No it doesn't! There is NOTHING to do once you play all the strikes and story missions. Everything is a repeat. The game is pretty much over for me.

Unless I am way off and there are other things besides the raid that are new content for high level players, then this is really fucking stupid.

You could kind of say the same about any story-based game?

You could kind of say the same about any story-based game?

I hit level 20 literally on killing the final enemy of the story mode.

Bungie has said the real game starts at 20. I expected then, that there would be tons of cool unique content for those who are max level. There isn't.

You could kind of say the same about any story-based game?

Remember how awful ODST was when you beat the story mode in a few hours and all you had left to do was play a mode where you run around in the same areas over and over killing the same enemies over and over. Remember how awful and not fun that was? Nobody liked that game.
/s

If you stand on your head while singing show tunes, and balance a stoned orangutan on your left foot while the orangutan plays the guitar, the game will get better.......or not. Who knows!

How many public events have you done now that the game is over for you? And what about the weekly Heroic and Nightfall strikes what were your thoughts after exhausting all of those?

Oh, and of course... How was the raid? What was the trick to opening the door?

How many public events have you done now that the game is over for you? And what about the weekly Heroic and Nightfall strikes what were your thoughts after exhausting all of those?

Glad you asked. The current Heroic Weekly strike is the Devil's Lair at level 22. The same strike we've all played a bazillion times. Only this time, all the enemies are level 22, and there's a modifier where arc element does more damage. This is what I mean, all the stuff we are supposed to do isn't new.

Public events are okay, but not exactly the meat of things.

Oh, and of course... How was the raid? What was the trick to opening the door?

I specifically mentioned the raid as something I was looking forward to. Maybe you missed that in my post.

No it doesn't! There is NOTHING to do once you play all the strikes and story missions. Everything is a repeat. The game is pretty much over for me.

Unless I am way off and there are other things besides the raid that are new content for high level players, then this is really fucking stupid.

I'm amazed how into speed running you are with this stance on "everything is a repeat". And I'm someone who agrees with you on disliking "loot" progression.

- No text -

Sounds like you need a good hard pat on the back there, Cody.

Can you really have expected a whole bunch of new stuff to open up for you on hitting level 20? Be serious, man.

I figured they were always talking about gunning for challenges and specific gear to tweak your build for raids, PvP, etc. Not to mention to be ready for when the DLC drops. That's the long game. It's nobody's fault but your own that you feel like it was somehow short. You burned through it in a day!

Though I do remember hearing specific language like "once you hit level 20, enemy behaviors will change". Perhaps someone can corroborate this.

Besides, did you fully flesh out all three classes? I understand your complaint is "but there's nothing new for me anymore", but there *is* different gameplay and new experiences left.

~m

I'm really enjoying my steak, personally. Ive been playing for HOURS (12-15) and Im barely halfway through the moon. I've done a tonne of patrol stuff, done a lot of exploring, played a little PvP, and enjoyed myself.

I tried just rushing through the missions at first, and it did feel a little hollow. But thats clearly not what Destiny is about. Instead Ive been levelling 3 separate characters (playing with separate groups of friends), collecting some sweet gear, and just taking my time.

Tl;dr - the game's out now. Theres no time limit like in the beta. It's not going anywhere. Slow down. Enjoy.

Going through story one time as one class and one subclass is one thing. Maxing out your gear, trying new subclasses, maxing your weekly Vanguard Marks, completing the story missions on higher difficulty, completing weekly Nightfalls, completing Daily Heroics, and competing in the Crucible are another. Your missing the forest for the trees. Honestly, I have a hard time thinking what more someone could want. Infinite new content generated every day tailored specifically to your character? C'mon man.

Bungie has created a truly beautiful game here. It's not the Sistine Chapel, but it is the girders on which Bungie will lay while they paint the Sistine Chapel. This isn't WoW, which had rich lore prior to development - this is a new IP. This is the foundation that will be used to paint their masterpiece. One that will unfold over the next decade. What we, as fans, need now, is execution. We need the support that has been discussed - Iron Crucible type events, random missions given by strangers arriving in the Tower, and substantial and material DLC.

The game really does begin at 20. You unlock the high level gear and can tweak your character to find the perfect build that fits your playstyle. The Raid will be available soon and grinding for Legendary and Epic gear can be done.

You've had a long day and you've just finished your dinner. End game is the dessert and you're leaving the table before the cake comes out.

I believe Destiny is one of those games that you either "get" or you "don't get." I also believe it's the very beginning of something that will be truly special. I sincerely hope it comes to fruition. Destiny will keep me busy for a very, very long time.

or maybe I will have more enthusiasm after I've had a break.

http://imgur.com/a/7TnF8

So when you hit level 20, you unlock 3 new difficulty levels for missions (20, 24 and 28), the Daily Heroic Story mission, and the Weekly Heroic strike. I don't know what the weekly Nightfall mission(s) are like or if they would have the level 20 requirement or not.

But still, I'm dumbfounded that you are claiming that there is "nothing to do" after hitting 20. You've been disappointed in this game from the moment you heard "investment system", and now you're just grasping at everything to try to justify your preconceived opinion of the game.

I'm personally having a blast with the game, and I've only just hit L12 on a single character. I can't wait to get past level 16 so I can unlock the strike playlist(s) and then start my other two characters. I'm excited to try out every subclass and see which type of Guardian will be my "love you long-time" build (aka, 10 year character).

Anyone who says this game doesn't have enough content needs to reevaluate their frame of reference. Even without the things unlocked that I've mentioned here, I'm already overwhelmed with the amount of stuff to do.

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I imagine that will be something people want to do after exhausting the game with one character? I suppose some people like to go through with multiple at a time, but I'm not one for replaying missions shortly after beating them the first time. Though the gameplay is still really fun, I need new missions and lore to keep me engaged :)

All of that stuff is just permutations of the same content you've already played. It's not actual content. Cody is right.

If this were a Halo game, or just another campaign-plus-multiplayer FPS, that wouldn't be a problem, but Destiny was supposed to be an epic exploration-themed adventure that could keep your attention for years. The final game is not that.

All of that stuff is just permutations of the same content you've already played. It's not actual content. Cody is right.

If this were a Halo game, or just another campaign-plus-multiplayer FPS, that wouldn't be a problem, but Destiny was supposed to be an epic exploration-themed adventure that could keep your attention for years. The final game is not that.

So far, and this could change, the final game is that for me. It's also a matter of perspective, personal interests, and expectations. But even before the permutations mentioned, and with half of the story left to do, I'm already overwhelmed and feel like my adventure with this game is just starting. I'm not trying to go overboard on defending Destiny - I just can't even fathom that people are already exhausted with it, let alone finished with the story. I feel like I'm playing a different game! I guess the open nature of the game allows for a huge spectrum of approaches. :)

It might not be exactly that, in your eyes, but it's still a damn fun not-that, if you ask me.

The narrative is a bit janky (I feel like the Grimoire has explained a lot of stuff to me that should have just been in the game, not hidden away on the website), but mechanically Im enjoying it enormously.

If this were a Halo game, or just another campaign-plus-multiplayer FPS, that wouldn't be a problem, but Destiny was supposed to be an epic exploration-themed adventure that could keep your attention for years. The final game is not that.

I disagree. It feels very much like an epic exploration-themed adventure to me.

As far as keeping my attention for years, I don't think the scope of that concept was limited to the first base game. There are going to be countless expansions and major title releases. The first expansion (The Dark Below) is releasing in December, and I'm guessing that the 2nd announced expansion pack would be released 3-6 months behind that (I'd lean towards 3)

Will this single base game Destiny keep me entertained for years? No. Will the universe keep me entertained and will I have one or more characters that stay with me for a decade? Yes. The game is fun as hell, and there is more than enough content to keep me going for a very long time.

I agree that the game is fun. I'm still enjoying it. But I don't see myself playing it for much longer than a couple of months.

I can't speak for Cody, but just because I'm disappointed with the game and have been criticizing it for its faults, does NOT mean that it's a complete piece of shit. This is a pretty awesome game. It's just deeply flawed, not what was promised or advertised, and not what it could have been. I don't foresee it having the longevity that Bungie hopes it will have, but I'm having fun with it for the moment.

I suspected before release that it would be a fun weekend time-waster, and that's exactly what it feels like to me, but the loot grind won't hold my attention for more than a couple months.

Will this single base game Destiny keep me entertained for years? No. Will the universe keep me entertained and will I have one or more characters that stay with me for a decade? Yes. The game is fun as hell, and there is more than enough content to keep me going for a very long time.

So there's enough content as long as you're willing to grind the same four explorable areas endlessly and pay out the ass for expansions and DLC?

So there's enough content as long as you're willing to grind the same four explorable areas endlessly

There is more than enough content in the base game--which is incredibly fun and enjoyable--to keep me playing until the next expansion. I haven't even run into a single public event or played a single match of Crucible.

and pay out the ass for expansions and DLC?

Citation needed. $35 for two content packs of uncertain size in a 6 month (?) period does not equal "paying out the ass". Not sure what crystal ball you're using, but we have no idea what the scope of the expansion/DLC content is going to be or how frequent they will be released.

You don't think paying over 50% the price of the main game constitutes paying out the ass?

Activision has you by the balls, man...

Will this single base game Destiny keep me entertained for years? No. Will the universe keep me entertained and will I have one or more characters that stay with me for a decade? Yes. The game is fun as hell, and there is more than enough content to keep me going for a very long time.

So there's enough content as long as you're willing to grind the same four explorable areas endlessly and pay out the ass for expansions and DLC?

One person's "four areas" is another's "four hubs with dozens of areas to explore". I don't ever plan on grinding either. I've got Gosts and chests to find, Patrols, Strikes, and Raids to tackle, public events to partake in, new powers to try out, not to mention entire other classes to experience. Oh yeah, and the Crucible!

You don't think paying over 50% the price of the main game constitutes paying out the ass?

Activision has you by the balls, man...

Not when none of us know anything about the expansions. No need to resort to insults, as well. Let's keep the debates friendly. :)

http://imgur.com/a/7TnF8

So when you hit level 20, you unlock 3 new difficulty levels for missions (20, 24 and 28), the Daily Heroic Story mission, and the Weekly Heroic strike. I don't know what the weekly Nightfall mission(s) are like or if they would have the level 20 requirement or not.

Please don't be dumfounded. My complaint is there's nothing new to do, and playing the same missions with bigger numbers is barely different since you yourself are stronger. I did a few story missions on level 20, and I don't even see different types / numbers of enemies, just the enemies in the instanced areas being boosted to level 20.

Anyone who says this game doesn't have enough content needs to reevaluate their frame of reference. Even without the things unlocked that I've mentioned here, I'm already overwhelmed with the amount of stuff to do.

My argument is that the late game 'content' is really stretching the definition of the word when all of it is repeats.

It wasn't an insult, it was a warning. Watch out for nickel-and-dime tactics from the major publishers.

Sounds like you need a good hard pat on the back there, Cody.

Can you really have expected a whole bunch of new stuff to open up for you on hitting level 20? Be serious, man.

I actually did. When Bungie says the game STARTS at level 20, to me that meant tons of new missions and shit to do. I know other MMO games have tons of exclusive stuff only max level people can do, i.e. stuff you don't even see at lower level.

I have not yet been in Seraphim's Vault or the Jovian complex. Either those DO open up after I reach a certain level, or they are DLC areas in which Bungie has committed the sin of on disc DLC.

Whichever is true, it's dumb because I'm here scratching my head as to what to do. The idea that they said the meat of the game is after level 20, and there being absolutely nothing compelling after level 20 - that's my complaint. Play a strike or story mission on a harder difficulty. In the ones I played literally the only difference is the number over the head of what you are shooting.

You don't think paying over 50% the price of the main game constitutes paying out the ass?

Activision has you by the balls, man...

For two content packs of unknown scope at an unknown future date? No.

I don't share the same point of view as you, and your tone is very abrasive so I'm done replying.

No it doesn't! There is NOTHING to do once you play all the strikes and story missions. Everything is a repeat. The game is pretty much over for me.

Unless I am way off and there are other things besides the raid that are new content for high level players, then this is really fucking stupid.

I'm amazed how into speed running you are with this stance on "everything is a repeat". And I'm someone who agrees with you on disliking "loot" progression.

Things change. Maybe the me of 2005 would have loved this.

I don't mean to be abrasive. I'm just honestly dumbfounded that you don't see how this whole game is a loot grind DLC trap. It's fun and there's massive potential in the concept, in the universe, in the stellar combat system, but it's being executed as a standard AAA game with "fake" content (permutations and grinds) included in the on-disc end game and "real" content (missions, Strikes, playable areas) relegated to paid DLC.

My argument is that the late game 'content' is really stretching the definition of the word when all of it is repeats.

I guess then this is where our opinions diverge. For me, new challenges (like strikes/missions with different difficulties and modifiers) and things that I've never even seen (like new scheduled and random public events) are considered 'content' in my book.

You don't think paying over 50% the price of the main game constitutes paying out the ass?

Activision has you by the balls, man...

For two content packs of unknown scope at an unknown future date? No.

I don't share the same point of view as you, and your tone is very abrasive so I'm done replying.

I just want to chime in and add that I won't have my copy until next week, and I won't be able to actually play it for months, but this price point does not bother me in the slightest. I dropped nearly the same amount for Borderlands 2's Season Pass, and then more for content that fell outside the pass, and never once felt disappointed, cheated, or overcharged.

The DLC content for Borderlands arguably rivals the length and breadth of the game itself (making the price point more than worth it), and judging from Destiny's Beta, I'm expecting the expansions Bungie releases to do exactly the same thing.

One person's "four areas" is another's "four hubs with dozens of areas to explore". I don't ever plan on grinding either. I've got Gosts and chests to find, Patrols, Strikes, and Raids to tackle, public events to partake in, new powers to try out, not to mention entire other classes to experience. Oh yeah, and the Crucible!

You will probably do all that in about twice the time it would take you to finish a regular AAA game. If I played from your perspective, Destiny would be fantastic. I had a fantastic time doing what you say you are going to do. However I want to do the RAID. When you reach the point where I am, and you actually see how you have to get to level 25, and see how long it will take, it's miserable.

You don't think paying over 50% the price of the main game constitutes paying out the ass?

When console gaming was young, a new Intellivision game cartridge cost about $40. That's in 1981 dollars, though; in today's dollars that'd work out to about $100. (according to the Bank of Canada. I suspect there's more content in the Destiny DLC than in one of those cartridges... so by that metric is it overpriced?

-- Steve isn't sure which would cost more to create; game design back in '81 was a primitive and uncertain process.

My argument is that the late game 'content' is really stretching the definition of the word when all of it is repeats.

I guess then this is where our opinions diverge. For me, new challenges (like strikes/missions with different difficulties and modifiers) and things that I've never even seen (like new scheduled and random public events) are considered 'content' in my book.

Well in a way then, the old Halo games had more content than Destiny by virtue of their skulls and difficulty selectors.

No it doesn't! There is NOTHING to do once you play all the strikes and story missions. Everything is a repeat. The game is pretty much over for me.

Unless I am way off and there are other things besides the raid that are new content for high level players, then this is really fucking stupid.

So when IGN recently quoted Luke Smith as saying that "after level 20 there are a bunch of strikes that become available to you," that was just wrong?

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/30/destiny-the-endgame-is-only-the-beginning-ign-first

No it doesn't! There is NOTHING to do once you play all the strikes and story missions. Everything is a repeat. The game is pretty much over for me.

Unless I am way off and there are other things besides the raid that are new content for high level players, then this is really fucking stupid.

So when IGN recently quoted Luke Smith as saying that "after level 20 there are a bunch of strikes that become available to you," that was just wrong?

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/07/30/destiny-the-endgame-is-only-the-beginning-ign-first

Yes it's wrong. There are no new strikes. What becomes available is a playlist that randomly puts you in a level 20 strike. It's just all the ones you already did, with enemies at level 20. If actual new strikes opened up that would be great.

Cody - you are a gosh darned troll. Its been 1 Day, 14 Hours since Destiny launched. ONE DAY! Since you have been posting here - very obviously - for quite sometime, you already know that there is more in the pipe. Places that are still locked off. Things not yet seen.

So what do you post?

No it doesn't! There is NOTHING to do once you play all the strikes and story missions. Everything is a repeat. The game is pretty much over for me.

Then I have bad news Cody - if you in your self imposed infinite wisdom really feel that in one day you can hyperbole up a post into fact, then perhaps Destiny is not for you. Don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out.

Seriously dude. Chill. :/

At the risk of being labeled a troll as well, I feel like you guys are deluding yourselves. How much new content is really in the pipe? Yes, there's the raid (which I'm looking forward to, believe it or not), and I'm sure the $35 expansion pass will give us a few new missions and Crucible maps, but beyond that, as far as the free on-disc end game content is concerned, how much new stuff is really in the pipe? It seems like it will be limited to permutations of the same content we've all been playing for the past two days.

When you reach the point where I am, and you actually see how you have to get to level 25, and see how long it will take, it's miserable.

You reached level 20 in under 24, and you think the time and effort to get to level 25 will be "miserable" ? I'm okay with you having a negative opinion of destiny, but can you at least admit to yourself that you're not the average gamer, but are instead of the fringe? Most players won't get to level 20 in 24 hours, and the ones that do won't desire to beat everything in the 24 hours after that.

A $50 game in 2004, which might have $10 of DLC total, would cost about $63 today ($75 including the DLC). What's changed in 10 years?

Even if we are deluding ourselves, I fail to see why people who have a negative opinion of the game feel like they need to convince others to feel the same way.

It's quite natural that if you're having fun, you want to convince others to have fun too. But if you're having a shitty time playing Destiny, it is NOT natural to try and convince others to have a shitty time too. So maybe you accept that "misery loves company", but in that case you always probably feel like telling those people to "shutup" is okay as well :)

Feel free to state your opinion and game review and say negative things, but then please smile, wave, and leave. Constructive criticism is fine, but that's not the way some of these posts by the glass-almost-empty people feel. They are just seething with negativity and people are getting irate when others don't see Destiny as being as bad as they do.

You reached level 20 in under 24, and you think the time and effort to get to level 25 will be "miserable" ?

This very well could be true. Because you can't go from 20->25 linearly like you can from 1->20. Getting past 20 isn't about accumulating XP, which is predictable, but rather relies on getting the correct gear with the +Light stat, which heavily relies on our lord and savior, RNG (aka, the loot drop mechanics)

It's not about convincing others. People respond to our impressions of the game and we respond back. I don't expect to convince anyone on a Bungie fan site that any aspect of this game is disappointing, but I do enjoy debating points about the game design and I'm interested to hear other points of view.

Cody - you are a gosh darned troll. Its been 1 Day, 14 Hours since Destiny launched. ONE DAY! Since you have been posting here - very obviously - for quite sometime, you already know that there is more in the pipe. Places that are still locked off. Things not yet seen.

Why is it locked off? All it does is create frustration. We should be able to move on to new challenges when we finish the current ones.

Not cool telling him to shut up, honestly. He might be dead wrong, or even highly mistaken, or maybe this will turn into a Schooly Was Right type of deal and it will be Cody Was Right in the matter of a year or two, but if he's already beat the game and maxed out his stuff and is already bored and trying to find something to do, I can understand his frustration. He's not alone in it, either. There are lots of complaints out on the interwebs regarding this game (no surprise there, being the interwebs and all :P). No need for him to be told to shut up over it.

there are a LOT of monster closets on every level that weren't used. It would be possible to do a SpOps and have different encounters in those same spaces.

No. In Halo you are locked into the character the game provided. In Destiny, you are not. If you're going to get specific and use the skull/difficulty combinations to define additional content in Halo, be sure to include the difficulty/class/sub class/build/gear/encounter type combinations in Destiny to keep the comparisons fair. There is no world in which Halo has more content than Destiny.

EDIT: words.

Telling people to shut up never creates a good tone or resolves an ill one. Nor does saying people are deluded or they've been got by the balls, etc. There are always these kinds of threads when a new game is released but there are some good critiques and debates here, so let's try to keep it civil, instead of letting it become an argument between people instead of talking about the game itself.

So let's redouble our efforts as lots of people are passionate and it's easy to be too strongly worded or read words as too strong, if that makes sense. Let's not be every forum ever - let's be better. :)

re: being got by the balls - That was bad phrasing on my part. I did not intend that as an insult, only as a warning that Activision are going to nickel-and-dime the crap out of their player base, so you'd better be careful.

But I did mean what I said about delusion.

- No text -

Well, in this case, only 1080p was delivered. I do see your point, though.

re: being got by the balls - That was bad phrasing on my part. I did not intend that as an insult, only as a warning that Activision are going to nickel-and-dime the crap out of their player base, so you'd better be careful.

But I did mean what I said about delusion.

Why do we need to resort to telling people they're deluded because they have a different view or opinion? This does not generate good discussion - it generates heated words and kneejerk reactions.

Debate the game, not the people.

I will refrain from using such heated language in the future.

Unless I am way off

You are way off. :P

Telling people to shut up never creates a good tone or resolves an ill one. Nor does saying people are deluded or they've been got by the balls, etc. There are always these kinds of threads when a new game is released but there are some good critiques and debates here, so let's try to keep it civil, instead of letting it become an argument between people instead of talking about the game itself.

So let's redouble our efforts as lots of people are passionate and it's easy to be too strongly worded or read words as too strong, if that makes sense. Let's not be every forum ever - let's be better. :)

You are correct of course, which why when I use strong words - particularly on the internet, it is not done lightly.

In short - there is nothing to discuss here. Had this OP been made a week later, I would not have made a post.

For prosperity:

"The Game Begins at Level 20"

No it doesn't! There is NOTHING to do once you play all the strikes and story missions. Everything is a repeat. The game is pretty much over for me.

Unless I am way off and there are other things besides the raid that are new content for high level players, then this is really fucking stupid.

Do as you will.