Despite the immense popularity and countless hours invested by players in the original game, there is a sense that developer Bungie has a lot to prove with Destiny 2. The sequel must strike a careful balance between preserving the core gameplay that made the first game a success and addressing the numerous concerns that led to user attrition and negative criticism. Recently, the Destiny 2 beta concluded its week-long run on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, offering insights into some of these aspects and reassuring fans that the gameplay still feels excellent. However, the beta's limited scope has left many questions unanswered.
Adding to the uncertainty is the fact that Bungie clarified that the beta build was already several months outdated to ensure it was suitable for public release. This means that the final version of the game may differ significantly from what was experienced during the beta. Despite this, the Destiny 2 beta showcased the same satisfying moment-to-moment gameplay as its predecessor and introduced several notable tweaks, although it left players yearning for a more comprehensive glimpse into the game.
Overall, the Destiny 2 beta provided a taste of what's to come and left players eagerly anticipating the full release, hopeful that Bungie has addressed the concerns and improved upon the foundation laid by the original game.
A Touch of Class
For fans and those considering diving into Destiny 2, there's already a wealth of information available about the major additions and the content included in the beta. Bungie has extensively detailed the game's features prior to the beta, so there's little need to go into great detail here. In summary, each class in Destiny 2 has three new subclasses (Arcstrider for Hunters, Sentinel for Titans, and Dawnblade for Warlocks) that introduce new supers, abilities, and passive skills. These subclasses offer variation in gameplay and bring new elemental damage types to each class. The Arcstrider wields a two-sided electrified staff, reminiscent of Darth Maul; the Dawnblade hurls flaming swords, while the Sentinel uses a void-type shield in a Captain America-like fashion.
Undoubtedly, these new additions are exciting to use, but they don't appear to fundamentally alter the core gameplay any more significantly than the new subclasses introduced in Destiny's expansions, which have since faded away. In the beta, players were able to experience these new subclasses and other additions in a single story mission, one Strike, and two Crucible playlists. However, notable portions of the game, such as patrols and raids, were absent from the beta, despite being showcased in pre-beta videos. The importance of patrols, the open-map free-roam mode for groups, cannot be understated in evaluating the game's overall viability and success, but their full potential remains to be seen until they are playable.
With more gameplay elements yet to be explored, the true impact of these additions on the overall Destiny 2 experience will be better understood when the game launches.
Familiar Footing
One of the most definitive answers provided by the beta is that the fast and fluid gunplay that made the original Destiny enjoyable remains intact. Despite changes to weapon categorization, class abilities, and settings, the experience of picking up a weapon with a ridiculous name and engaging enemies feels familiar and satisfying. The core mechanics, such as multi-jumping, sprinting, sliding, and melee combat, are virtually identical to the original game. The tight controls that made Destiny playable and addictive are still present in Destiny 2. While there are noticeable visual improvements in lighting and weather effects, the overall look of the game still closely resembles its predecessor.
The introduction mission, which showcases the Tower under attack, offers a unique twist by turning the familiar social area into a combat space. The mission itself is decent, with a more cohesive delivery of the plot and story compared to the original game. While the objectives and action are straightforward, there are named mini-bosses and scripted moments that add variety and context. The overall progression is smooth, but not particularly challenging, and the faction leader is not encountered this early in the game. The foundation is in place for a more structured and substantive story, which was lacking in the original Destiny. Although the expectations for a thoughtful and complex narrative are not high, having the story integrated from the beginning should provide a better base for the action.
The Strike mission, designed for fireteams of three, offers a more enjoyable experience than the story mission. These longer and more involved missions resemble Destiny's Strikes but incorporate more raid-like influences, particularly in the boss encounter. Instead of a simple bullet sponge, the boss introduces mechanics like a floor-is-lava challenge, adding intensity and depth to the fight.
Based on the story mission and Strike experienced in the beta, it doesn't appear that Destiny 2 will deviate significantly from The Taken King expansion. While a thoughtful and character-driven story may not be expected, the fact that the story is integrated into the game from the start provides a more solid foundation for the overall experience.
Into the Crucible
Different, But Better?
Upon exploring the various modes in the beta, it becomes evident that Destiny 2 underwent deliberate changes to its abilities, weapon system, and modes, although they are not revolutionary. The class ability menus have received a sleek redesign, featuring visually appealing artwork for each subclass and a more organized, tree-like layout. Abilities and passive skills, such as jump style and grenade type, are arranged in branches branching off from the main class icon. While all abilities were immediately accessible in the beta, it's clear that the actual progression doesn't follow the traditional RPG-style skill tree that requires specializing in a specific build. Each class now possesses a class ability with two variations, primarily focused on buffing or assisting the squad, except for the Hunter, which leans more towards self-benefit. Warlocks can deploy a healing or attack-buffing circle for the fireteam, while Titans can deploy a large barrier or a smaller barrier that refills ammo.
The Hunter's dodge roll ability, on the other hand, restores ammo or reduces melee ability cooldown, providing no direct assistance to teammates. While it deviates from the other classes in this regard, it aligns with the Hunter's playstyle and personality. However, the cooldowns for these abilities (and all abilities) felt too long in the beta, although it's possible that the timers have been adjusted in the current build of the game.
I also thoroughly tested the revamped weapon system, and I'm still uncertain if it's an improvement over the previous system. Rather than specific weapon classes being confined to primary and special weapon slots, they now have kinetic and elemental slots, allowing the same weapon class to occupy both slots. For example, you can equip a non-elemental auto-rifle in the kinetic slot and a void-type auto-rifle in the elemental slot. This grants the freedom to use multiple weapons of the same class simultaneously if desired, and eliminates the need for special ammo since both slots now use primary ammo.
However, snipers, shotguns, and fusion rifles have been reclassified as power weapons (formerly heavy weapons, which included machine guns, rocket launchers, and swords), which I personally disagree with. Snipers, in particular, were integral to my playstyle and enjoyment in Destiny, and relegating them to a category with scarce ammo seems less enjoyable, especially considering that the previous use of special ammo wasn't particularly confusing.
The shift to kinetic and elemental slots, coupled with this change, requires some adjustment to inventory management, but the advantages are not entirely clear to me. Equipping only one elemental weapon at a time feels more limiting, and the likelihood of wanting to use two identical weapons simultaneously is low, as it restricts versatility in range and situational effectiveness. While it does allow for the simultaneous use of a sniper, auto-rifle, and hand cannon, for example, it still requires sacrificing the ability to have rockets readily available.
In the Crucible, where elemental types matter less, the new weapon system provides more flexibility in loadout options. Among the limited weapon selection in the beta, the pulse rifle stood out as the most effective for PvP due to its combination of fire rate and accuracy at a distance, although auto-rifles and SMGs had their utility in close-quarters combat. Further playtime in the full game will reveal the limitations of the new weapon system or potentially unveil its long-term benefits. With raids and other content specifically designed with this system in mind, it may have the chance to shine.
Unanswered Questions
The beta provided a glimpse into some aspects of Destiny 2, but there are still major topics that can only be clarified by playing the full game. Unfortunately, the beta did not include features like patrols, raids, or a comprehensive overview of the game's economy, which plays a crucial role in rewarding players for their grinding efforts. Bungie has learned valuable lessons from the original Destiny, refining resources, and upgrade costs based on player feedback through updates and expansions. However, they must double down on their commitment and ensure a strong foundation from the start to attract new players and regain the trust of those who were disappointed with the initial release.
While the hardcore fans are likely to remain dedicated, Bungie's success in drawing back players who abandoned the original Destiny will depend on delivering a core system that avoids repetitive and monotonous gameplay. Fortunately, promising announcements have been made regarding modes like patrols, indicating that Bungie is making efforts to address concerns and offer exciting content. While the beta alone cannot provide a comprehensive judgment of the entire game, there are high expectations for the full version of Destiny 2, scheduled for release on September 6, 2017.