There were some 3v3 modes like Trials of Osiris. With Destiny 2, we’ve met somewhere in the middle. Every game mode is 4v4 now instead of 3v3 or 6v6. We’ve created a scenario where every single player in the Crucible plays an important role on their team. We’ve placed an emphasis on strategy, teamwork, and communication. You’re going to think a lot about how you back each other up, how you play together.
There was no way a Persona game would slip past my radar. Shin Megami Tensei IV was easily my number one game last year, so it only seems fitting that another in the beloved franchise, while a spin-off, was among my top 10 in 2014. Persona Q is a fan’s dream, meshing both Persona 3 and Persona 4 into a traditional dungeon crawler format similar to that of Etrian Odyssey. While it’s not your traditional Persona format with fusing various monsters and dealing with social interactions outside of dungeons, it maintains all of the glamour and appeal. It definitely has its own set of issues, but there’s just too much to love about mashing the characters from the two games and building an intriguing storyline around them.
The other ill feeling aside from Destiny 2 story guide 2’s launch is knowing we're following a path already taken that doesn't seem totally trustworthy. In fact, it's the same merry-go-round many have already been talking about. We've been here before, we've seen it. Yes, Destiny 2 will drop some Taken King sized expansion and it probably will fix a lot, but it just doesn't feel like enough or that Bungie or Activision are trying. Give us guardians something fresh, show us something shiny and new; not a lackluster experience that continually rides on the coat-tails (hardly any to begin with) of the previous title. The gimmick can work for anyone experiencing Destiny for the first time, but it's not going to work for the players that have been with Destiny since the beginning and the newcomers will pick up on that. When creating a space to play in together, it's creating a social dialogue, which happens inside the game and out.
Placing all the powerful weapons in the same category has good potential for PvP, but it’s also a functional misstep in terms of PvE. Power weapon ammo drops more often in Destiny 2 than heavy weapon ammo in Destiny 1, but still not nearly as often as kinetic or energy weapon ammo. So right away there’s less incentive to use that ammo for any weapon other than a rocket or grenade launcher. Why waste that relatively rare and precious ammo on a sniper rifle when it could instead be spent on something much more powerful? It’s the same issue with abilities in that they’re all restricted by ridiculously-slow cooldowns. Instead of enjoying the ability to toss a grenade into a group of minor enemies, dodge around the battlefield at one’s leisure or even pop a super to take on a mid-boss, the game encourages players to bank them instead. To use one’s abilities in any situation other than the most desperate is to see them go to waste. Nobody wants to be caught staring at a cool-down meter when they’re stuck in a tight spot. These can at least be adjusted a bit with mods, but who wants to waste their mods on anything other than top-tier armor? The net result is gameplay that’s gone from fast-paced, fluid and fun, to something slow, limited and dull with no incentive whatsoever to make use of the game’s most enjoyable weapons and powers. If the developers truly felt that these changes were necessary to achieve a more fun and balanced Crucible, then perhaps it would have been better to just separate the Crucible from the rest of the game.
It’s a difficult thing to predict. I know that we’re going to constantly pay attention to how the community plays the game. We’re going to listen to the things they talk to us about. We’re going to take their suggestions and blend it with our vision for how the franchise can evolve and change. We’ll always give those who play Destiny new challenges to face, and we’re going to send them to new worlds. We’re always going to tell new stories and keep players guessing. We don’t want Destiny to become stagnant or predictable.
Bungie did turn a corner with the laying out of the plan moving forward for Destiny 2, which was a nice gesture, but showing us the content road ahead isn’t what earns trust back ; it’s the work put into Destiny 2. Guardians have been putting in the work of playing the game. Many couldn’t keep up with the grind, but those that stayed see that brighter tomorrow that every NPC is always gabbing about to whichever Guardian will listen.
With 2018 in full swing, a solid first quarter down and plenty of games to keep anyone happy, Destiny 2 is likely not on the mind. Bungie has been straightening Destiny 2 out, though, and it finds itself on almost the exact same path that its predecessor took. This isn’t a bad path, but it leaves a a bland taste in the mouth. It’s medicine that can be swallowed with maybe some slight discomfort from past experiences. Destiny 2 will continue to course correct, and those improvements do help the game, but do they help it enough? That’s up for the player to decide, because making things work that should have been working all along isn’t a reason to come back.(Image: https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1oKWMp_MJzQ/hq720.jpg)
