The port of Destiny 2 to PC may pose some challenges for Bungie. The existing community on PS4 and Xbox One is concerned.
It was long in the air, now it is confirmed: The Destiny franchise will make its debut on PC on September 8, when Destiny 2 is released.
This pleases some PC players who have been eagerly watching the shooter for a long time, but it angers parts of the Destiny community on PS4 and Xbox One. There are worries and discontent about PC players joining in.
Balancing could become problematic with mouse and keyboard included
On consoles, players use the controller, while on PC they primarily use mouse and keyboard. Right now, PS4 players are often suspected of using the “M+K” setup that is frowned upon by console players when they perform well. Using mouse and keyboard is considered “cheating” by some on PS4 and Xbox One. But that is not the issue.
Destiny 2 will not offer “cross-play” – players on different platforms will be separated and will not have to compete against each other.
However: A different balancing may be necessary.
Different balancing PS4/Xbox One vs. PC
For example, it is the case with Overwatch. Skills that aim “automatically” are much stronger on PS4 and Xbox One than on PC and are therefore weakened separately. Blizzard has implemented a different balancing for PS4 and Xbox One compared to PC in Overwatch. Certain skills deal about 30% less damage there.
In The Division, Massive did not implement this different balancing – and some consider that a problem for the online shooter.
The concern: If certain weapons or skills on PC are too powerful with mouse and keyboard, Bungie might weaken them on PS4 and Xbox One as well, even if they are okay there.
This could create additional problems in Destiny 2 for what is already a challenging balancing.
On PC rather weak, on PS4 and Xbox One a nasty little pest: Torbjörn.
Many doubt whether Bungie will manage to balance both versions of Destiny 2 separately.
What about the aim assist in Destiny 2? Does the gunplay work on PC?
What’s important here is how Bungie deals with “Aim Assist”. It’s the “secret of success” for the studio to ensure great gunplay on consoles. Whether this carefully calibrated assistance works at all on PC is currently in doubt.
Simply disabling aim assist on PC could also lead to problems. After all, this aim help is a fixed stat on the weapons and has been factored into their “balancing”. In Destiny 1, sniper rifles like the “Veilshadow” or “Weyloran’s March” only earned such a good reputation because the “aim assist” on the snipers was so high that even a half-blind person could become a sniper.
Whether the gunplay, the secret of success of Destiny, works on PC, we do not know yet.
Cheat danger
The other problem that console players see lies in the cheat danger of a PC version. Hacks and cheats are more prevalent there than on PS4 and Xbox One.
Console players fear that the PC version could be infested with hacks and aimbots – just as it is the case in other PC online shooters.
Some PC players come across as arrogant towards PS4 and Xbox One players. They cannot stand that at all. Players on PS4 and Xbox One are proud of their “exclusive” franchises.
Console players also fear that Bungie will be overwhelmed with an additional third platform and will develop fewer features for Destiny 2 than would actually be necessary. It is often heard: “Instead of bringing it to PC, they should rather introduce [feature X or Y].”
Consequently, players on PS4 and Xbox One are not really excited about PC players joining in.
PC players are concerned about whether the port of Destiny 2 will be good
Conversely, PC players are also not exactly thrilled since hearing that Destiny 2 will be released on PC, and many PC players are worried.
Will Bungie manage the port?
In the past, there have been too many “poor PC ports” of console games, with weak controls and unnecessarily complex interfaces that were obviously not designed for PC and left the advantages of the platforms unused.
Is Bungie doing the port itself or is Activision hiring another studio?
The PC site GameStar fears that Bungie might hire “another studio” to carry out the port and hopes that Bungie will definitely do it themselves.
Destiny 2 is a multiplayer online loot shooter with MMO elements developed by Bungie. It was released on September 6, 2017, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and ...
