I want out.
I was playing a lot of Destiny, the online multiplayer sci-fi shooter that came out in September for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. Sure, it had its immediate problems (lame story, uninspiring missions), but I really enjoyed fighting endless waves of weird aliens with my brothers and friends. We would do the daily bounties, missions, Strikes (three-player cooperative endeavors that are harder than missions), and multiplayer together. We even beat the The Vault of Glass raid, the hardest co-operative experience that Destiny currently offers.
But I think I’m done. Here’s why.
I’m seeing the same content over and over
Destiny’s endgame essentially has you replaying story missions and Strikes for currency and reputation so that you can get better gear. After a couple of months, I’m really tired of fighting through the same dungeons and bosses. Destiny only has six Strikes(and five if, like me, you’re playing on an Xbox console). That is not a lot of variety, especially when the Weekly Strike and Weekly Nightfall Strike have you playing the same missions.
Even Destiny’s raid, The Vault of Glass — while cool — loses its luster after you beat it once. Sure, it takes a lot of teamwork and effort to beat its two bosses the first time. But, after that, you kind of know what you’re getting yourself into. Yeah, you can play it on hard mode, but it’s still the same thing. Basically, I’m starving for more content. It’s a good thing that the first expansion, The Dark Below, is coming out on Dec. 9, right?
Above: I tell you what, I’m not going to miss this annoying little bugger.
The expansion isn’t giving me enough content
Sadly, The Dark Below isn’t giving me as much I was hoping for. It adds one new Strike (two for PlayStation owners, but I’m playing on the Xbox One, so that’s pretty annoying), one new raid, three new multiplayer maps, new story missions, and new gear.
If the story missions show the same lack of creativity as in the base game, you’ll excuse me for not getting too excited about them. New multiplayer maps are fine, but the player-vs-player stuff has always felt like a distraction next to the co-operative missions, the real meat of Destiny. I expect new gear. So, I’m left with one new Strike and one new raid. How long will it take me to get through that?
The Strike will take one try, and then it’ll get thrown into random playlists with the others. The raid will take longer, but will it really last me until the next expansion comes out next year? An expansion, I’m assuming, that will offer the same amount of content.
Above: World of Warcraft’s upcoming expansion, Warlords of Draenor, seems a bit more, well, like an “expansion.”
Really, the word “expansion” is what’s bothering me. That usually signifies a lot of new content. Diablo III’s expansion, Reaper of Souls, added a new campaign chapter, a new class, new skills, a new endgame mechanic, and tons of other gameplay tweaks. World of Warcraft next expansion, Warlords of Draenor, gives players updated character models, a level increase from 90 to 100 (The Dark Below increase’s Destiny’s max level by just two), the garrison building, and multiple new dungeons and raids.
Sure, Destiny’s expansion is cheaper ($20, while Warlords of Draenor costs $50 when it comes out on Nov. 13), but that’s not the point. I’m not looking for a deal, I’m looking for content. The fact is that I’m bored in Destiny. It’s not the giant world of endless gaming possibilities that I was hoping for. All I have is player-vs.-player combat and missions, and I’ve already done it all multiple times. Adding one Strike and one raid is not enough to keep me engaged.
So many other games are coming out
I think a big reason I played Destiny as long as I did was because September and October were relatively quiet months for new gaming releases, but November is changing that. Already, a lot of my Xbox One friends have moved on to Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, and I’m sure more of them will get Halo: The Master Chief Collection when that comes out Nov. 11. And then comes Assassin’s Creed: Unity, Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Little Big Planet 3, and more.
I feel like most of the people I played with already moved on from Destiny, and I don’t think that The Dark Below’s meager offerings will bring them back. Frankly, with so many other games to play, I’m probably joining them.
Destiny’s future seems unclear. How many expansions will it get? Just the two we already know about? And now we know that Bungie is already making a sequel. When does that come out? Will my character and progress transfer over? Is that a part of Bungie’s “10 year plan” for the franchise?
Maybe I will jump back in when the sequel comes out. But, as far as the original goes, I’m done. Sure, I guess I got my “money’s worth,” but I still feel oddly unsatisfied about the whole experience.