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Destiny: Age of Wrap-Up

Part 2 of 2: An exhausted thank-you note to Destiny: Age of Triumph, the final piece of Destiny 1.

By Such A GeekPublished 7 years ago 4 min read
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The Traveler; http://destiny.wikia.com/wiki/File:Travelers-rest.jpg

[I wrote the first part of my Destiny review after having played through (and been disappointed by) the abrupt and surprising lack of content in Vanilla Destiny. This piece covers the completed game, about two years after I wrote my conflicted and irritated original review.]

Final Release: March 28, 2017

Genre: First-Person MMORPG/Shooter

First Impression: "Wow. That's a lot of grinding."

When last we left off my adventures in Destiny, I'd just experienced the piercing pang of disappointment. Destiny had everything going for it... except content, which cut off abruptly. Over the last few years, as Destiny's grown, I guess I've gotten used to the abruptness of the game and its development. After all, the DLC is pretty good, rounds out the story, and generally makes for an engaging experience.

And for the price you pay for it, it better be goddamn amazing. I've spent somewhere in the area of $200 on Destiny because Bungie re-released each DLC as a new game. You can't get the DLC used, and to add insult to injury, Bungie phased out legacy console support for Rise of Iron (last DLC) and later updates, meaning if you played Destiny on the 360 or PS3 and wanted to progress, you had to buy everything all over. Importing characters, while doable, isn't without glitches.

But, for all of that, if you get the game in the form of Destiny: The Collection (which has all the DLC as well as the original game), you're getting yourself into a gigantic game with a huge amount of content and a large number of possible ways to play. The completed Destiny really appeals to numerous kinds of gamers, whether cooperative, competitive, or campaign-oriented.

Its greatest strength definitely lies in the profusion of multiplayer modes and options, with its only weakness being a lack of matchmaking in raids or for other high-level activities.

For reference, there are various PvP options, ranging from a free-for-all shooting rampage to a modified form of Capture the Flag, to competitive racing. For the cooperative gamer, options range from level-appropriate, match-made 3-player 'strikes' (harder missions that will take about 20-30 minutes to complete at the recommended level) to 6-player hard-mode raids that can take upwards of three hours, and include a mix of puzzles and combat. For the campaign-oriented player, Destiny's story mode lasts somewhere around 30-40 hours from start to finish, and also includes weekly events, ongoing objectives, and a whole hell of a lot of grinding.

I had a great time with the game, but I also devoted an unhealthy amount of time to it--I'm sure I'll devote an equally unhealthy amount of time to Destiny 2. While I wouldn't go so far as to say Destiny requires dedication, it's certainly not a casual gamer's cup of tea. The controls and concepts are a bit weird to get used to, and anyone who enjoys a fully written out and explained story is going to be disappointed. One of Destiny's biggest draws is that you have to figure out and piece together the game lore yourself to a tremendous extent.

And now that Destiny 2 has been announced, and I've played Destiny for as long as I have, I find I've stepped back from it. The game kept me engaged by using transferability as a carrot--from expansion to expansion, you keep your gear and your accomplishments. None of that carries over to Destiny 2 except character appearance--at this point, anyway. While at first that bummed me out, I think I kind of agree with that now. It means more grinding, but it also means a more even footing and a lot more fun progressing through various multiplayer options.

The Bottom Line: The finished version of Destiny, available as Destiny: The Collection, is a rich and immersive game that has something for any serious gamer. Destiny requires multiplayer capability, but playing through the story on your own is still fun. The graphics are great, glitches are very rare, connection issues are resolved pretty quickly, and the Destiny companion app for your phone makes managing the characters and keeping track of progress a breeze. Overall, it's a stress-free experience.

Rating: 4.5/5

Recommendation: For the more casual gamer, or someone not into making online friends, you may be better off waiting until Destiny 2 comes out. Apparently matchmaking has been expanded so that more players can play the raids or other previously non-matchmade content. Cool, right? If you want to get a grasp on the basics ahead of Destiny 2, pick up a used copy of vanilla Destiny and play through the original campaign. For gamers with other things to do, or with limited time or interest, Destiny: The Collection isn't going to be a good investment.If you're a serious/hardcore gamer, or an unapologetic completionist, go get Destiny: The Collection. It's been on sale in the Xbox One store a few times recently, (probably PSN as well) so you might even get it on the cheap. I wouldn't bother with a disc unless it's on sale--or you need the pooper scooper, or are just a litterbug and hate the planet.

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Such A Geek

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