For the launch of Destiny 2, Bungie wanted to hear complaints about too much story in the game. What became of it? We are doing the story check for Destiny 2.
One of Bungie’s big promises for Destiny 2 was a much better and more extensive story than in Destiny 1. This was repeatedly emphasized. A developer even said, he wished for Destiny 2 that fans would complain about too much story.
About 6 weeks after the launch, we ask at Mein MMO:
- Is there really “too much” story in Destiny 2?
- Is the story of Destiny 2 really better than in Destiny 1?
We are doing the story check!
1. The Campaign: Cinematic?
The story of Destiny 1 was once mocked. Disjointed missions without a clear goal disappointed players in 2014. Anyone who wanted to learn more about the story and the lore behind it had to unlock Grimoire cards, the content of which could only be viewed through Bungie’s website.
Destiny 2 presents the story in 2017 much more excitingly and visually captivating. The entire campaign follows a red thread and offers varied missions. In cutscenes, we are close to Ghaul to gain insights into his plans and emotional world.
The presentation and the connections of the story are a significant improvement compared to the predecessor. I always knew why I had to do what.
But does the campaign provide too much story? No, those who play quickly will see the credits after about 6 to 8 hours. This is a common playing time for a first-person shooter. Those who want to learn more about the lore and backstory of Destiny 2 will not be happy with the campaign. But Bungie has taken care of it – with adventures.
2. Adventures instead of Grimoire cards
In all locations, players find so-called adventures, self-contained instances that serve as mini-missions and are intended to bring guardians closer to the backstory.
And it works quite well. The missions are indeed small but varied. They also provide interesting insights into the story of Ghaul and his Cabal Legion.
A major drawback of the adventures: They are not mandatory and can be completely ignored. Those who simply sprint through the campaign will miss a lot. The adventures can still be played after completing the story, but they seem somewhat detached and not coherent.
Bungie could have solved this by unlocking the adventures parallel to the story missions and making them mandatory for further progress. This would have kept players on the planet much longer within the campaign and increased the incentive to explore it to the last corners.
This way, a narrative thread could have been drawn that tells the story from Destiny 1 to the end of Destiny 2.
In addition to the adventures, you can also go on a search yourself, as Bungie has hidden scanable objects everywhere that are intended to tell more about the background story.
3. Collectibles: Scanning Around the World
Those who pay a little more attention while joyfully shooting aliens will find scattered scanable objects in the locations that reveal more about the Destiny universe and lore.
The information obtained from these is often quite interesting; unfortunately, there are no indications of where to specifically look for these objects. Many current games use encyclopedias and collections to show players what they have already found.
Unfortunately, Destiny 2 does not offer this. I would like to read the content about the objects again later to connect loose threads or better understand new insights. A collection of the scanable objects with the associated background story would have been useful here.
This was better addressed with the Grimoire cards in Destiny 1. Even though I had to call up an external website for it, I could access the information at any time once I found the corresponding Grimoire card.
Logical Gaps and Missing Collection, But Much Better Story
Those who have a proper portion of exploratory urge and the patience to explore every corner of the locations will find value in Destiny 2. However, the missing collection or encyclopedia with all races, weapons, and history is sorely missed.
However, Bungie has made an effort to present the story better and offers each player exactly the portion of story and lore that they want. The story is undeniably a significant improvement over its predecessor, even though it has various logical gaps and weaknesses in immersion:
- What about Rasputin? Why didn’t all alarms ring when the Cabal Legion attacked Earth?
- Why is the Guardian completely mute? At times, it feels like a puppet mindlessly carrying out the orders of the Vanguard. This is particularly noticeable in the boss fight against Ghaul, during which the Guardian simply endures Ghaul’s tirades.
- The Ghost is a highly developed computer but often seems dumb and naive. It is unclear whether the human characteristics of the Ghost are meant to mask the muteness of the Guardians.
- Where is Eris, anyway? Her ship broke Cayde-6. Hopefully, she found a ride while escaping the Tower. In the first mission on Titan, she is described as missing. We are curious about what else might come!
Conclusion: Did Bungie Keep Its Promise with the Story?
The answers to the two questions from the beginning:
- Is there too much story in Destiny 2? No. In fact, there hasn’t been a single post on Reddit complaining about too much story since the launch of Destiny 2.
- Is it better than in the predecessor? Definitely! In fact, the backstory of Destiny is a fairy tale filled with legends and myths with a lot of potential. The story of Destiny 2 is presented much better than in Destiny 1; however, there are still issues here. Ironically, many players want the Grimoire cards back – in addition to the cutscenes, not as a replacement.
What do you think of the story? Was it “too much”? Or just right? Let us know in the comments!
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