Destiny 2: The Story So Far
While the whole editorial staff contributed to our 2014 awards, we wanted to allow everybody the opportunity to publicly name their personal top 10 games of the year. While many did play the majority of releases in 2014, please remember that unlike our main awards, the editors are not naming the best games, but their personal favorites out of the selection they played.
Having been mixed on Divinity games in the past, I was hesitant to jump into Larian Studios’ latest game. It took only ten minutes before I realized I shouldn’t have worried as Divinity: Original Sin is one of the most hardcore RPGs in a long while. This isn’t something that holds your hand; it’s up to your own memory and thoughts to determine the outcome of specific scenarios. You also have to really enjoy detailed menu systems and walls of numeric values for each character to appreciate what kind of RPG this is. Mix in a turned based combat system similar to that of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, with dice rolls and strategic placing, and Divinity: Original Sins is an RPG of the ages.
The third night rolled around and with four of us ready to go we waited hoping the other two would join. They did not. Understandably so, Leviathan was proving to be slow going. Instead the four of us ended up exploring the Underbelly a fantastic piece of the raid that made it feel like not a total wash. The four of us could fight the enemies with ease and enjoy getting lost in a labyrinth of ship innards. As we explored we talked about what was difficult about the raid, the best ways to approach where we were and why Leviathan wasn’t proving fruitful. That’s the beauty of Destiny: it’s a fun game so long as friends are at your side, even if it’s a bit soul crushing.
I’ve played a lot of Destiny, whether that be in Destiny or Destiny 2 form. This of course means I’ve also done everything Destiny has to throw at me. Being someone who likes Destiny means you’ll probably end up grinding toward the be all end all raid content for whatever iteration the series is on. Destiny 2 has a serious problem, though, and it’s its raid Leviathan and what it exactly it wants to be.
Where does this leave Leviathan then? Answer: Not in a good place. Out of all Destiny 2 Strategy raids this might be the least fun yet. With plans of still completing it, now having joined a Clan I feel confident in, especially when it comes to gaming positivity I know it can be done. What sucks is the time, emotional energy and all feelings that get rolled into trying to complete this raid. Once I do finish it, that’s it, it will never be attempted again, because it’s just not worth it. Bungie stated they wanted to create a raid that would draw more people in to the ultimate end game content, Leviathan is anything but inviting, even if Calaus is literally inviting you on to his opulent ship. It’s hands down the most deterring raid every created for Destiny. Which is why Bungie’s messaging on what this raid was going to be could have been a bit clearer. Why say it’s going to be inviting when also saying it’s going to be the most challenging raid ever? That’s just an oxymoron. Who is this raid made for? The ultimate Guardians (streamers) that Bungie knows will complete it or the players they say they want to join in the end game content? The messaging is mixed and muddled with leaving little hope for the future of end game content.
Curse of Osiris does include two new strikes, but both are pulled directly from the campaign with no changes. Crucible doesn’t fare much better with only two new maps on Xbox One and PC, and three on PS4. Unfortunately, as of publication, Crucible is wholly broken thanks to the Prometheus Lens, a new trace rifle that is completely unbalanced. Bungie says they’re working on a fix, but a solution has yet to materialize nearly a week after launch.
With the Destiny 2 Beta in full swing now, there’s a lot to unpack. Many changes have been made from the first game, but much will be recognizable. While the Beta shouldn’t be taken as a done deal — they could still change things — it’s good to talk about the balance the team at Bungie has struck between the new and the old. And with many people unable to play the Beta, as access is limited to those with a pre-order, hopefully this preview will give you a good feel for where the game is at right now. The Beta comes with the first story mission, a strike, and two multiplayer game modes, and all have changes that we’ll get into right now.
Then thoughts of what Bungie had envisioned for Guided Games began cropping up in my head. When Bungie announced Guided Games, it seemed exciting. Here was a feature that would ease the stress of finding a group and knowing that group could be handpicked by the seeker. It meant not having to sift through toxicity, feeling a bit closer to strangers and maybe making a friend or two along the way. Guided Games has a long way to go and needs some serious refinement. I was not about to spend another hour waiting for the next group, for fear of having the same thing happen all over again. Destiny 2’s Leviathan was proving to be more of a monster than first imagined.