I think already I have an idea about what this game does right and what it doesn't, at least at its core. Single player? Well firstly, it's clear that this game was not designed really to be played by yourself. If you do then the repetition of the games gameplay becomes far more obvious than it would if played with your buddy(s). That becomes evident quite early on. What this game does well is it's basic core gunplay, which is lifted wholesale from the Halo series, if it ain't broke why fix it? It certainly reminds you why Halo's gunplay was and is head and shoulders above the competition. The weaving and dodging, the fluidity and weighty feel it has translates into harmonious dance around the battle field that has simply not been bettered. To put it another way, if shigeru miyamoto made shooters, this is what it would feel like. It just feels right. But then Halo: Combat Evolved got it right, way back in 2001. That was 13 years ago. So what does Destiny add to the mix? Well early on Destiny feels like a stripped down Halo. Grenades are no longer picked up on the battlefield, they are an ability that is unlocked and when used has a cool down time. Exactly what this new limitation on grenades adds to the overall combat experience I'm not sure, apart from forcing periods huddled behind a crate wishing you had a grenade to hurl at a group of enemies pinning you down (who also happen to be revelling in the fact that your grenade now has a cool down time!). Where the Halo franchise and games like borderlands have added interesting abilities and items like hologram decoys, sentry guns even stealth kills, Destiny's tool box seems strangely far less interesting in comparison. There are no stealth kill animations (which I personally was sorry to see absent). There are power buffs, but no hologram decoys, theres a flaming golden gun... But nothing as tactically interesting as placing a sentry gun allowing you to then flank a pinned down enemy. Then we have the Ai. Which is ok (not great) but does the job, when allowed to do it. Unfortunately Bungie has seen fit to tether enemy groups rather rigidly to an exact location and will not venture further than a few metres away from said location. This means enemies shooting at you from 100m across the battlefield will never move from that spot or attempt to move in on your location and flush you out. So combat only seems work as it should when in close proximity (a few metres, or same room) with an enemy group. When you are, enemies are able to behave far more intelligently, and move around, take cover and sometimes flank you. Mid to long range battles are more a case of the enemy taking cover or moving position within the boundaries of their assigned position on the map. There are no patrolling enemies in this game unfortunately. One example that stuck out for me was in Old Russia, I came across a Hive 'Knight' who was standing under a bridge. No matter how threatened or what was throne at him, he barely moved a metre from that location. The most apt analogy I can think of is a Rottweiler chained to a post in a field whilst you stand at a distance taking pot shots at its head with your gun! Thankfully not all boss, or mini boss encounters are as painfully dumb as that experience. Wizards move around (at least a little!)! Another BIG problem comes from a lack of randomisation. Enemies no matter what mission you are doing spawn in the exact same locations on the planet map you are playing.... Every single time you play! This inevitably leads to a feeling of repetition. So far I would have to say that this is one of the key problems Destiny has. Random placing of enemy groups could have made the world of difference in keeping things fresh and less predictable and less repetitive. Let's hope Bungie will perhaps fix this in an update? Here's hoping. I haven't been able to fully explore the customisation of my character yet, but seeing other players around the Hub world leads me to believe that there's is an adequate range of options available. Destiny's experience remains a continuing juxtaposition. It's environments are beautifully realised sandboxes, and genuinely atmospheric. But at the same time feel sterile and rather empty. Exploration often feels unnecessary when theres so little loot to find out in the open! The repetitive nature of enemy locations can further weigh down exploration, and I have found myself simply avoiding or running past enemies to my objective rather than engage in a firefight that I had only moments ago in the exact same location. Destiny is a strange beast then - it can at times come off feeling a little too thin and repetitive, various components that make a convincing whole seem lacking, but then the games combat kicks again and you are pulled back in, forgetting why only moments ago you were feeling like the whole thing was a becoming a grind.
By CrippledPoet | Review Date: Sep 11, 2014 | XONE
We all should know by now, even though we are all victims to it, that hype is a game killer. We see it with nearly every AAA title that comes out as these games are advertised almost as much as movies and millions of dol... Read Full Review
I'm not a reviewer but like many, I have put in a great many hours in to a variety of games and feel the need to express my opinion of Destiny, a game that should have delivered on all fronts but failed in that endeavor.... Read Full Review
