[h2] Sony, there's nothing wrong with admitting a mistake. People will respect you for it [/h2]
I'm a tourist, the kind who arrived so late that I even missed Destiny's funeral.
Before I started playing, I knew almost nothing about the game. I'd heard people mention that Bungie had removed paid content from it and that, because the game is so old, it wasn't exactly welcoming to new players.
But after Marathon launched, Destiny kept showing up everywhere. I watched fans waiting for news about Destiny 3. Then I watched their hearts get broken, first by Sony effectively ending Destiny 2 and then by shattering the dream of a third game. Destiny has become such a cultural phenomenon that I finally thought: I have to see what all the fuss is about.
I play a lot of live service games, and honestly, my expectations usually aren't that high. That's why I was genuinely shocked by Destiny 2's quality. The polish, the voice acting, the UI fully localized in my language, everything felt incredibly well made. Even after all these years, there are plenty of much newer live service games that simply can't compete with Destiny. I almost never play first-person shooters because I suffer from fairly severe motion sickness. I don't consider that anyone else's problem, games don't need to be designed around me. I usually just stick to third-person games.
But Destiny felt different. The gunplay was so smooth that after a few hours my brain simply adapted. For the first time ever, I could comfortably play an FPS without feeling sick. So this is what everyone means when they talk about "Bungie gunplay."
That said, Destiny 2 absolutely isn't a game that welcomes new players with open arms. After the opening missions teach you the basic mechanics, I found myself in the Monument of Triumpf, surrounded by characters talking about events and people I'd never even heard of. Someone talked about the Red War. Someone mentioned Cayde. Everyone acted as if I was supposed to care deeply about these people, but I had no idea who they were or why they mattered. Instead of helping me understand the story, many NPCs immediately tried to sell me expansions. It completely shattered the immersion.
Eventually I found the Timeline, which helped me piece together some of Destiny's 2 lore. But more than anything, it made me realize just how much of that story had been permanently taken away, stories I'll never be able to experience myself.
Honestly, if I hadn't wanted to understand why so many people love this game with such passion, I probably would have quit right there. Instead, I kept going. Little by little, learning everything through trial and error, I caught myself looking forward to logging back in.
I genuinely think that anyone planning to create the next big live service game should spend some time playing today's Destiny 2, not because it's perfect, but because it shows what a game can feel like once FOMO is gone. How healthy it is. I only play after work. If a game expects me to spend another eight hours grinding after finishing my real job, I lose interest very quickly. Destiny feels different. Once you've accepted that you're not racing anyone anymore, you can simply play because it's fun. Isn't that what games are supposed to be?
Despite Destiny's reputation for being difficult for newcomers, I noticed something interesting: the more experienced the players were, the kinder, more patient, and more willing they were to help. It's honestly one of the healthiest live service communities I've encountered.
At the same time, Destiny 2 tells two stories. One is the story that's still inside the game. The other is the story of everything that was lost: the campaigns, characters, and moments that players like me will never experience.
People often blame "Bungie" or "Sony," but the truth is that this idea to remove huge pieces of content and lore from the game wasn't created by a company. At some point, it started as one person's idea, and that person convinced everyone else it was the right decision. Whoever they were...
They were the real-life "Witness".
The one who decided that these stories should either be locked away forever in the Vault or erased completely.
Dear Sony, You're now responsible for a game that's reached the later stage of its life, and there's value in learning from other long-running games. The obvious comparison for me is GTA Online.
For years Rockstar has been saying, "This is the last update," "This is the final DLC." And yet another one always comes. I've been hearing that for at least two years now, and honestly? I don't get angry when "the last update" isn't actually the last one. I just come back and enjoy the new content.
Another thing Rockstar eventually understood is that the older a live service game becomes, the wider the gap between veteran and new players. For years they insisted GTA Online wasn't meant for solo players. Eventually they changed their minds. Mission after mission was redesigned so new players could learn at their own pace instead of immediately depending on experienced teammates.
My only truly negative experience in Destiny 2 came from progression that forced me into team activities. The players were only slightly more experienced than I was, yet they rushed through everything. They didn't wait. They didn't revive teammates. I had absolutely no idea what was happening, and what to do.
It was honestly such a humiliating experience that I stopped playing for a week. Now I simply ignore progression. I play solo content or public activities where veteran players aren't trying to prove anything anymore. And I'm having fun again. Maybe once I understand the game better, I'll come back to it.
So I'm staying.
In the end, that's really why I'm writing this review.
Destiny shouldn't die.
I sincerely hope someone finds a way to bring those vaulted stories back, to let new players meet those characters, and one day continue those stories in Destiny 3.
