It’s hard to believe that it has already been three years since Destiny first hit the scene . It came from a developer that had, and still has, an incredible track record when it comes to space shooters, so it’s no surprise that their next project after Halo took off in the way that it did. Love it or hate it, Destiny has quickly become one of the biggest new franchises released this generation thanks to tight mechanics and addictive gameplay.
Now let’s talk about the changes to the PC version. Overall, not a lot has been added in terms of content. Like the original release, players will need to wait a little bit before jumping into the Leviathan Raid and Trials of the Nine, which is a little disappointing for those transferring over, but it makes sense in the overall timeline. It’s up to Bungie to bridge the gap between PC and console updates moving forward, though. The mouse and keyboard controls are a welcome addition to the formula as Destiny almost feels perfect for the twitch-based shooting. Granted, this can be said about almost every first-person shooter, but Destiny feels even more attuned for keyboard and mouse controls than say Halo. I’m still unsure why Q was assigned to grenade when G is wide open, but thankfully you’re able to completely remap your commands to better suit your style.
Speaking of enemies, Destiny 2 doesn’t add anything new to the mix. Each of the factions from the original game returns with a few new units, but they don’t change the fact that these are the same enemies we’ve been shooting for the past three years. Considering we’re exploring new, exotic worlds, it would have been nice to get some new enemy species thrown in.
One day long ago, a gigantic intergalactic sphere called The Traveler appeared in our solar system, most notably making contact on Mars. This mysterious colossal-sized globe was not a world conquering alien, but instead friendly, helping humans accelerate technological advancement dramatically, allowing them to traverse the stars, terraform planets and build towards a better future. This was considered the Golden Age of humanity, even boosting the average lifespan of man threefold. Unfortunately, that prosperity didn’t last long as a deadly and ominous force called The Darkness appeared, destroying anything in its path and nearly tearing down everything Humans had built. This kicked off an event called The Collapse and everything in the galaxy took a toll because of it. The most important and unfortunate casualty was The Traveler itself as, in its last act, protected the Earth with its unresponsive body shielding the newly-built Last City.
The Cabal play a significant roll in The Taken King, even though it’s not entirely apparent, which helps lead into Destiny 2. Like every alien race before it, the Cabal were planning an attack on Earth, but they were instead interrupted by the Taken. While their operations were put on hold, they believed that they could salvage the opportunity by boarding the Dreadnaught and obtaining some of the Hive’s technology to be used against the Last City. The Guardians were successful in stopping their efforts, but due to their intense casualties, the Cabal ready an even stronger attack against The Last City which is to be seen in Destiny 2. At the end of the mission, we finally meet Ghaul, who is terrifying in his all-white armor and his Darth Malak-esque mask. He gives a great speech and welcomes us to a world without light, as he strips the Traveler of its power. He then promptly kicks your de-powered self off the edge of the Tower and the Destiny 2 logo fades in to end the Beta's mission. I assume the next mission will take place within the city. But the first mission of Destiny 2 impressed and if they can keep that up with the rest of the campaign, it could be great.
There's a lot going on in this Beta, even though it's relatively small with not a lot to do. The changes so far are mostly positive, showing promise for the real thing. Destiny 2 comes to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 6 and then to PC on October 24, so there's not much time left.
Playing Destiny 2 with others is what makes the game so enjoyable. Destiny 2 may have widened the pool, but everyone must stay in their lanes. Seeing a game like FFXIV pull off cross-play so effortlessly makes one wonder why Bungie couldn’t pull this same move. Part of it has to do with licensing agreements, but dividing Guardians is a sure way to push those same Guardians out. If a group of friends wants to play Destiny 2 together, but they all have different platforms, then why should they play at all? Much of the content in Destiny 2 is built on the idea of social play, even more so than Destiny 2 guide, it just comes with limiters. Those limits are hurting Destiny 2.
The RNG system is still here but has been streamlined to be more rewarding. Faction Leaders regularly dole out Legendary items after you turn in enough Faction currency to them, which can be found by participating in activities in the world, playing Crucible, breaking down old items and participating in Strikes. All-in-all, it’s not much of a chore to get to a high Power Level to take part in the late game activities. What has been negatively impacted in Destiny 2 is a player’s ability to customize their Guardian and earn certain rewards