The Dark Side of the Light: Understanding the Cons of Destiny 2
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Destiny 2, Bungie’s shared-world shooter, has captivated millions with its tight gunplay, engaging PvE content, and compelling lore. However, beneath the shimmering surface of exotic weapons and epic adventures lie several significant drawbacks that players, both veteran and prospective, should be aware of. The cons of Destiny 2 revolve around a few key areas: monetization, content vaulting, grind fatigue, PvP imbalances, story inconsistencies, and new player accessibility. These elements, while not deal-breakers for everyone, can significantly detract from the overall experience.
Deep Dive into the Cons
1. Aggressive Monetization
Destiny 2 transitioned to a free-to-play model with the “New Light” update, which sounds great on paper. However, the reality is that the core gameplay loop, including most meaningful story content, activities, and gear, is locked behind a series of expansions and seasonal passes. To truly experience Destiny 2, players are almost required to purchase these, leading to a potentially expensive ongoing investment. While the quality of the content varies, the cumulative cost can be prohibitive, especially for those on a budget. Furthermore, the game features an Eververse store with cosmetic items, further incentivizing spending beyond the base game and expansions. While cosmetic items are optional, the best looking armor sets are often locked behind silver, which must be purchased with real money.
2. The Content Vault: A Necessary Evil or a Loss for Players?
Bungie introduced the Destiny Content Vault (DCV) to manage the game’s ever-growing size and complexity. This involves periodically removing older content, including entire campaigns, destinations, and activities. While this may be necessary from a technical standpoint, it can be frustrating for players who have paid for or enjoyed that content, essentially rendering it inaccessible. Furthermore, it erases portions of the narrative and potentially impacts the game’s sense of history and scale. It leaves the game feeling incomplete to new players because content is constantly being removed from the game.
3. The Endless Grind
Destiny 2 is fundamentally a grind-heavy game. While some players enjoy the pursuit of powerful gear and optimized builds, the repetitive nature of many activities can lead to burnout. Grinding for specific weapon rolls, armor stats, or materials can become tedious, especially when RNG (Random Number Generator) is a major factor. This can make progression feel slow and unrewarding, particularly for casual players who lack the time to dedicate to extensive grinding sessions. The grind can feel excessive with the need for enhancement cores, prisms, and ascendant shards to properly upgrade your gear.
4. PvP Imbalance and Neglect
While Destiny 2 boasts engaging PvE content, its PvP (Player vs. Player) component, known as the Crucible, often suffers from balance issues and a perceived lack of developer attention. Weapon archetypes, subclasses, and even specific exotic weapons can dominate the meta, creating an unlevel playing field. Lag and connectivity issues also plague the Crucible, further diminishing the experience. While Bungie makes attempts to address these issues, the PvP community often feels overlooked compared to the focus on PvE content.
5. Storytelling and Narrative Inconsistencies
Despite its rich lore and potential for compelling storytelling, Destiny 2’s narrative often suffers from inconsistencies and pacing problems. Key plot points can be rushed, character motivations can be unclear, and the overall story arc can feel fragmented across expansions and seasons. This can make it difficult for players to fully invest in the narrative and understand the bigger picture. The loss of content due to the content vault also impacts the story because new players will be unable to play certain story beats within the game.
6. Accessibility Issues for New Players
Destiny 2 can be incredibly overwhelming for new players. The sheer amount of content, terminology, and systems to learn can be daunting. The game does little to adequately guide newcomers, leaving them to rely on external resources like YouTube videos and online guides. This creates a significant barrier to entry and can discourage potential players from sticking with the game. There also is no real campaign to work through, and a new player simply has access to the free to play core activities.
7. Subclass Limitations
The different subclasses can feel limiting at times. Players may feel locked into certain “attunements” or “paths.” It limits creativity and variety as players are often nudged into choosing certain builds due to the buffs and debuffs available.
8. Inventory Management Issues
Inventory space can quickly become a problem. The vault is often a mess, making it hard to find the gear you’re looking for. Additionally, quests take up valuable inventory slots. It’s often unclear if you can abandon and reclaim quests later without losing progress.
9. Drip-Feeding of Content
While Destiny 2 offers a lot of content, the drip-feeding of content can be unfair to hardcore players. Updates are rolled out slowly, which can leave dedicated players feeling underwhelmed and wanting more.
10. Bugs and Glitches
Like any online game, Destiny 2 is prone to bugs and glitches. These can range from minor inconveniences to game-breaking issues that disrupt gameplay. While Bungie is generally responsive in addressing these issues, they can still be frustrating for players.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Is Destiny 2 truly free-to-play?
No, not entirely. While the base game and some introductory content are free, the majority of the meaningful activities, story missions, and gear are locked behind paid expansions and seasonal passes. It’s more accurately described as a “try-before-you-buy” model.
2. What happens to the content that gets vaulted?
Content removed through the Destiny Content Vault (DCV) is effectively inaccessible to players. Bungie has stated that some vaulted content may return in the future, but there’s no guarantee.
3. How much does it cost to experience all of Destiny 2’s content?
The cost varies depending on which expansions and seasonal passes you purchase. However, it can easily exceed $100-$200 USD to acquire all available content.
4. Is Destiny 2 suitable for solo players?
Yes, to a certain extent. Many activities can be completed solo, but the most challenging content, like raids and Grandmaster Nightfalls, typically require a coordinated team. Xbox users can utilize the inborn LFG system to join fireteams for more challenging content.
5. What is the current state of PvP in Destiny 2?
The Crucible (PvP) is generally considered to be imbalanced, with certain weapons and subclasses dominating the meta. Lag and connectivity issues can also negatively impact the experience. Bungie is constantly working on addressing these issues, but the PvP community often feels neglected.
6. How often does Destiny 2 receive updates?
Destiny 2 receives regular updates in the form of seasonal content, new expansions, and balance patches. Seasonal content is released approximately every three months, while major expansions are released annually.
7. Is Destiny 2 going to end?
No, Destiny 2 is not ending. Bungie has confirmed that the game will continue beyond the “The Final Shape” expansion and will explore new storylines and threats.
8. What are some tips for new players starting Destiny 2?
Focus on completing the “New Light” questline to familiarize yourself with the game’s mechanics. Research weapon archetypes and armor stats to understand how they impact your character. Join a clan to find experienced players who can provide guidance.
9. How can I improve my gear in Destiny 2?
Participate in a variety of activities, such as strikes, Crucible matches, Gambit matches, and seasonal events, to earn powerful gear. Complete weekly challenges and bounties to earn rewards and experience. Upgrade your gear using materials like enhancement cores, prisms, and ascendant shards.
10. What is the Eververse store?
The Eververse store is an in-game shop where players can purchase cosmetic items, such as armor ornaments, weapon skins, emotes, and sparrows, using Silver, which is purchased with real money.
11. What is Bungie doing about cheaters in Destiny 2?
Bungie has a zero-tolerance policy for cheating and hacking in Destiny 2. They actively ban cheaters and may even pursue legal action against those who violate their Terms of Use.
12. Is Destiny 2 difficult?
Bungie has been absorbing feedback over the course of the past year and has arrived at a conclusion: Destiny 2 is too easy. This has been the case at really all levels, from the basic “steamroll” Vanguard playlist to higher end content that top level players say isn’t enough of a challenge.
13. Is there a Destiny 3 in development?
While there are rumors, Bungie has not officially announced Destiny 3. They are currently focused on supporting and expanding Destiny 2.
14. Where can I learn more about game design and the impact of games on learning?
You can explore the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org to find resources and research on how games can be used for education and development.
15. Does Destiny 2 have good representation?
Yes, Destiny 2 features LGBT characters. Osiris and Saint-14 are a longstanding gay couple in the Destiny 2 universe, having originally been confirmed as a canon pairing by Bungie senior narrative designer Robert Brookes on Twitter back in 2020.
Destiny 2 is undoubtedly a complex and rewarding game, but it’s crucial to acknowledge its flaws. The aggressive monetization, content vaulting, grind fatigue, PvP imbalances, story inconsistencies, and accessibility issues can significantly detract from the overall experience. By understanding these cons, players can make informed decisions about whether Destiny 2 is the right game for them and approach it with realistic expectations.