I apologize for the slower content production. I have been moving for the last couple of weeks (slowly but surely) and am finally set up. Content will begin to roll out again at a normal pace starting this week. Thanks for your patience!
-Kyle
Now, on with my week 1 Destiny impressions.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 | ||
| Hold [button] to scan... |
"It's a lot of fun, but..."
Bungie knocked it out of the park with their industry changing series, Halo, for the Xbox console(s). I played every game, numbered or not, the day it came out. After the release of Halo: Reach, the studio went dark. Years passed until the announcement of their newest IP, Destiny. I was so excited to dive into that universe that I did something I haven't done in a long time; I preordered the game (digitally even).
With the chance to play the alpha and then the beta, I thought I knew what I was in for and I couldn't have been more hyped. I haven't been so confused about how I feel about a game since the first Assassin's Creed (I love the series so much that I have the "A" tattooed to my arm). In the alpha, we had no idea about the story and that was okay. I had the chance to play a game that wouldn't be out for months. The beta introduced the story, even if just a taste. It hinted at something much grander. I figured that the final release would answer the questions left by my previous experiences. In one word, nope. I will expand on that a little more in a bit.
While the story left MUCH to be desired, the game play is some of the most polished I have ever experienced. Running around the four, decently sized, maps is a breeze with the option to summon your personal speeder known as the sparrow. Visually, each map has a gorgeous aesthetic. Small touches like wisps of mist from waterfalls truly draws you in. Hidden caves and ruined structures beg to be explored. That is one of the greatest things Destiny does right. The sense of exploration kicks in the moment you are let out to roam freely. I spent more time running around, taking in the sights, than I did actually playing the story.
By far the biggest disappointment is the main campaign. It took me roughly twelve hours to complete the story and by the end I barely knew anymore than I did as the beginning. What, or who, is the Traveler? No idea. Why do the guardians have special powers? That is a great question to which I don't have an answer. Not only did I find the story to be a poorly written mess, but the bare bones "missions" were a train wreck. The ENTIRE single player experience can be summed up in five simple steps: Spawn on map, fight some enemies, scan something, protect your ghost, end mission, rinse and repeat. Even the final boss fight was only a minor deviation from those steps.
Even with the mess of a story, I found I was having a lot of fun. Fighting enemies, even though you aren't sure why, is very enjoyable. That fun is expanded upon with the inclusion of friends. Bringing your friends together to do a strike mission (dungeon) or some pvp really ratchets up the thrill. I would suggest you do yourself a favor and join a clan. I found that after I made one with some friends, and it expanded a bit, I always had people to play with.
I am not ready yet to give Destiny a score as I only just reached level twenty. I haven't done a raid, weekly strike mission or really jumped into the competitive side. As it stands, I find myself really enjoying the gameplay of Destiny. It is that fun that keeps me coming back. The terrible story and mission structure can be overlooked (at least by me) because of the addicting gameplay. Hopefully, future expansions will answer the questions I have left.
No comments:
Post a Comment