Destiny - Review Thread

Status
Not open for further replies.
ViewtifulJC said:
It really does remind me of vanilla diablo 3. Big production values, compulsive entertaining combat loop, but get past the shiny surface and its all rather hollow.

Its funny how much the Beta really gave you. The story, the strikes, the quests, the PvP, the tower...it was all there, there was all there was
Click to expand...
Ah good comparison, I was trying to think of a game that was in a similar situation.
 
Oh wow,

the chicken really has come home to roost

some fair criticisms but really harsh scores.

I hope Bungie takes it to heart and makes the required changes
 
Timmay said:
What Titanfall does, it does incredibly well. What Destiny does, it does amazingly pedestrian. What's with you constantly taking issue with how Destiny is being judged compared to Titanfall and/or Halo?
Click to expand...

Whattttt the fundamental gameplay is rock solid bungie.
 
I really don't understand the unrealistic expectations people were having about this game. After playing the Alpha/Beta, I didn't come in expecting the most epic, cinematic single player experience this side of Uncharted. That's certainly not what hooked me from the beta.

Bungie chose to make the single player an experience that could be shared with a three person fireteam, and it's very difficult to manage the needs of a compelling narrative when you're playing with other people. So the story is simple, straightforward, and serviceable, but that's really not the point of the game. Nor is this a puzzle solver, platformer, etc...it's a shooter. Some people were expecting it to be something else? The worlds are designed around having combat areas that are fun, engaging, and gorgeous to look at. Mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

The meat of the game is going through the various missions (PvE story, Strikes, and Crucible) in order to fully level up the abilities of your Guardian....this is what the game is all about. Playing with your friends in beautiful worlds, and gaining new mechanics with your character that can be applied in more difficult challenges.

And I frankly love it. Would I give it a 10? No, the game does have issues with presentation -- namely, I think Bungie failed to really nail the backstory and lore of the world -- but from a gameplay perspective this is what I've been waiting years for. It's insanely addicting and fun, and that's most of what matters to me in a game. This is a title I will be playing for a long time, and I can't say the same for other games which are simply a "one and done". Every title has its place, I don't think enough praise is going into what Bungie is doing right.
 
Poodlestrike said:
Because Titanfall just lacks a single player campaign, whereas Destiny's is actively bad. It's easier to knock points off for a feature done poorly than it is for a feature that isn't implemented at all.
Click to expand...

As someone who loves Titanfall, I put in the same boat as Destiny. Terrible narrative, terrible mission structure (just narrative-overlayed mp matches, really?), poor matchmaking, lacking in content, luck based achievements, broken achievements, and ridiculously padded challenges (most were patched thankfully).

I enjoy the core gameplay of Titanfall a bit more than Destiny since it seems more refined(?), but in the end they both have major issues and it is comparing apples and oranges despite them both being online games.
 
Count me in the camp of the unbelievers on Destiny.

I was not really looking forward to the game at first, as everything that was shown on the game was so lifeless and uninteresting that I was not the least bit interested. (Since I am an avid Halo fan , this was a huge shock for me) I also made a point to stay away from the beta (big mistake) and just to rely on word of mouth from my brother, who loved the beta, and from fellow gaffers who were also down on the game beforehand. The turnaround in perception of this game was amazing from the beta. On GAf in particular, everyone was singing the praises of Destiny and how great the beta was, and I was shocked how quick the turnaround hit.

Well, I ran out and bought the game on day one, sat down and started playing and I was immediately and utterly disappointed. The arstechnica review kinda sums it up best for me, as I feel this game is probably only worth 6.5-7 on a scale of ten. The horrible AI, the lack of any meaningful story to speak of, the bastardization of basic MMO concepts, I mean the game misses those points on so many levels.
 
madmackem said:
Whattttt the fundamental gameplay is rock solid bungie.
Click to expand...

The shooting mechanics are great and they deserve to be in a better game. The gameplay, of which story, pvp etc are all a part of are incredibly lacking. And it's being scored down for it. Deservedly.
 
DoubleTake said:
What im gathering as well. Crazy to see it turn out this way though.

Destiny 2 no campaign confirmed. I bet they go full MMO next go round.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if they'll go full MMO, but I definitely think the social aspects are going to be a major thing that they'll work on for the sequel.
 
nib95 said:
That would be awful if they did do that :(
Click to expand...

I really hope it doesnt happen. But when they see people dogging their story like this you have to wonder if they wont just say "fuck it" and pull a Titanfall and release something much more focused on Multiplayer. Why spend all that money and time developing a great Campaign if it may or may not end up compelling?

Poodlestrike said:
They could go full MMO and still have a better story. Hell, even if we set aside outliers like SWTOR, you can find many MMOs with a much better story than Destiny. Look at Firefall, for instance.
Click to expand...

Which is really amazing considering Bungie's pedigree. Not to say Halo are amazing stories, but they definitely had a coherency that made them enjoyable enough to want to learn more about.
 
Diablo 3 really did go through a tremendous transformation into what it is today, but I seriously just...can't see how Destiny would pull off anything similar. So many of its issues are DEEPLY rooted in its very design.

I would be surprised if the metacritic ends up higher than the lower 70s.
 
madmackem said:
Ive put more hours into destiny then any game since wow tbh, its fun the gameplay is there rock solid top of the tree shooter gameplay and the sound design, im playing it like i play wow or diablo in that im redoing content for better gear, theres plenty there for the price i paid ive got my moneys worth.

Lolygon, its a solid solid game with top shooter gameplay, are they marking it down for not living up to the monstrous hype? if so what was there titanfall score?.
Click to expand...

Oh I'm not doubting you could get your moneys worth from the game as it stands, but It's surprising the amount of people happy at the prospect of paying to continue unlocking the story and adding to the game while with other games people have a bitch fit over a season pass. Just pointing out the double standards I've seen a lot on here, not suggesting the game has skimped out on content.
 
madmackem said:
Ive put more hours into destiny then any game since wow tbh, its fun the gameplay is there rock solid top of the tree shooter gameplay and the sound design, im playing it like i play wow or diablo in that im redoing content for better gear, theres plenty there for the price i paid ive got my moneys worth.

Lolygon, its a solid solid game with top shooter gameplay, are they marking it down for not living up to the monstrous hype? if so what was there titanfall score?.
Click to expand...

Did you read the review? They go into great detail about what they found disappointing about it, many of their points being spot on.

I'm guessing by you naming them "Lolygon" that you didn't read the review at all and simply dismissed it because of the source.
 
After putting around 20 hours or so, I just don't understand how Destiny's issues warrant the low scores it's receiving. The combat is far and above better than Borderlands, or most shooters for that matter, And why does seemingly every shooter seem to get criticized for being a shooter? Do racing games get criticized for "well all you do is race around tracks" or fighting games "well all you do is fight people, I wanted so much more." So why the fuck does every popular shooter need to be "something more than a shooter" or "all i'm doing is shooting things." Like... okay? Ya, it's a shooter, and a pretty damn good one. I'm just waiting for the day when people start criticizing character action games for "well you walk into an area, fight dudes, and then move on and do it again. I wanted so much more" or some other nonsense.
 
seems like this game could have potential but the first outing comes up short in a lot of ways and not much content :(

hopefully with destiny 2 they can get it right and actually give us a truly good amount of content right at launch because waiting on some DLC is BS.
 
nib95 said:
It's interesting that overall content, narrative, and a more compelling single player campaign are things that are held against Destiny to such harsh detriment, things that are further lacking in Tiatnfall, but that many have given the game passes on, comparatively speaking.
Click to expand...
They're different games that try to do different things. The amount of content isn't the only deciding factor in a review.
 
Sotha_Sil said:
GAF likes to give review sites crap about favoring large AAA IPs, but let's look at how the new and highly hyped AAA franchises have started out:

Titanfall - 86
Watch Dogs - 80
Destiny - 77

Seems like a pretty fair situation to me.
Click to expand...

Is Bloodborne the next casualty?
 
nib95 said:
It's interesting that overall content, narrative, and a more compelling single player campaign are things that are held against Destiny to such harsh detriment, things that are further lacking in Tiatnfall, but that many have given the game passes on, comparatively speaking.
Click to expand...

TitanFall isn't the first PvP designed game to get decent marks despite having a limited story mode. It isn't even the first one published and/or moneyhatted by Microsoft (Unreal Championship, Unreal Championship 2, MechAssault 2, Counterstrike, ShadowRun, Monday Night Combat).

Destiny has a bare bones PvP mode, and is being graded primarily on its PvE content.
 
nib95 said:
It's interesting that overall content, narrative, and a more compelling single player campaign are things that are held against Destiny to such harsh detriment, things that are further lacking in Tiatnfall, but that many have given the game passes on, comparatively speaking.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't know why, but Titanfall had some huge media hype machine going for it. Maybe it was because it was an exclusive and the first big new IP. Funny how it seems to have fizzled out though.

I never really saw the huge media hype for Destiny. Most of it came from the fans of the beta.

I do think it's a bit ridiculous that Bungie is held to a much higher standard. For everything they've done wrong with story, there's so much more to be said for what they got right with co-operative gameplay with true longevity.

Sho_Nuff82 said:
TitanFall isn't the first PvP designed game to get decent marks despite having a limited story mode. It isn't even the first one published and/or moneyhatted by Microsoft (Unreal Championship, Unreal Championship 2, MechAssault 2, Counterstrike, ShadowRun, Monday Night Combat).

Destiny has a bare bones PvP mode, and is being graded primarily on its PvE content.
Click to expand...

What is bare bones about Destiny's PvP compared to Titanfall?
 
DoubleTake said:
I really hope it doesnt happen. But when they see people dogging their story like this you have to wonder if they wont just say "fuck it" and pull a Titanfall and release something much more focused on Multiplayer. Why spend all that money and time developing a great Campaign if it may or may not end up compelling?
Click to expand...

That'd be a crying shame. Even if the main campaign is pretty ropey on the narrative delivery, it's still better than not having one at all. And I still like the stop gap cut-scenes and attempt to interject some lore or story. I'm not a big fan of straight MMO games as I find them a bit aimless and too time consuming, but at least Bungie reigned it in with Destiny and made it more bite size and accessible.

James Sawyer Ford said:
I really don't understand the unrealistic expectations people were having about this game. After playing the Alpha/Beta, I didn't come in expecting the most epic, cinematic single player experience this side of Uncharted. That's certainly not what hooked me from the beta.

Bungie chose to make the single player an experience that could be shared with a three person fireteam, and it's very difficult to manage the needs of a compelling narrative when you're playing with other people. So the story is simple, straightforward, and serviceable, but that's really not the point of the game. Nor is this a puzzle solver, platformer, etc...it's a shooter. Some people were expecting it to be something else? The worlds are designed around having combat areas that are fun, engaging, and gorgeous to look at. Mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

The meat of the game is going through the various missions (PvE story, Strikes, and Crucible) in order to fully level up the abilities of your Guardian....this is what the game is all about. Playing with your friends in beautiful worlds, and gaining new mechanics with your character that can be applied in more difficult challenges.

And I frankly love it. Would I give it a 10? No, the game does have issues with presentation -- namely, I think Bungie failed to really nail the backstory and lore of the world -- but from a gameplay perspective this is what I've been waiting years for. It's insanely addicting and fun, and that's most of what matters to me in a game. This is a title I will be playing for a long time, and I can't say the same for other games which are simply a "one and done". Every title has its place, I don't think enough praise is going into what Bungie is doing right.
Click to expand...

I agree with all of this.
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
I really don't understand the unrealistic expectations people were having about this game. After playing the Alpha/Beta, I didn't come in expecting the most epic, cinematic single player experience this side of Uncharted. That's certainly not what hooked me from the beta.

Bungie chose to make the single player an experience that could be shared with a three person fireteam, and it's very difficult to manage the needs of a compelling narrative when you're playing with other people. So the story is simple, straightforward, and serviceable, but that's really not the point of the game. Nor is this a puzzle solver, platformer, etc...it's a shooter. Some people were expecting it to be something else? The worlds are designed around having combat areas that are fun, engaging, and gorgeous to look at. Mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

The meat of the game is going through the various missions (PvE story, Strikes, and Crucible) in order to fully level up the abilities of your Guardian....this is what the game is all about. Playing with your friends in beautiful worlds, and gaining new mechanics with your character that can be applied in more difficult challenges.

And I frankly love it. Would I give it a 10? No, the game does have issues with presentation -- namely, I think Bungie failed to really nail the backstory and lore of the world -- but from a gameplay perspective this is what I've been waiting years for. It's insanely addicting and fun, and that's most of what matters to me in a game. This is a title I will be playing for a long time, and I can't say the same for other games which are simply a "one and done". Every title has its place, I don't think enough praise is going into what Bungie is doing right.
Click to expand...

.
 
James Sawyer Ford said:
I really don't understand the unrealistic expectations people were having about this game. After playing the Alpha/Beta, I didn't come in expecting the most epic, cinematic single player experience this side of Uncharted. That's certainly not what hooked me from the beta.

Bungie chose to make the single player an experience that could be shared with a three person fireteam, and it's very difficult to manage the needs of a compelling narrative when you're playing with other people. So the story is simple, straightforward, and serviceable, but that's really not the point of the game. Nor is this a puzzle solver, platformer, etc...it's a shooter. Some people were expecting it to be something else? The worlds are designed around having combat areas that are fun, engaging, and gorgeous to look at. Mission accomplished as far as I'm concerned.

The meat of the game is going through the various missions (PvE story, Strikes, and Crucible) in order to fully level up the abilities of your Guardian....this is what the game is all about. Playing with your friends in beautiful worlds, and gaining new mechanics with your character that can be applied in more difficult challenges.

And I frankly love it. Would I give it a 10? No, the game does have issues with presentation -- namely, I think Bungie failed to really nail the backstory and lore of the world -- but from a gameplay perspective this is what I've been waiting years for. It's insanely addicting and fun, and that's most of what matters to me in a game. This is a title I will be playing for a long time, and I can't say the same for other games which are simply a "one and done". Every title has its place, I don't think enough praise is going into what Bungie is doing right.
Click to expand...

What were the unrealistic expectations? No, I'm not talking about the oddballs who expected dog fights or several zones on each planet. What in the valid criticisms and the given reviews are unrealistic.

You seem to be making an argument against some boogeyman.

And for the record, Destiny is getting a lot of praise for what it does do right. It is a decent to good game. But that would require reading reviews and what people are actually saying to get. I don't believe in giving loaded praise to a game just on ambition and risk, or to write off issues completely due to my personal enjoyment.
 
Timmay said:
The shooting mechanics are great and they deserve to be in a better game. The gameplay, of which story, pvp etc are all a part of are incredibly lacking. And it's being scored down for it. Deservedly.
Click to expand...

Pvp is great, im not getting alot of the criticism to be honest, one grip i do have is with the story and the broken way its delivered to you, but gameplay looks content and pvp are all good to great.

In this day in age where average games get 7 ir there abouts i think a 6 for this is a tad low its a solid game with alot of content, they may have overplayed the amount of that content day one but it deserves a solid 8.
 
Crafty_ said:
After putting around 20 hours or so, I just don't understand how Destiny's issues warrant the low scores it's receiving. The combat is far and above better than Borderlands, or most shooters for that matter, And why does seemingly every shooter seem to get criticized for being a shooter? Do racing games get criticized for "well all you do is race around tracks" or fighting games "well all you do is fight people, I wanted so much more."
Click to expand...

Because reviews take into account more than just the shooting itself. They didn't market it as "just a shooter," and people are responding to every element within the game.
 
Crafty_ said:
After putting around 20 hours or so, I just don't understand how Destiny's issues warrant the low scores it's receiving. The combat is far and above better than Borderlands, or most shooters for that matter, And why does seemingly every shooter seem to get criticized for being a shooter? Do racing games get criticized for "well all you do is race around tracks" or fighting games "well all you do is fight people, I wanted so much more." So why the fuck does every popular shooter need to be "something more than a shooter" or "all i'm doing is shooting things." Like... okay? Ya, it's a shooter, and a pretty damn good one. I'm just waiting for the day when people start criticizing character action games for "well you walk into an area, fight dudes, and then move on and do it again. I wanted so much more" or some other nonsense.
Click to expand...

The combat and shooting mechanics are great. But there's nothing else to it. That's the problem. If the MP was great, sure, that might be enough. But even that is kind of flawed.
 
Crafty_ said:
After putting around 20 hours or so, I just don't understand how Destiny's issues warrant the low scores it's receiving. The combat is far and above better than Borderlands, or most shooters for that matter, And why does seemingly every shooter seem to get criticized for being a shooter? Do racing games get criticized for "well all you do is race around tracks" or fighting games "well all you do is fight people, I wanted so much more." So why the fuck does every popular shooter need to be "something more than a shooter" or "all i'm doing is shooting things." Like... okay? Ya, it's a shooter, and a pretty damn good one. I'm just waiting for the day when people start criticizing character action games for "well you walk into an area, fight dudes, and then move on and do it again. I wanted so much more" or some other nonsense.
Click to expand...

If a racing game had a very limited number of tracks, cars and race modes yes it would be panned rightfully so.

Same if a fighter was released with only a few characters that had limited abilities and were all pretty similar.
 
Destiny may not be a 10/10 but it IS a good game. The gameplay i great and I can't wait to see what they do with Destiny 2. Hopefully they address the issues highlighted in the reviews.(poor story, repetitive missions)

I wonder if our characters will carry over to Destiny 2 though. That will determine how long I keep playing this game.
 
madmackem said:
Ive put more hours into destiny then any game since wow tbh, its fun the gameplay is there rock solid top of the tree shooter gameplay and the sound design, im playing it like i play wow or diablo in that im redoing content for better gear, theres plenty there for the price i paid ive got my moneys worth.
Click to expand...
So, how much time did you spend with the game then?
 
Crafty_ said:
After putting around 20 hours or so, I just don't understand how Destiny's issues warrant the low scores it's receiving. The combat is far and above better than Borderlands, or most shooters for that matter, And why does seemingly every shooter seem to get criticized for being a shooter? Do racing games get criticized for "well all you do is race around tracks" or fighting games "well all you do is fight people, I wanted so much more." So why the fuck does every popular shooter need to be "something more than a shooter" or "all i'm doing is shooting things." Like... okay? Ya, it's a shooter, and a pretty damn good one. I'm just waiting for the day when people start criticizing character action games for "well you walk into an area, fight dudes, and then move on and do it again. I wanted so much more" or some other nonsense.
Click to expand...

Which reviewer criticized it for being a shooter, or even critisized the shooting mechanics of the game?

There are so many elements, such a level design, pacing, content and many other things, that play into how good a shooter is.
 
This is the game which included prominently in its advertising campaign how it had won "over 180 awards" in showcases, presentations etc. Some serious questions need to be asked as to why the same media outlets handing out those plaudits are now labelling the game average and uninspiring.
Did they feel deceived by Destiny's presentation compared to the final product? Are those awards just handed out like candy with such little thought? Is there something more sinister at play since there seems to be a strong correlation between pre-release awards and games with the highest budget?
What does this say about something like Evolve which is earning many of these "plaudits"?
 
In addition of the potential disappointment based on high expectations, I wonder if reviewers won't also be bitter because of the imposed timing to test the game (getting their copy late, not having access to everything etc). It may explain harsher scores than expected (yeah I think 5-6 is a bit harsh, even if I'm not a Destiny believer either).
 
Crafty_ said:
After putting around 20 hours or so, I just don't understand how Destiny's issues warrant the low scores it's receiving. The combat is far and above better than Borderlands, or most shooters for that matter, And why does seemingly every shooter seem to get criticized for being a shooter? Do racing games get criticized for "well all you do is race around tracks" or fighting games "well all you do is fight people, I wanted so much more." So why the fuck does every popular shooter need to be "something more than a shooter" or "all i'm doing is shooting things." Like... okay? Ya, it's a shooter, and a pretty damn good one. I'm just waiting for the day when people start criticizing character action games for "well you walk into an area, fight dudes, and then move on and do it again. I wanted so much more" or some other nonsense.
Click to expand...


Because, there are so many shooters nowadays, having good combat isnt enough.
 
75 on Metacritic, ouch.

Can't say it's not deserved, though that really should be rock bottom, I don't think it's worse than 75. The reality is that the game is just really shallow. Even BF4 had a better story than Destiny.

Timmay said:
One less GOTY contender. I get the feeling the majority of games in the running for GOTY this year are going to be remasters (Halo, TLOU, GTA).
Click to expand...

At this point, Titanfall is looking like the GOTY :S

I still have hope in Civilization Beyond Earth though.
 
wow the reviews. After that i dont think many publisher will copy the way how destiny handled the review embargo. Reviewer had to much time to see the flaws and read what the community thinks.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Lunar Remastered Collection | Review Thread
Opinion Review 
43
3K
anthony2690 replied
Review Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves | Review Thread
Analysis Review 
9
33
Spukc replied
Avowed | Review Thread
Analysis Review  28 29 30 31 32
2K
86K
GymWolf replied
AI Limit | Review Thread
Opinion Analysis Review 
36
2K
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
  • Poll
Assassin's Creed: Shadows | Review Thread
Analysis Review  18 19 20 21 22
1K
71K
Rocco Schiavone replied
Top Bottom