Destiny Reclaimed!

Bungie has come a long way since breaking away from Microsoft and their groundbreaking series, Halo. When they developed their new game Destiny back in 2014, it was clear that Bungie hadn’t lost its touch when it comes to creating a unique first person shooter experience. Destiny 2 delivers that same experience that will bring veterans deeper into the universe they’ve been accustomed with for three years. For people who are new to the Destiny universe, you may need to be brought up to speed, but that’s a minimal concern. This anticipated game delivers all the goods and goes beyond with new additions that better the gameplay.

For those who haven’t touched Destiny, here’s the quick rundown to help you understand this critique. Destiny revolves around a single guardian that can be one of three classes: Titan, Warlock and a Hunter. You can choose from various races and have options to choose other skin tones, facial scars, etc. Once you’ve selected, you’re brought to life by a machine called a Ghost that has the ability to resurrect you. This is because in the long future, mankind is brought to the brink of extinction until the arrival of an entity called The Traveler.

The Traveler brings it’s “Light” that brings forth a golden age until the light brings the attention of several threats. Three individuals known as the Vanguard, assemble a legion of protectors known as guardians to combat these threats.  I’ll end it there, so if you want to know more, then buy Destiny and it’ll only be a couple of bucks right now. This game takes off some time after the events of the expansion Age of Triumph and a new threat has brought the fight to the Vanguard’s front door. Ghaul, the leader of the Cabal empire which was introduced in the first game and has a deep understanding of the traveler.

The attack leaves the guardians without the ability to resurrect and it quickly cripples the Vanguard. This begins a new journey for your guardian to reclaim the light and retake the city that’s occupied by the Cabal. You’re taken to various worlds where you will reunite with old enemies that you may or may not like. The story is my favorite by far, next to The Taken King because it shows the guardians in a state never seen before. The ending of the game promises to close the door on some chapters and open a new one after the credits; that is something you don’t want to miss.

The game pays incredible attention to detail when it comes to the various planets and the villains you face both new and old. Water on one world looks more realistic, enemies have actual shields around them instead of just a glowing background, and the new powers are attractive. For veteran players who may not know, you have to beat the game in order to do the strikes, nightfall and crucible. My favorite feature about Destiny 2 is you don’t have to go to the tower every day to get new bounties because they’re posted automatically when you go to different worlds. I don’t have a high enough light level to play the nightfall which is 240, so I can’t comment on that.

Old enemies are given a makeover to look more realistic, especially if you have a Playstation Pro or Xbox One S and a 4k television. Engrams are easier to gain; Engrams are items that drop randomly from accomplishing missions and killing enemies. There’s different levels depending on the engram. It’s also a lot easier to go places both on a planet or switching to a new planet with the directory option. Bungie learned a lot from the flaws of the last game and has found a lot of ways to cut time, so gamers can keep playing. I can honestly say there’s nothing bad I found with the sequel to Bungie’s masterpiece.

I give this game a 9.5 out of 10 because of the lack of backstory for new gamers. Personally, this game is perfect in my opinion if you’re a fan of Destiny or first person shooters. The graphics are top notch, the gameplaying is faster, the missions are fun, the story is fantastic, and there’s much to look forward to in the future with D.L.C. expansions. If you’re a veteran, then you won’t be disappointed with the next chapter in Bungie’s Destiny Universe. If you’re a newbie, then buy this game and enjoy the experience that only Bungie can provide.