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[GrizzleBoy]

While it seems to be a reasonable feeling that I do share from my short experience with the game, I also think that the game isn't meant to stay in that state forever. It's a long term project, and maybe Activision and Bungie hyped it on content, knowing everything that is on the roadmap. That may have made them overlook how the first impression may be dissapointing.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if two years from now, we'll all be looking back at this launch and say "hey remember how everybody felt Destiny was barren and hollow back then ? How things have changed...". It doesn't really excuse an experience that some are finding disappointing, though.

I've thought about That too, but I can't shake the feeling that the way they want me to escape from the hollow feeling of the Launch product is to pay for drip fed content over time till it feels only slightly less hollow.

till it starts to feel hollow again at which point I'll need to pay up again.

Not to be cynical, but I feel as though I can see it coming from a mile away.

 

[pelican]

How do you review something without having access to all the content?

Game Journalism.

If they were reviewing films some would bugger off half way through and review it.

 

[Jobbs]

While it seems to be a reasonable feeling that I do share from my short experience with the game, I also think that the game isn't meant to stay in that state forever. It's a long term project, and maybe Activision and Bungie hyped it on content, knowing everything that is on the roadmap. That may have made them overlook how the first impression may be dissapointing.
I wouldn't be surprised at all if two years from now, we'll all be looking back at this launch and say "hey remember how everybody felt Destiny was barren and hollow back then ? How things have changed...". It doesn't really excuse an experience that some are finding disappointing, though.

The problem for me is structural, though. they touted a big open living world, and it's not. it's a few zones that you load into separately each time you choose a mission. There's no feeling of a persistent world or anything being real because it's not and nothing is.

The only way to fix Destiny and make it the game they bragged about at E3 presentations would be to structurally change the way the game works, which I don't see them doing.

By now, I've finished all of the story missions, I've completed 3 strike missions (including the moon one which was a bit of a bitch at the end), done some crucible.

I'm still shocked by just how much the game underdelivers on the original promise. The game that it is isn't just "falling short" of what they promised, which is routine for AAA games these days, but it's not even the same species as the game they promised. It's a big lie.

If you think I'm going after the game a bit hard, and relishing attacking it just a bit, it's because I am -- and the reason for that is because of the promises compared to what the actual game is. If they promised nothing at all and I got this game on my doorstep -- This action shooter with pretty graphics, a terrible non existent story, lacking in content and with some ankle deep MMO features taped on -- I wouldn't be angry at all. I may even root for it.

But as it is, I'm a bit annoyed with them. I don't like being flat out bullshitted and neither should any of you. Tired of it.

More Nintendo tree house, less staged E3 presentations that are bullshit from start to finish.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if two years from now, we'll all be looking back at this launch and say "hey remember how everybody felt Destiny was barren and hollow back then ? How things have changed...". It doesn't really excuse an experience that some are finding disappointing, though.

The same is true for TitanFall and Forza 5, for instance. The things have changed and significant content has been added (not all of it free, and Destiny seems to have a similar update roadmap), yet many people still think of those games in terms of their launch states.

The damage has already been done.

 

[Myggen]

Game Journalism.

If they were reviewing films some would bugger off half way through and review it.

You review what's in the box because people can pay money for it now. Your film analogy is bad, this is closer to a movie studio releasing the ending of a movie on the internet 1 week after the movie hits the theatre.

Maybe change the review after you've played the raid if that has any impact on your experience of the game for you, but a retail release is fair game.

edit: If you're just talking about someone not even seeing the whole game as it shipped before reviewing it, I agree (but that's not really "games journalism", seems like only one mainstream NZ paper did that, and the high profile gaming sites are actually taking their time with this).

 

[Krilekk]

the game as it is right now is in its vanilla state

it will grow organically over time, it has to.

It probably won't. They already sold two addons for $35, that's how it will grow. But to drastically change the game they would take years, so everything will only get better with Destiny 2 in 2017.

 

[pelican]

edit: If you're just talking about someone not even seeing the whole game as it shipped before reviewing it, I agree (but that's not really "games journalism", seems like only one mainstream NZ paper did that, and the high profile gaming sites are actually taking their time with this).

A bit of both really as I do think the full content should be taken into consideration - including the raid.

It would be interesting to see how many of the journalists who have reviewed the game have hit level cap, tried different classes or builds etc.

 

[thejpfin]

K hit level 20. Most fun parts of the game is doing random strikes on hardest difficulty. PvP is broken, both from lag and balance issues. Get a party of friends and do strikes.

Dunno. I hate PvE, but I fucking love PvP. PvP connection is fine for me, no lag.
Balance issues? Yeah, I agree with that :/

 

[Bold One]

It probably won't. They already sold two addons for $35, that's how it will grow. But to drastically change the game they would take years, so everything will only get better with Destiny 2 in 2017.

there is no need to drastically change anything,

things like communication, more loot, lower load times, more public events etc are patchable,

the biggest hump to fix is the dumb story telling,

the world feels empty and lifeless mostly due to the silence and lack things like proximitychat

 

[Fallout-NL]

The problem for me is structural, though. they touted a big open living world, and it's not. it's a few zones that you load into separately each time you choose a mission. There's no feeling of a persistent world or anything being real because it's not and nothing is.

The only way to fix Destiny and make it the game they bragged about at E3 presentations would be to structurally change the way the game works, which I don't see them doing.

By now, I've finished all of the story missions, I've completed 3 strike missions (including the moon one which was a bit of a bitch at the end), done some crucible.

I'm still shocked by just how much the game underdelivers on the original promise. The game that it is isn't just "falling short" of what they promised, which is routine for AAA games these days, but it's not even the same species as the game they promised. It's a big lie.

If you think I'm going after the game a bit hard, and relishing attacking it just a bit, it's because I am -- and the reason for that is because of the promises compared to what the actual game is. If they promised nothing at all and I got this game on my doorstep -- This action shooter with pretty graphics, a terrible non existent story, lacking in content and with some ankle deep MMO features taped on -- I wouldn't be angry at all. I may even root for it.

But as it is, I'm a bit annoyed with them. I don't like being flat out bullshitted and neither should any of you. Tired of it.

More Nintendo tree house, less staged E3 presentations that are bullshit from start to finish.

This is exactly why this whole thing is so goddamn annoying to me. I shouldn't be bothered that there's loads of people who bought this and (god knows why) seem to actually be enjoying it. But it sets a bad precedent, because apparently publishers can get away - not only with under delivering - but doing so in such a spectacular fashion that it literally boggles the mind. How is it that not everyone is extremely disappointed with this?

Not that Borderlands 2 is some shining beacon of hope or masterclass in game design, but at least it managed to get something like loot variety pretty much exactly right. How can anyone accept picking up the same 10 fucking weapons (with minor variations in the numbers attached to them) for 30 hours when we've already seen how it's supposed to be done?

As for exploration... WoW launched 10 years ago. 10 years!

How can anyone go back to what their peddling as exploration in Destiny when Wow already raised the bar so much higher an entire fucking decade ago.

Like you said, it wouldn't be such a problem when this was made by a smaller team who made smaller promises. But they even had the budget to really do something special here. And this is not something you fix with DLC, this game is fundamentally deprived of any sense of scope.

 

[Myggen]

A bit of both really as I do think the full content should be taken into consideration - including the raid.

It would be interesting to see how many of the journalists who have reviewed the game have hit level cap, tried different classes or builds etc.

I was fine with GTA V being reviewed before GTA Online was up, and I have no problems with Destiny being reviewed before the raid is up. As I said, you review what's in the box. If you had to wait for such post release addons, the stated goal of reviews (to serve as purchasing advice, more or less) would disappear. What if Bungie waited 2 weeks? 3 weeks? What's the limit here.

I have no problems with adding this stuff to the review after the fact of course.

I'm guessing every semi serious publication will have hit the level cap before reviewing, it's not that hard. As for the other stuff? As long as they say where they're at in the game in the review, I don't really have any issues.

 

[Mr Croft]

Dunno. I hate PvE, but I fucking love PvP. PvP connection is fine for me, no lag.
Balance issues? Yeah, I agree with that :/

You are one of the few people I have seen that actually likes the pvp.

 

[Bold One]

You are one of the few people I have seen that actually likes the pvp.

the pvp is pretty popular, I love it

 

[Tomeru]

This is exactly why this whole thing is so goddamn annoying to me. I shouldn't be bothered that there's loads of people who bought this and (god knows why) seem to actually be enjoying it. But it sets a bad precedent, because apparently publishers can get away - not only with under delivering - but doing so in such a spectacular fashion that it literally boggles the mind. How is it that not everyone is extremely disappointed with this?

Wat. Loads of people are enjoying the game. How dare they?!

You are one of the few people I have seen that actually likes the pvp.

Pvp games are always full. Loads of people love it. Including me.

 

[Vire]

I dunno guys, I'm having fun. Is it some life altering experience?.... No, but I don't understand why every game needs to be that.

The worlds are beautiful, the gunplay is great and the music is occasionally truly special. Sure the story is pretty garbage and the mission variety could be better, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't having a good time.

I just got to Mars and the skyboxes are incredible! Also the Cabal's heads spewing gasoline is pretty rad.

 

[Fallout-NL]

Wat. Loads of people are enjoying the game. How dare they?!

I explain the statement in that very sentence, so don't give me that shit.

 

[blankempathy]

people seem to think that if you're enjoying something that makes it automatically a great quality product. I'm sure im not alone in saying I've enjoyed taco bell before. Think about that.

 

[HiredN00bs]

The problem for me is structural, though. they touted a big open living world, and it's a few zones that you load into separately each time you choose a mission. There's no feeling of a persistent world or anything being real because it's not and nothing is.

The only way to fix Destiny and make it the game they bragged about at E3 presentations would be to structurally change the way the game works, which I don't see them doing.

By now, I've finished all of the story missions, I've completed 3 strike missions (including the moon one which was a bit of a bitch at the end), done some crucible.

I'm still shocked by just how much the game underdelivers on the original promise. The game that it is isn't just "falling short" of what they promised, which is routine for AAA games these days, but it's not even the same species as the game they promised. It's a big lie.

If you think I'm going after the game a bit hard, and relishing attacking it just a bit, it's because I am -- and the reason for that is because of the promises compared to what the actual game is. If they promised nothing at all and I got this game on my doorstep -- This action shooter with pretty graphics, a terrible non existent story, lacking in content and with some ankle deep MMO features taped on -- I wouldn't be angry at all. I may even root for it.

But as it is, I'm a bit annoyed with them. I don't like being flat out bullshitted and neither should any of you. Tired of it.

More Nintendo tree house, less staged E3 presentations that are bullshit from start to finish.

This game is going to be a journey the community goes on together. While you bring up some legitimate criticisms, lambasting it is tantamount to getting buckled up, riding down the block, stopping for the traffic signal and screaming, "ARE WE THERE YET?"

They just tweeted an infographic about activities for this weekend. The raid goes live on Tuesday. These things aren't months down the line. The reviews are, to a certain extent, premature.

People may have had a lot of expectations for the game that grew wild like vines without a well-defined structure. 18 months since the reveal and 15 months since the demo has been a long time. The E3 2013 demo is, in retrospect, a pretty good representation of the final game, and the Public Alpha and Beta builds were an even better representation.

Destiny is an incredibly solid action shooter with fun small, mid, and large scale battles against challenging and diverse sets of enemies. The input responsiveness for a co-operative online action game is consistent and excellent, finally equal to that of the PvP modes. Player matching is spontaneous. The level of detail and size for an action game is top-tier.

People need to review the game for what it is and not what they hoped or expected. I've followed this game since before it was announced and I am not disappointed at all. Perhaps you could cite specific examples of points made by Bungie that are verifiably misleading (the game just launched, and much of the talk was about the long-term nature of the project).

 

[Tomeru]

I explain the statement in that very sentence, so don't give me that shit.

But it is shit. Tons of people are enjoying the game. Some are not. How did Activision and Bungie get away with anything? It's always like this, with every game. There is no precedent here. That precedent was always here, from the very beginning. They didn't do anything that was not done before. Please enough with this gloom.

 

[TwiztidElf]

We seem to have reached this new surreal reality where gamers are willing good games to fail for unexplained reasons, and dudebro gamers are propping said good game up. Very strange.

 

[HowZatOZ]

You are one of the few people I have seen that actually likes the pvp.

Well, PvP is kind of all the game has going for it after you complete the higher difficulty strikes a handful of times. Once the raid comes out it'll be refreshing for a few weeks but then it will go back to PvP being the only unique content.

We seem to have reached this new surreal reality where gamers are willing good games to fail for unexplained reasons, and dudebro gamers are propping said good game up. Very strange.

Why is this retort being used so much in the thread? No one wants the game to fail, no one has said that. What people are saying is that Destiny is a good game, but not a great one due to the mechanics and specific gameplay elements. Again, I will repeat myself: no one wants the game to fail.

 

[Steel]

Well, PvP is kind of all the game has going for it after you complete the higher difficulty strikes a handful of times. Once the raid comes out it'll be refreshing for a few weeks but then it will go back to PvP being the only unique content.

Agreed. It's the only thing I like about the game, tbh. Not that it's fantastic, more that there really isn't any other FPS on next gen that scratches the same itch.

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Metro Gamecentral have just put their review up:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/12/destiny-review-the-final-verdict-4866002/

Sum up:

In Short: It’s not short of spectacle but in terms of innovation and variety this is nowhere near as forward-thinking as Bungie would like to pretend.

Pros: The gunplay and loot design is expertly crafted to keep you playing. Fantastic art design and music, with some stunning visuals. Mountains of content and great co-op.

Cons: Repetitive enemies, non-existent set pieces, and terrible bosses. No new ideas and overly simplistic role-playing and customisation elements. Almost zero plot.

Score: 7/10

 

[Nocturno999]

But it is shit. Tons of people are enjoying the game. Some are not. How did Activision and Bungie get away with anything? It's always like this, with every game. There is no precedent here. That precedent was always here, from the very beginning. They didn't do anything that was not done before. Please enough with this gloom.

You are not rebutting what he said at all. None of the defense force of this game are giving any reasonable arguments at all.
Personal attacks and "I'm having a blast" doesn't contradict the fact that the content and storyline are almost non existent and is just a gateway to nickle and dime its fan base. It's Activision after all.

 

[PapaJustify]

I think many of you still don't see the long term potential. I am pretty sure in a year from now, we will still be talking about Destiny, but then the talks will all be about how much it improved in one year and how cool all the new content is...

 

[Triggerhappytel]

The same is true for TitanFall and Forza 5, for instance. The things have changed and significant content has been added (not all of it free, and Destiny seems to have a similar update roadmap), yet many people still think of those games in terms of their launch states.

With more connected hardware and software, launch reviews are going to be more and more meaningless in the long term, but that's what we're going to continue to judge games on regardless, because from the publication's perspective that's all they can do. Unless some games are revisited after 6-12 months for re-reviews (and maybe there be a subsection of Metacritic where updated scores are reflected?), but that's not entirely practical either for a typical website or magazine.

For example, two of my favourite underrated games last gen were MAG and The Fight, and the state of those games 12 months after launch was vastly improved over the launch release. Eurogamer sometimes revisits MMOs for a re-review based on how they've changed, and I'd like to see more of this for other genre types too.

 

[Bsigg12]

I think many of you still don't see the long term potential. I am pretty sure in a year from now, we will still be talking about Destiny, but then the talks will all be about how much it improved in one year and how cool all the new content is...

Doesn't matter. You get one chance to make a good first impression and if you blow it that's what will be remembered and talked about. I'm sure the game will be full of lots of things to do in a year but as it stands, it's not anywhere close to the adventure that Bungie was promising.

 

[Fallout-NL]

But it is shit. Tons of people are enjoying the game. Some are not. How did Activision and Bungie get away with anything? It's always like this, with every game. There is no precedent here. That precedent was always here, from the very beginning. They didn't do anything that was not done before. Please enough with this gloom.

The fact that it is not a new thing, does not make it any less disappointing.

However (and luckily), it is not 'always like this, with every game'.

 

[HowZatOZ]

I think many of you still don't see the long term potential. I am pretty sure in a year from now, we will still be talking about Destiny, but then the talks will all be about how much it improved in one year and how cool all the new content is...

The problem is for many is that this means your $60 base game purchase has meant nothing, because you have to slog through a year of drab content until suddenly Bungie decides to add new, refreshing content for a price tag. Repeat ad nausea and you have what Destiny will be in the future until a sequel comes along that actually drops last-gen shackles.

 

[Vire]

I'm a little confused.. What did Bungie show at E3 that wasn't indicative of the game? I think some people just built up some crazy unreasonable expectations in their head.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

Why are so many people saying this is an MMO and it therefore should be treated like one? It's not an MMO. Crafting, raids, bounties, a central hub and the other things aren't features that make a game an MMO, they're just included in some of them because those things are usually in RPGs and games like World of Warcraft are MMORPGs. Destiny is an FPSRPG (although not so much the RPG part, it tries though) with a few poorly done social feature stuck on.

MMO means "massively multiplayer online", and the 10 or so players you can find at a time mean Destiny is not that. If it had an actual open world without loading screens between each mission and it was non-instanced with a lot more players actually sharing the same world in most places, then it could possibly count as an MMO. It's no more an MMO than Borderlands is. Watch Dogs doesn't count as an MMO because you can find other players at times, and neither does Destiny.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Metro Gamecentral have just put their review up:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/12/destiny-review-the-final-verdict-4866002/

Sum up:

It's a very scathing review; I was actually expecting a 6/10 while reading some of that.

 

[Wind's Howling]

Why are so many people saying this is an MMO and it therefore should be treated like one?

It gives certain people their fuel to rage on Destiny by comparing it to the likes of FFXIV, Warcraft or Elder Scrolls Online which is not even a fair comparison to make.

 

[TheVoidDragon]

It gives certain people their fuel to rage on Destiny by comparing it to the likes of FFXIV, Warcraft or Elder Scrolls Online which is not even a fair comparison to make.

I've seen people saying it's an MMO which means it's alright that is has almost no story, though.

 

[Toki767]

Metro Gamecentral have just put their review up:

http://metro.co.uk/2014/09/12/destiny-review-the-final-verdict-4866002/

Sum up:

I laughed at the "non-existent set pieces" as a con. Because that's the world of gaming we're living in now. Where everything has to be a set piece in order to be enjoyable.

 

[REMEMBER CITADEL]

I'm a little confused.. What did Bungie show at E3 that wasn't indicative of the game? I think some people just built up some crazy unreasonable expectations in their head.

That they did, but it wasn't based on what was shown, it was based on what was being said, and reassurances given whenever things didn't look so hot.

Thankfully, I had no unreasonable expectations, my stinker alarm was triggered as soon as I saw the first gameplay demonstration, and the beta just confirmed my fears.

 

[Shpeshal Nick]

Total Xbox review popped up on my twitter feed

http://www.totalxbox.com/81097/reviews/destiny-xbox-one-review/

✔ A matchless science fiction world, at once exploratory and nostalgic
✔ Brilliant combat thanks to smart enemy design and elaborate ability sets
✔ Full-featured if not very unique-feeling competitive multiplayer
✖ A serious grind at times, especially when played alone
✖ Tidal wave of loot and unlocks dulls the thrill of ownership
✖ Rubbish plot that's a waste of an exotic backstory

8

 

[Orthogonal]

I think it's less the writing and more the acting. A good actor can make any bullshit sound good.

Except that Liam Neeson, Ewen McGreggor, Natalie Portman and Samuel L Jackson were completely incapable of salvaging the Star Wars prequels. The Director and writing is crucial. Destiny has no focus or vision in the story department.

 

[Tomeru]

You are not rebutting what he said at all. None of the defense force of this game are giving any reasonable arguments at all.
Personal attacks and "I'm having a blast" doesn't contradict the fact that the content and storyline are almost non existent and is just a gateway to nickle and dime its fan base. It's Activision after all.

How am I not? Take away personal opinions, and all you are left with is that this game sets a bad precedent regarding marketing. And I ask what precedent?

Nickle and dime? How high and mighty of you. All any of us have going for us is our opinion. You may not like the game, and you may like it very much. That doesn't make anything anyone here say law. I am intelligent enough to know what marketing is, and not fall for it, I look at what the game has, and that is why I enjoy it. That is why many others enjoy it.

And enough with the content is not existent. There is plenty of content for the co-op and group players for weeks and months. If its content you don't like, it's your problem, not the game's.

The fact that it is not a new thing, does not make it any less disappointing.

However (and luckily), it is not 'always like this, with every game'.

I understand it, and I agree, but this is happening with every big hyped game. Developers over promise and under deliver. Was this the first time? No, No. Nope.

 

[MormaPope]

I laughed at the "non-existent set pieces" as a con. Because that's the world of gaming we're living in now. Where everything has to be a set piece in order to be enjoyable.

Set piece doesn't need to mean "strapped onto a rail and things explode everywhere". For example a set piece in Half Life would be fighting the giant tentacle monster, in Halo 1 it would be the bombastic ending sequence escape.

Set pieces, very specific and unique instances in a game, aren't bad.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

I laughed at the "non-existent set pieces" as a con. Because that's the world of gaming we're living in now. Where everything has to be a set piece in order to be enjoyable.

But if every battle in the game feels the same then surely a few set-piece battles would be an obvious way to add some variety?

 

[Fitts]

I've found that I very rarely have a specific activity in mind when I log on to Destiny. Instead, I just see what friends are online, pair up with them, and either jump into their game or coordinate something.

With that said, are there any specific activities we should be trying to clear daily or weekly to get worthwhile rewards? I heard something in passing about a "weekly heroic strike" that will net you some Strange Coins. What, exactly, is this and where do I find it?

Edit: Wrong thread. Sorry about that.

 

[Tomeru]

But if every battle in the game feels the same then surely a few set-piece battles would be an obvious way to add some variety?

Yes, but if they added set pieces that turn out to be lousy, what then? I can't understand criticism like this. Even if they did have set pieces, we can't say if they would be good or bad, it's just leaning on the fact the Bungie is a competent developer.

With that said, are there any specific activities we should be trying to clear daily or weekly to get worthwhile rewards? I heard something in passing about a "weekly heroic strike" that will net you some Strange Coins. What, exactly, is this and where do I find it?

Weekly activities are unlocked at level 20.

 

[SpideySenses]

✖ Tidal wave of loot and unlocks dulls the thrill of ownership

I agreed with that sentiment before you hit 20, couldn't be further from the truth afterwards. That really is an example of a reviewer not playing a game long enough to get a full picture.

 

[CryptiK]

IMO the game was a big let down.

 

[Gothos]

And to think I wanted to buy PS4 specifically for that game... Phew, dodged a bullet

 

[AndyMoogle]

Doesn't matter. You get one chance to make a good first impression and if you blow it that's what will be remembered and talked about. I'm sure the game will be full of lots of things to do in a year but as it stands, it's not anywhere close to the adventure that Bungie was promising.

Depends on the game and the developer behind it and how much the publisher is willing to push it. Take Diablo 3 for example. It's a completely different game now and you aren't going to hear much bad mouthing about it anymore. It's a huge game, just like Destiny.

As long as Bungie do what is necessary, I'm sure most people will praise Destiny in 1-2 years as well. But, that's quite far away and it's easy to trash the game as it is now and it shouldn't be praised in its current state. It's a decent start for a game that could be great, but it's nowhere near that yet.

 

[Chû Totoro]

Reading The Escapist review, it's like what I've felt while playing the Beta is (sadly) still the case in the full game.

 

[Klyka]

And to think I wanted to buy PS4 specifically for that game... Phew, dodged a bullet

I bought a PS4 specifically for this game and I couldn't be happier. There is no game for PS4 on the horizon that I am interested in either.

 

[Fliesen]

I've seen people saying it's an MMO which means it's alright that is has almost no story, though.

story / campaign wise, the entirety of Destiny offers less content and variety than Vanilla WoW's "Barrens" region, which is somewhat ironic.

i have gotten enough enjoyment out of Destiny to make it worth the purchase, so far, and i will continue to play crucible and do some strikes - however, i don't think it basically being "an MMO" should mean we shouldn't have any standards when it comes to quests / missions that carry at least a tiny bit of lore.