Having faction leaders like Devrim is a step forward for Destiny’s open areas. He’s a strong personality, and it is good to listen to other characters that aren’t Nolan North’s-voiced Ghost. The inclusion of NPCs, however, still don’t provide players with everything they need, as you’ll still need to travel back to social spaces to decrypt engrams and access your vault. A more seamless experience that incorporated social spaces into the open area would have been much preferred.
What does relationship mean for lore though? Of course, the actual relationship aspect of Destiny is there, but it’s always been there. Destiny 2 Crafting Guide 2 is not only creating worlds, though, it’s actually telling stories within those worlds. The people that inhabit these spaces are important and Bungie seems to be doing everything to make the player care about them. From the looks of interaction with those around you while traversing the many environments Destiny 2 has to offer, the aspect of relationship is everywhere. Zavala giving command to the player and other NPCs around him. It creates a sense of urgency immediately invoking a compassion that only comes from feeling connected to others. Then there is the EDZ a new area for players to call home. The people they were protecting have started forming communities here. Actively participating in these places will create a more grounded sense of community. It’s the reason WoW cities felt so lived in; the people that inhabit these spaces are going about their daily lives. It isn’t about, go out, kill aliens, return. It feels like being the Pavlovian dog waiting for the treat. None of that seems to be in 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
The story campaign has more missions and cinematics than you’ve ever seen in a Destiny game. The player experience has more variety, more types of activities, and more ways for you to enjoy the experience by yourself, or with other players. It is, in terms of the action you’ll enjoy, a more diverse experience than any Bungie game ever.
What is surprising is the antagonist, Gaul. Presented in trailers as a hulking brute, Gaul appeared to be a walking cliché. The end product is the complete opposite with Gaul having much more depth than anticipated. Gaul doesn’t get the amount of screen time he deserves, which is disappointing considering he’s the best part of the story. Completing the campaign can last anywhere between 6-8 hours, and that time is mostly filled with well-written and varied missions. Sure, some cookie-cutter missions are just there to pad out the length, but for the majority of missions, there’s more than enough context and agency to keep players going. One mission you may be driving a vehicle, in another you’re escorting a valuable object and then you may be teleporting around areas to save a friend. There’s a lot more variety on display in Destiny 2’s missions.
Just about everything you love about Destiny is returning. We’ve got a campaign with a series of story missions that tell a grand tale of courage and heroism. We have strikes. Of course, we’ve got a brand-new Raid, which I can say nothing about because it’s the pinnacle activity. We have different ways to explore the world. We’ve all been on Patrols, but now there are Lost Sectors to discover, public events with heroic activities, adventures given to us by MPCS. Finally, of course, there’s the Crucible for when we want to step away from the fight against the enemies.
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.
The most immediate change is the environment. The Tower always seemed like an elusive thing; my Guardian didn’t feel close to those she was supposedly protecting. How is one supposed to feel like a hero when there really isn’t anyone worth saving? Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, whether fighting actual battles or just being that person someone looks up to, heroes aren’t made without those to protect. Although, it could be argued Guardians are more warriors…never mind, no need to go down that path. Needless to say, Guardians are now invested in the people they are protecting; they are going out into the world and fighting back whatever might threaten a community broken. It connects Guardians to something worth fighting for: relationship.
