Some three years ago the first Destiny game was launched amid the type of fanfare and hoopla usually associated with the unveiling of a new console or game changing technology. Much was made of the game’s multi-million dollar budget and the fact that Bungie (those of Halo and Master Chief fame) had been signed to produce what we were told would be an epic ten year odyssey. Although being far from a bad game, the first Destiny left many gamers lukewarm and despondent. Destiny 2, however, looks likely to be a different story altogether.
Bungie appears to have taken scrupulous notes of the feedback from the last game and, in so doing, have fine-tuned almost every aspect of the Destiny experience to the point that what we have now is very near perfect.
Destiny 2 is proof that sometimes your critics can be your greatest resource. The single player campaign, the bedrock of Destiny 2, has been tightened up so that there are few (if any) moments when you’re left wondering what to do next. The set pieces are on a grander scale and the accompanying musical score is highly reminiscent of Bungie’s glory days with Halo.
This new outing caters for practically every type of gamer; from those who prefer to play alone to others (like us) who love competitive and co-op multi-player adventures.
The story line in Destiny 2 is a simple yet engaging one; The last city on Earth has fallen and its ruins are occupied by a warlord called Dominus Ghaul. You and your mates are Guardians, who, as Earth’s last hope, are tasked with defending the planet and uniting the resistance against Ghaul’s elite army, The Red Legion. You are assisted by an orb like being called The Traveller who, in the past, helped save Mankind from the darkness. Ghaul is intent on capturing The Traveller and using its powers for his own diabolical ends. It may not be War And Peace, but the storyline provides an engaging narrative threaded by moments of sheer joy for any first person shooter fan.
Progression through Destiny 2 is evenly paced as you complete a series of missions, adventures, strikes (challenging multi-player missions) and patrols. As you make your way through the game, you acquire new abilities and weapons that you can mod to your hearts content.
Each weapon has its own distinctive report and you will spend hours customising them both in aesthetics and functions. Excellent.
Graphically Destiny 2 looks simply gorgeous. The game makes great use of the monster processing power of the PS4 to bring us some of the most realistic in-game environments since Star Wars Battlefront. Often, in the middle of a fire fight you have to resist the temptation to simply stop and admire the scenery or at least take a screen shot to share with your friends.
Over the course of Destiny 2’s seven to eight hour single player campaign, you’ll learn the core mechanics that will see you battling your way through a devastated Earth, seeking relics on Io and Titan and navigating across the dwarf world Nessus. There are side quests galore and many of these are large enough to qualify as main missions in their own right.
The fact that Destiny 2 has opened so strongly is a tribute to Bungie’s ability to create believable worlds filled with engaging characters, fast paced adrenaline-fuelled set-pieces and a story line that draws you in from the very first minute you boot up the game. Even without the expansion packs that will be making their way to Destiny 2, this game is worth the asking price on its own.
Go buy.
10 out of 10