It has been three years since the first release of Destiny and anticipation for its sequel was inevitable given its huge hits and equally large misses.
Thankfully, much has improved from the get-go, from the story to its mechanics and graphics. In a nutshell, the experience has been stunning, albeit for a few bugs but nothing too drastic that affected the gameplay.
Developed by Bungie – the same guys behind Halo, here is our breakdown of Destiny 2 (does not contain spoilers).
RPG System
The game pulls away from common shooters, which was refreshing to say the least. The RPG element of Destiny 2 was impressive but there were still some grey areas when it came to skills. The Leveling system was fair, and there was an even balance with EXP gains between doing a quest and grinding on enemies.
There are several methods to levelling up, such as undertaking the main quest, taking on zone adventures, exploring public events and the general grind. One of the quickest way to level up and gain loot is to make use of the chest spawns by killing off the zone leaders, all in all the RPG element slightly resembles Tom Clancy’s The Division.
Gameplay
Certain aspects of Destiny 2 mirrors DOOM and Halo in an uncanny way. After all, it was developed by Bungie, so we can’t ignore the fact that there will be slight resemblances towards the Halo franchise. For example, the “Fallen” enemy uses weapons similar to the “Needler” in Halo where the projectiles actually chase you, and running around in the “hives” early in the game felt reminiscent of DOOM. As you progress through the game, different types of enemies will be introduced, and it gets more challenging as each enemy has a special attribute/ability.
The main enemies are the “Cabal”, which were introduced back in Destiny 1, tasked to take earth back from them. The Cabal are looking to use the travelers light to wipe off all guardians, whom the player plays as. Throughout the course of the journey, the game does begin to feel mundane and repetitive, but the repetitive cycle does provide experience gain and the loot drop is never the same.
Weapon System
Destiny 2 has already surpassed its predecessor in many ways, one of the obvious improvements is the weapon system. In Destiny 2 every player will be given three weapons (Kinetic, Energy and Power weapons) with each weapon having it’s own tiers of rarity.
Kinetic weapons
- Kinetic weapons are the primary weapon that deals high damage to all enemies using regular bullets.
Energy weapons
- Energy weapons have a unique element added to it such as, Solar (fire), Arc (electric) and Void (magic). The primary use of an energy weapon is to take down enemies with a shield protecting them, each shield has an Achilles heel depending on the element. Causing a shield to explode will deal damage to surrounding enemies. Energy weapons deal slightly lesser damage to regular enemies as compared to the Kinetic weapons.
Power Weapons
- If a boss is in your way, power weapons are your go-to weapons. With the ability to deal massive damage, the only drawback for this weapon is the ammo capacity, so be sure to use it wisely and make every shot count.
Classes
You will be able to choose from three classes, Titan, Hunter and Warlock. There are no weapon restriction for classes, but each class has it’s own unique set of attributes and skills. This time around each class will have a subclass that can be unlocked. Titans are generally tanks, able to absorb the most damage among the classes, hunters deal massive damage and have better maneuverability. Warlocks are technically mages who deal a high amount of damage to enemies in an area. All the classes remains the same from Destiny 1 but having the subclasses added in provides players a completely new set of skills and experience.
Destiny 2 is a game that you have to experience firsthand to appreciate the story and its gameplay. It’s an addictive entry into the franchise and definitely worth paying to play for. Playing with a group of friends is a plus point, from doing quest to fooling around dancing and playing a minigame of football. Unfortunately, several chinks in its armour keep it from being an ultimate game of the year contender, but there are elements that will keep you coming back for more. Our score for Destiny 2 is a “7.5”.