As a new player in Destiny 2, everything is great. One discovers the worlds, finds cool weapons, and has a ton of tasks ahead to become stronger. But then begins what eventually befalls all Destiny players: The more familiar you become with Bungie’s loot-shooter, the more it starts to annoy you. That is exactly the moment when you have understood Destiny 2.
The exciting beginnings: I remember well my first experience in Destiny 2. It was the recommendation of a long-time friend. So I tried out this new loot-shooter for me, when it could be explored for free during Forsaken.
My initial entry into the game was not New Light, but still one of those captivating stories, as only Bungie can tell. I had to face my fate in the Red War, where I was robbed of the Light and thus my powers by a power-hungry Cabal named Ghaul.
Above me was the giant sphere, of which I also had no idea what or who it exactly was. But that didn’t matter, because it needed my help after all.
Without Light, I grabbed loot everywhere with shining eyes and found everything completely fantastic.
- There was much to do while small text snippets and voice lines painted a picture of the present and the task of my own character.
- Every new weapon, especially Exotic ones, feels great, rounded off by a unique sound and a distinctive shooting behavior.
- Destiny 2 also has beautifully designed worlds. Every corner of the game needs to be explored in detail.
This is how many hours pass in Destiny 2, where you can easily forget the time. For a while, this goes excellently, and you are completely satisfied.
But as a Destiny veteran, suddenly the activities and problems begin to annoy you more and more and even become boring. A great expansion is followed by weak seasons.
On top of that, you get annoyed by:
- Bugs that you didn’t even notice before.
- The repetition of endgame activities because that’s boring and no longer provides a challenge.
- The drop chance of 0.000000001% for the new raid exotic, which still doesn’t appear after the 50th run.
- The PvP, because it has an unbalanced meta along with matchmaking issues, spam of abilities, and cheaters are common.
- The fact that at Bungie it can sometimes take quite a long time to formulate and prepare effective changes for annoying problems.
By now, the beautiful worlds and even the wonderful music of Destiny 2 have become secondary. The exciting feeling of curiosity and discovery gives way to disenchantment, and you forget what you once loved about Destiny 2.
As a Destiny veteran, it is now essential to loudly complain that there is too little and incorrect content, hardly any attention to major problems of the game is present, and a significant cheating problem exists. Then fatigue sets in. You get tired of the champions and the artificial difficulty during leveling or in activities makes things no better.
Shortly thereafter, you vent your frustration in one of the Destiny communities to come to the conclusion with other players, “I hate Destiny 2!”.
If you feel the same way: no worries! This is the usual pattern that many players in Destiny who have been around for a while experience at least once. And it is also the best sign that you are about to fully understand the bizarre ups and downs of gameplay in Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 gets so much criticism because it is good
Destiny 2 is not free of problems. It is also not at the top of gaming charts or the most streamed games. Nevertheless, the game has quietly simmered in the background as a top-10 shooter for years because developer Bungie is very good at what it does.
- Destiny 2 weapons are not only fun but also fun to earn.
- Characters can be customized in many ways, from their appearance to armor synthesis – players like how their characters look and behave.
- The graphics of Destiny 2 are among the best I know.
- Sound is also special in Destiny 2. There are many outstanding scores.
- Exciting and deep lore stories that also contain personal experiences of well-known NPCs, where you support or let your favorites go.
- Destiny 2 is also a game where being with friends and especially improving together is important.
- Supported by Bungie, great community-created companion apps have emerged, which have improved quality of life.
However, these things are sometimes best recognized when you demonize the game or have taken a little break from it. Interestingly, it is like the story of Destiny itself: It is about two sides of a coin of light and shadow, with which you, as a Destiny player, constantly have to deal.
The return to Destiny 2 is never completely excluded: At some point, Bungie announces a new interesting seasonal story mission. Maybe you also learned that the big saga of light and darkness in the game is being continued. Or a friend asks you to join them for XYZ.
So you log in again and realize: Destiny 2 is like the well-worn spot on the sofa or your cozy favorite hoodie. You run, glide, or hover around a bit, and that feeling from back when you felt how good the gameplay felt in this game is back. Plus a few repetitive new tasks with new triumphs, stylish armor, and collectibles, and you’re back in the game. Until this cycle starts again.
So whoever has understood the “I hate Destiny. It is my favorite game.” syndrome will see the whole game much more relaxed.
My personal experience in Destiny 2 is not quite this extreme path. I think Destiny 2 absolutely needs criticism to develop further. However, I do without unnecessary elitism or a strong sense of entitlement.
A game that has been around for as long as Destiny 2 does not have to be outstanding all the time and deliver top content non-stop. Bugs and issues are found in other games too, and they are simply part of every game.
Moreover, we all want to play other games as well, and a little break, like the one we have just before the new Season 19, can come in handy.
Friends are important for Destiny 2: If you want to avoid the huge rush from the beginning, I recommend joining one of the many Destiny 2 clans. I started my first steps solo as well. But after a few months, you need a fireteam or support depending on the activity, for raids and dungeons.
Anyone who is not a LFG team hopper like me and wants to constantly search for players online finds not only connection in a clan but perhaps also new friends. And in times when the game has little to offer, it is these groups that significantly improve even the most boring gamer days. I also find it great to hear about the experiences of new players and to support them in their quests so that they can understand the game faster.
Anyone who can enjoy the game with a little distance and takes a break from Destiny now and then gets along well with the current content that Bungie offers.
I, for one, am still very curious after 5 years of playing Destiny 2 how the journey of my Guardian ends in The Final Shape or continues. Even if I can’t imagine and don’t want to think about what it will be like when the light and dark saga is one day no longer there and officially ends.
Have you also imagined what it might be like when Destiny 2 is no longer there? And how did you discover Destiny 1 or 2 back then? Do you remember your first steps in the game? Feel free to tell us in the comments, and whether you play with friends or prefer solo.
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