My Dream Game
Until the release of Destiny, I had fallen out of gaming. Following the video game culture and industry news was still appealing, but there was a disconnect between me and most games. There wasn’t the time (or the funds) to play every blockbuster game that came out. My favorite games growing up were 50-hour JRPGs like Final Fantasy VIII. Those types of games featured engaging stories, interesting characters, fun gameplay, and above all, a real sense of polish. Not much had come out since my teenage years that gave me something to really sink my teeth into or lose myself in; until Destiny. Everything from its trademark “mythic sci-fi” look to its take on the always-online persistent shooter makes it a truly unique game. Your character can be accurately described as a zombie robot knight who uses space magic while wielding a flaming ax. Needless to say, there’s a lot of appeals here.
Destiny was set to deliver on all fronts. An expansive universe, character investment, and stellar gameplay. There was hype leading up to the release, and it delivered. The majority of players and critics panned Destiny for being a shell of what Bungie had promised, but for me, it was exactly what I had been looking for. The first game featured a 25-hour campaign, but as a player who wasted productively spent 1700 hours in that world, I can confidently say the game only truly begins after the campaign. The game featured many activities and pursuits to keep me interested even after the credits rolled. This is referred to as the Endgame, a concept relatively new to me as a gamer. Collecting an endless variety of gear, discovering world secrets, and mastering competitive multiplayer was just a few of the reasons I continued to play. Above all else though, I continued to play because of the game’s polish. Destiny features some of the best graphic design work, graphical fidelity, artwork, music, and sound effects in the industry. I often find myself just staring at my character menu, marveling at the pixel perfection of it all. That’s what I appreciated about Destiny the most, and became all too aware when it was absent in other games. In fact, because of this, I played so few other games that it’s almost inaccurate to refer to myself as a gamer. The more appropriate title would be “Destiny hobbyist”.
I wasn’t blind to the game’s problems. They just didn’t bother me as much as the next guy. You could argue all that pretty packaging was hiding a hollow interior. The majority of its time online was riddled with what players referred to as “content droughts”. Since day one, discussions would sprout all over sites like Reddit and Neogaf on how the game should be improved. Bungie was also highly secretive, so the outcries were often met with deafening silence. In many ways, it was this that brought the community together. We were all in the trenches together. Months and months where the game would see no significant updates or content injections. There was a lack of things to do to reinforce this growing hobby for players. I started a YouTube channel dedicated to Destiny around its second year, and in many ways, it kept me playing.
Destiny 2 seemed to fix the content issue. The game technically has way more activities than Destiny 1 did at this point. However, Destiny 2 over-simplified many of the game’s core systems and somehow managed to remove all of those aspects that kept players engaged. Randomized perks on gear sets meant you had acquired everything there is to get in a matter of weeks. The removal of in-game collectibles gave you less of a reason to explore the far corners of the beautiful new destinations. Most importantly, the slowed combat pace lowered the skill ceiling, and made accomplishing greatness in competitive modes less meaningful. There was also a massive shift to cosmetic items only attainable through Eververse, the game’s microtransaction system, which gave players the notion that Bungie had turned Destiny 2 into a casual cash grab, leaving behind a dedicated player base. We had entered an “incentive drought”.
Putting the smile back on my face
All of that changed though. The latest Warmind expansion has genuinely brought back the hobby for me. I have actual reasons to play the game day-to-day. The endgame has pursuits that are well worth the time investment, and events like this week’s faction really are bringing some serious incentives to revisit old content. Then there was a huge shift in improving players power and the improvement of weapons that have made you care about your loadout for the first time since the launch of the game.
However, major systems are still missing. Tuesday, Bungie unveiled their plans for year 2 of Destiny 2, kicking things off with a preview of the new expansion titled “Forsaken”. Alongside the expansion will come a massive update to the game’s core infrastructure, bringing dozens of quality of life improvements, and core system changes that long-time Destiny fans have been aching for. They claim that all of this will result in the return of the hobby for Destiny players. The reveal blew my mind. They went above and beyond, surpassing many people’s expectations in a way only Bungie can pull off. Also, the good news is that all of the fixes will be free to current owners of the game. Below is a graphic showing what’s to come from a systematic standpoint. We don’t have all the specifics yet, but if any of the 2.0 updates excite you, I recommend you log in September 4th and check it out for yourself. I’m personally most excited for the new weapon slot system, and the collections feature.
A lot of people have a misconceived notion that you have to pay $70 for something that should have been there at launch ($40 for the expansion and $30 for the new Annual pass). This couldn’t be farther from the case. All of the stuff that you think should have been there at launch will be added in for free. The 2.0 update is completely separate from the Forsaken expansion. There is no way for Bungie to have 2 versions of the game live at the same time. You will simply not have access to Forsaken content until you purchase the expansion. In many ways, you are being delivered a free reboot of Destiny 2. You can play through all of that content again, with fundamental changes to your experience. That prospect excites me, but I’ll definitely be getting the Forsaken expansion.
If you want to learn more, be sure to check out my breakdown of the reveal event, over on my YouTube channel. We still have much to learn about what’s coming in the fall. But if Bungie can deliver on even a few of these promises, we’re going to have a much improved experience in year 2.
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