Before I get started, let me make myself clear. I enjoy Destiny, and I hope it does well as an IP. Now for the tough love...
Destiny is good, there's just no hook.
I don't feel invested in the world, or much like part of it. The story is weak, and needs (desperately) to be fleshed out. I've been teased with whispers of the Golden Age's glory, and the enemies of the Traveler, but none of these whispers ever came to fruition. As a Guardian, I know NOTHING. I woke up from a dirt nap, shot some aliens, and apparently killed a god or something along the way, I don't know...
I need to CARE about the world before I can be called upon to save it.
That being said, the shooter mechanics are top notch.
If we could get the higher difficulties to be a little less spongy and have the enemies dodge grenades better, we'd have a start. Also, the enemy leaders (Captains, Centurions, etc.) could do to be more tactical. It'd be nice to see them seek cover a little more intelligently when I injure them.
The loot is it's own can of worms, and I have little to say about it aside from this.
The game needs to feel REWARDING to play. The fact that luck and RNG can carry someone to LVL 28, while others are walled off from the meat of the endgame content (Nightfall and Raids) due to a lack of aforementioned luck is a little bit silly. If someone can stumble into legendary gear by happenstance while another person has to grind it out over 80 hours, it devalues the harder working person's time. In summation, I bought Destiny to play a fun video game, not to gamble away my time. The game needs to feel rewarding, as opposed to frustrating.
PVP is unbalanced, but I expect that to get fixed by patches as the game progresses.
Ultimately, I don't hate destiny. I just want to see it grow and evolve into the game it could be, as it's only a few complaints and gripes away from perfection.
Story: 4/10
I'm waiting to see where this tale goes, because as it stands this title is going to live or die by the DLC. The Story in Destiny absolutely NEEDS to be stronger.
Gameplay: 8/10
Mobs react very well, and it's a pleasure to fight them, but on higher difficulties they need to be more defensive and coordinated. My only complaint is that the damage required to down the enemies at higher levels is absurd, and doesn't really enrich the experience. If the enemies were smarter on higher difficulties, I'd feel more at home. However, I enjoy the game, so Bungie is doing something right.
The loot: X/10
I reserve Judgement for after the upcoming patch, let's hope Cayde-6 can talk some sense into the Cryptarch.
Game feel: 9/10
This game FEELS good
The game looks stunning, and plays like a dream. No hiccups, everything is smoother than silk. When I'm playing I really get "into it". Gunplay is snappy and action packed. The only thing holding back the immersion is the obscure story and lack of in game grimoire.
PVP: 7/10
It's fun, but we need some tweaking to make it a little less of a food fight in there. I can easily see this aspect of the game making it up to 9/10 after some rebalancing. The game is still new, so this area gets a free pass to an extent.
Overall: 6.5/10
Like I said, as a GAME Destiny feels great. Up until you hit the wall at level 20 and have to start grinding, there's just a pile of fun to be had, go nuts.
The problems set in almost immediately however. The STORY doesn't hook me, it doesn't pull me in. It really does fit the cliche criticism of being a "go here, shoot this! Why!? I don't know!" shooter. The lack of in game grimoire is unsettling, and honestly, the grimoire isn't enough to pull this game's story out of the gutter and wipe the drool off.
I WANT to come back to Destiny day after day, but it's tough to stay hooked when I couldn't give a fig either way wether or not the Traveller and all of humanity dies. I was told WHAT destiny is, but never given any WHY to care about.
Destiny you're fun, beautiful, talented and ambitious, but right now I think we should see other people. Should I call you again in a year when you've had some time to sort your life out? Because, Destiny, I want this relationship to work, but you have to open up to me. Share a bit, make me miss you when I'm gone.
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Good points all the way. Story wise I would say it's pretty much inexistent to not say plain ridiculous from the tiny bits it has. Awakens being revived by ghosts on earth, enemies that can teleport but still use ships to drop troops, or enemies that can manipulate time and dimensions but are still on the loosing side, etc. Just better to ignore it entirely. Design wise the references are also so easy to identify that they could be considered plain copies. Most of the enemies on the game are based or simply copied from films like The 5th Element, Oblivion, Battlestar Galactica, Transformers, etc. Game mechanics are indeed top notch, but there are a few things that should be way better. Switching load outs during gameplay is a pain to say the least, especially when there are exotics involved. And using ammo synthesizers is something that should be feasible without having to open the options, something like pressing "R2 + DPad Up" to syntetize ammunition for the gun you're using. But the most important point you've raised for me is about the game not feeling rewarding or being plain unfair. This "luck" aspect of the game in the end is what ruins it big time for me. The Vault of Glass is the epitome of this. Anyways, unless things change drastically this won't be an IP that I will look forward to come back to for the next ten years like they plan.