In an effort to attract more players and encourage game purchases, Activision and Bungie introduced a free trial for Destiny 2, similar to the approach taken with the original Destiny game back in 2014. This trial is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One platforms.
The combination of a first-person shooter and online-only gameplay often raises questions among gamers regarding the value of their investment. Destiny 2 has faced recent controversies, such as limited progress and an increase in the XP required to level up. Introducing a free trial helps shift some of the focus away from these negative aspects.
The free trial grants access to two worlds: the European Dead Zone (EDZ) and Titan, the Moon of Saturn. Within these areas, players can engage in campaign gameplay, completing story missions and side quests, while earning loot along the way. Character progression is possible up to Level 7.
Both solo play and multiplayer modes are available. The multiplayer component allows players to join Clans and form Fireteams for cooperative activities. Engaging in player-versus-player (PvP) battles in the Crucible is also unlocked, providing full access to the Quickplay playlist.
As is typical with free trials, all progress made during the trial period is saved and can be transferred over if players decide to purchase the full game. The content offered in the trial should provide enough insight to help players make an informed decision about whether Destiny 2 is worth investing in.
Destiny 2: The five-year review
Destiny 2 has emerged from the shadows of Bungie's iconic Halo series and carved out a legacy of its own. Released in 2017, Destiny 2 not only surpassed the lifespan of its predecessor but also embraced a bolder vision. Unlike its debut installment, which occasionally felt torn between meeting publisher demands and fulfilling Bungie's aspirations, Destiny 2 fully realizes the developer's vision for an ever-evolving, immersive experience.
Since its release, Destiny 2 has undergone significant transformations. Through two smaller post-launch DLCs, four major expansions, and numerous in-game seasons, Bungie has introduced countless changes and improvements to their online first-person looter.
As we reach the latest expansion, The Witch Queen, it's a perfect opportunity to reflect on the remarkable journey that Destiny 2 has embarked upon since its launch. Over the years, the game has grown, adapted, and transformed in ways that can hardly be quantified.
Destiny 2 has been a platform for constant evolution, with Bungie introducing new content, refining gameplay mechanics, and responding to player feedback. Each expansion and season has brought significant updates, expanding the game's universe, introducing compelling narratives, and delivering thrilling gameplay experiences.
With The Witch Queen, Destiny 2 continues to push boundaries and captivate players with its evolving world. It's a testament to Bungie's dedication to their creation and their commitment to providing a continually enriching experience for their passionate community.
Looking back at the journey of Destiny 2, it's clear that the game has come a long way since its initial release. It has matured into a remarkable and immersive online world, showcasing Bungie's unwavering commitment to delivering an ever-evolving and captivating gaming experience.
Understanding Destiny 2
Similar to its predecessor, Destiny 2 combines elements from various genres, resulting in a unique hybrid experience. While its moment-to-moment gameplay and science fiction backdrop draw comparisons to Bungie's Halo series, the game leans closer to MMORPGs like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV with its focus on world-driven storytelling, loot-driven progression, and emphasis on social play.
In Destiny 2, players choose from three distinct classes: Hunter, Titan, or Warlock, each offering unique movement and combat abilities. For example, the Hunter can summon a mystical revolver, while the Warlock wields powerful lightning attacks.
Once players create their character, they immerse themselves in the expansive science fiction saga crafted by Bungie, charting their own path. Destiny 2 provides the freedom to pursue various activities, whether it's completing story content or diving into competitive multiplayer modes. As players progress, their characters grow in power, reputation, and obtain increasingly potent weaponry.
Originally released as a retail game, Destiny 2 transitioned to a free-to-play model in 2019. This change granted new players access to the base campaign ("The Red War") and two downloadable content packs, Curse of Osiris and Warmind. While subsequent expansions like Forsaken and Shadowkeep still required separate purchases, the free offering provided hours of gameplay.
However, in 2020, Bungie introduced the Destiny Content Vault, which retired older campaigns, quests, weapons, and even entire planets from the game. This decision aimed to streamline the narrative and allow newer players to engage with more recent expansions and seasons. While it facilitated catching up with the evolving story, it also reduced the generosity of Destiny 2's free-to-play experience and added complexity to the already intricate storytelling.
As of now, Destiny 2 remains free to play, while major expansions such as Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and The Witch Queen are available for individual purchase. Additionally, the game follows a season pass system, offering free content alongside premium seasonal additions gated behind the paid version of the pass, akin to other live-service games like Fortnite.
Destiny vs Warframe vs Borderlands vs Halo
Destiny 2 stands out as a unique game that blends first-person shooter and massively multiplayer online role-playing elements, offering an ambitious and evolving narrative that spans years. It represents a significant departure from Bungie's renowned science fiction saga, Halo, where the single-player campaign and competitive multiplayer were separate entities. In contrast, Destiny 2 presents them as interconnected components within a larger, more fluid experience.
Rather than focusing on a single protagonist, Destiny 2 revolves around the ever-changing state of its world, empowering players to shape their own individual stories within this dynamic setting. While there are similarities between Halo and Destiny, such as a heavy emphasis on gunplay and shared science fiction tropes like exotic locations and encounters with alien civilizations, Destiny aims to create a future where humans interact and conflict with diverse cultures.
Of course, games do not exist in isolation, and when comparing Destiny to other titles, it's hard to ignore the parallels with Borderlands, another popular loot-driven shooter. While Borderlands maintains a more straightforward and traditional structure, featuring linear campaigns and limited cooperative play, Destiny's world continuously evolves, providing a broader range of experiences and competitive player-versus-player modes.
However, when considering direct competition for Destiny 2, Warframe stands out. Despite its different over-the-shoulder third-person perspective and distinct flavor of science fiction storytelling, Warframe shares the live-service ambitions and ongoing updates with Destiny 2. Notably, Warframe has been free-to-play since its inception and monetizes through an in-game store where players can purchase weapons and classes using real-world money. In contrast to Destiny 2's expansion packs and season passes, Warframe offers free access to its base game and all major content updates, providing a vast amount of gameplay diversity without requiring any payment.
In summary, Destiny 2 distinguishes itself with its blend of genres and evolving narrative, offering players the opportunity to shape their own stories within an ever-changing world. While it shares some similarities with other titles like Halo and Borderlands, the game's approach to structure and ongoing updates sets it apart. Warframe, with its free-to-play model and extensive content accessibility, emerges as the closest competitor to Destiny 2 in terms of live-service ambitions.
The road to Year 6 and beyond
Destiny 2 has experienced its fair share of ups and downs, often becoming a subject of jokes among fans regarding its state from month to month. Bungie, the game's developer, has continuously tweaked gameplay balance and progression systems, leading to fluctuating reception from the player community, ranging from excitement to frustration.
While the initial release of Destiny 2 received praise for its engaging single-player campaign, it didn't take long for issues to surface in the endgame content. Reviewers and the game's dedicated fanbase voiced concerns about the lack of variety in player versus environment (PVE) activities and the imbalances in player versus player (PVP) encounters. At the time, the game offered only six strikes and a limited number of PVP Crucible maps.
Although Bungie swiftly introduced the game's first six-player raid encounter, this early period of Destiny 2 was marred by frustrating changes to the weapon and loot systems, leaving players dissatisfied.
Recognizing the feedback, several months after the game's launch, Bungie issued a comprehensive blog post in response. They acknowledged the need for future systems, features, and updates that catered to players who wanted Destiny 2 to be a long-term hobby rather than a game they played once and set aside until the next release.
Overall, Destiny 2's journey has been marked by iterative improvements, addressing player concerns, and striving to create an experience that keeps players engaged for the long term.
One step forward…
Since Bungie's commitment to improving Destiny 2, they have made significant progress in expanding the game's gameplay experiences to cater to both hardcore and casual players.
While the initial downloadable content packs, Warmind and Curse of Osiris, received mixed reception, they did address some of the game's issues by introducing new locations, Crucible content, and PVE-focused Strikes.
The release of Forsaken, the game's first major expansion, took these improvements even further. It offered an impressive story campaign that many fans consider a new benchmark for the series. Additionally, Forsaken introduced two new zones, two Strikes, and a challenging endgame raid. It also introduced the Scorned as a new faction of adversaries and brought a hybrid PVP/PVE mode called Gambit into the game.
Following the success of Forsaken, Bungie implemented Destiny's first season pass. This new approach replaced smaller content packs between major expansions with a continuous stream of new activities, loot, and storylines over an extended period. The introduction of the season pass proved popular among players and serves as the foundation for the current season pass system in the game.
…Two steps back
Following Bungie's split with publisher Activision-Blizzard in 2019, the release of Shadowkeep marked a new beginning for Destiny 2.
As the game's second major expansion, Shadowkeep introduced the Moon as a new location, along with two Strikes, three PVP maps, and several hours of story content that seamlessly led players into the revamped season pass.
The release of Shadowkeep also coincided with Destiny 2's shift from a paid model to free-to-play, signaling a shift in focus towards regular updates and smaller content drops to keep players engaged.
Building on this approach, Destiny 2's third major expansion, Beyond Light, arrived in 2020. Beyond Light introduced Europa as a new location, two new Strikes, and brought significant changes by introducing Stasis elemental powers. It also implemented the practice of "vaulting" content, which involved removing certain older content from the game—a decision that has sparked ongoing debates among the player base. The most recent expansion affected by this vaulting practice is Forsaken, which was removed ahead of Destiny 2: The Witch Queen in 2022.
As of now, Bungie has announced plans to release two more major expansions for Destiny 2, alongside regular seasonal updates. These expansions will lead up to the conclusion of the series' major ongoing plot threads, providing an exciting roadmap for the future of the game.