the distance, running over and covering them, reviving them if needed, etc. That's fun. Trying to explore and complete a mission while some dick dances around and steals your kills, then teabags the bodies and spams you with Friend Requests is not.

Full agreement my friend.

Remind you of anything?

Though we don't have a manual yet, the manual of Halo 1 did outline the general idea.

Also, the Chief at least might be aware of what's going on and you don't. This Guardian just got resurrected. Don't you think s/he'd want some answers?

TBH? If a flying robot just resurrected me in the middle of a rusty apocalypse, gave me a gun and told me to shoot the guys with four arms, I would say "Sir, Yes sir!".

Pretty much everything we are doing requires some amount of suspension of disbelief.

I think it is a pretty safe bet to suppose the Guardian was already engaged in some sort of fighting before he died the first time. In fact, I'm quite sure the Guardian is already familiar with the Fallen, Hive, Cabal and possibly even the Vex.

Emmy and I keep having the issue of random people showing up and bugging us. Seeing another Guardian fighting in the distance, running over and covering them, reviving them if needed, etc. That's fun. Trying to explore and complete a mission while some dick dances around and steals your kills, then teabags the bodies and spams you with Friend Requests is not.

There seriously needs to be a "remove from my world" option or "Friends-Only World."

Had a guy doing this to Lady Phoenix a few nights ago. Not terribly irritating, but following us around like a lost puppy. He seemed to vanish into thin air when we crossed a load zone into the Mothyard.

Give that a shot next time. Make a beeline for the nearest transition, see if he'll deload. The game clearly keeps you together if you're in a fireteam and populates the rest of the world with randoms. I have a theory that when you cross a load zone, it has to load a new set of randoms. So while it keeps your fireteam together, the randoms change. Should allow you to cross a load zone, dick around there for a few minutes, and then cross back. The offender should be gone.

I have not done any serious research to confirm any of this. If it works though, it's a fantastic foolproof way to loose a harasser. Perhaps not always convenient, but it's a huge world, you can always find something else to do.

I think it is a pretty safe bet to suppose the Guardian was already engaged in some sort of fighting before he died the first time. In fact, I'm quite sure the Guardian is already familiar with the Fallen, Hive, Cabal and possibly even the Vex.

This is my feeling as well. Especially if you're an Exo, which the lore states as being created for a war, right? The location even makes a fair bit of sense. You died just behind the wall, possibly assisting the evacuation off world (that's sure is what it looks like).

I don't think the character is entirely in the dark, but it was fairly unsettling as the player to be told "Here's a gun. Shoot stuff.", be taken to the Tower, meet a bunch of people, and then spontaneously and without any real investigation accomplished, get sent back to Russia to shoot more stuff. For the moment, I'm rolling with the idea that some exposition has been cut so the entire beginning of the game isn't flat out spoiled.

I was also wondering... Does it make sense for an Awoken to be out there in the first place? Human, definitely. Exo, maybe. But Awoken? I haven't kept up with the lore so far, but I was under the impression they were off in their own city, and were something of a rarity on Earth.

I was under the impression that whatever the Exos were built to fight was whatever caused the Collapse (and/or other humans), whereas the Fallen are just kinda looters who only showed up afterwards. The Hive might have been involved, and the Cabal and/or Vex might have shown up by that point, but I doubt it.

In my experience this seems to hold. I was playing with some random guy but we didn't join a fireteam. As soon as I went to a new area, I lost him. So along the same lines you should easily be able to loose someone you want to dump that way.

I had it set to Invite or Friends only. He just physically followed us.

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But then what's the difference between Destiny and Borderlands, really? Destiny, to me, felt like it was going to be the Bungie cinematic style Borderlands with a grand vision and story to tell.

That was exactly what I was expecting. I loved Bungie's stories, and was extremely disappointed at what I experienced when I played the story missions. My opinion is bias in that I was playing a good deal of it at a friends, versus starting my own Guardian, caring for his stats, etc. However, I still was left with a bland taste in my mouth, when it came to the story.

I liked a lot of most other stuff, but I can't promise I'll get the game if they don't have another epic story. That's honestly what keeps me into Halo. I don't play multiplayer very long, unless it's co-op with friends.