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The Kotaku Destiny 2 Review Is Something Else
- Thread starter Strakt
- Start date
Warframe predates Destiny, and belongs on your list of potential comparisons.
wild wild rice
Member
Is this the video game equivalent of Pitchfork's notorious Kid A review?
First thing I thought of. Not quite.
Raven117
Member
Absolutely does. You are right. WarFrame is sadly hindered by the "stigma" that it is F2P. It is a big...BIG...lunge towards the MMO side of the spectrum (versus the destiny FPS-Shooter bros) side. Can't wait to see what its open world will look like.
Aztechnology
Member
Trying to explain away a games flaws with experiences as to why people enjoy it isn't really a solid way to wave those issues. I think he does explain some of the glaring weaknesses, but basically says, it's still evolving give it a chance, it's still in its early phase. Yet we already had D1 and a few years and many of the flaws still remain. Some to a lesser degree. A number of nice convenience features but also a dissapointing amount of walking back of progress they had made in terms of player choice.
ScaryShark
Banned
Reminds me more of Ebert's E.T. review.
more like Pitchfork's Jet review
Lord Panda
The Sea is Always Right
Read the review and while I commend the effort, I couldn't help but feel that it was bloated, self-indulgent, and that his time writing up the review could have been allocated to other tasks.
malboroking
Banned
What exactly is important about your opinion that Destiny is not worth people's time? What a ridiculously arrogant statement.
One of the dudes that first entered this thread said this review didn't deserve its own thread then someone linked a quote of him fanboying AJ in the destiny review . Mod came in and deleted all the posts and cleaned it up.
BlackBanditSho
Member
That's not exactly fair, Schreier. TBH, saying that people just want a summation that comes down to graphics is reductive, a little condescending, and shades the reviews that you guys have done for years. Before I read your response, I was in the camp of giving Kotaku some props for trying the experiment. I don't think that it works, but I can't bash it for trying.
I'm not a big Destiny guy but I do tend to put Kotaku's opinion pretty high on my scale of what to buy since you guys tend to be straight shooters. I was looking forward to reading your traditional-style review, and remain hopeful that you'll eventually put one up.
To your mandate though, was this review really serving the audience that would be interested in a Kotaku Destiny review? Did it really inform, entertain, and help us improve our understanding of how games make us feel?
The journey of Kirk's well-written experience really doesn't provide the analysis that I expect from Kotaku until the ending, "What do I make of Destiny 2...?"
I find it fascinating that we either aren't yet equipped with the tools to properly analyze video games as social experiences, or, somehow along the way we've lost the script about making those mental partitions splitting the technical product from the experience.
I've listened to so many conversations about the game that baffle me, and I was waiting to hear Kotaku's take. I mean, people are saying that there are certain things that customers (and I prefer using this over 'fans' because of its very clear meaning) should forgive because of bungie limitations. Or that, "(insert criticism)....and despite all that, the game is fun with friends."
I don't know how you guys run things, but I would encourage you guys, and Gaf, and perhaps the industry as a whole to re-think how we analyze product going forward.
It's FINE to say, "This game isn't great. This game should've had X, Y, and Z, and on a technical level, it does X, Y, and Z very well. But emotionally, those things that it does well are enhanced exponentially when it becomes a social experience. It's a waste of time scoring this game. You can see the graphics for yourself and make your own judgment. I've broken down the details between this game and the previous. On an emotional level, this game is hitting all of the right buttons for me - but that's my personal scale. If you are a fan of loot grind games, and you enjoy these things about Bungie but acknowledge that the game really is the sum of its parts, then Destiny 2 is for you. But know that no, it's not playing on the same playing field as other games. Hype, emotional connection, and a bunch of external factors play into my, admittedly, strong connection with this game. But I can't recuse myself from the experience. It is imperfect, it is exploitative, and it is, yes, a reboot. But, because there's nothing else quite like it in this space, I love it. I do. And you may too. It might not be game of the year, but it is MY game of the moment...and maybe the year."
I'm waiting for a review to say something like that.
Because between Influencers and Gaming press trying to rediscover it's voice, what's happening in the reviews space now is getting out of control.
I found it interesting, and it did make me think a bit about what I expect a video game review to be. I also think some of the criticism of this format is fair. Obviously when an author writes something they're going to inject their own style into it. But at the same time, there's a certain expectation of format with a review, and that goes beyond games reviews and just reviews in general. Focusing purely on the written text of a review, you expect it to tell you a bit about the product (such as who it's for), what the reviewer liked and didn't like about it, and ultimately, give the reader a clear idea of whether they should invest their time and money into that product. You want a review that's thorough enough to discuss the above points in sufficient detail, but also not so verbose that your readers get lost in a sea of text. 'Concise yet thorough' is perhaps the art of writing an effective review.
Speaking specifically about Kirk's Destiny 2 review, I appreciate that it highlights the social aspects of the game, and focuses on different groups of different people who range from avid players or newcomers looking to get started. Some of them don't know what the game is, some are playing solo, while others are learning the nuances introduced in a brand new raid. And I like how those experiences are framed as stories of gamers coming from different points of views. Ultimately as a review though, it's quite long, a bit meandering, and one where the question of 'what did the reviewer actually think about the game' doesn't really get addressed until the end of it. And even then, the answer perhaps isn't that clear cut. It's different from what I'm used to from a review, though that doesn't necessarily make it bad. I do think the stories told in the review give a good idea of what playing Destiny 2 is actually like, and that's something important that can easily get lost in an average game review.
It's also worth noting I'm not the target audience for the review. While I wasn't sure I would buy Destiny 2 at launch, I knew I enjoyed my time with the first game enough that I was going to buy it at some point. So as a review aimed at people who are trying to figure out whether or not to buy the game in the first place, I'm not entirely sure how much this would resonate with them, so I can't comment for them. I did enjoy reading it, but perhaps more as an editorial piece than a succinct review.
Speaking specifically about Kirk's Destiny 2 review, I appreciate that it highlights the social aspects of the game, and focuses on different groups of different people who range from avid players or newcomers looking to get started. Some of them don't know what the game is, some are playing solo, while others are learning the nuances introduced in a brand new raid. And I like how those experiences are framed as stories of gamers coming from different points of views. Ultimately as a review though, it's quite long, a bit meandering, and one where the question of 'what did the reviewer actually think about the game' doesn't really get addressed until the end of it. And even then, the answer perhaps isn't that clear cut. It's different from what I'm used to from a review, though that doesn't necessarily make it bad. I do think the stories told in the review give a good idea of what playing Destiny 2 is actually like, and that's something important that can easily get lost in an average game review.
It's also worth noting I'm not the target audience for the review. While I wasn't sure I would buy Destiny 2 at launch, I knew I enjoyed my time with the first game enough that I was going to buy it at some point. So as a review aimed at people who are trying to figure out whether or not to buy the game in the first place, I'm not entirely sure how much this would resonate with them, so I can't comment for them. I did enjoy reading it, but perhaps more as an editorial piece than a succinct review.
RealityPales
Member
Is this a follow up to Jason S's book?
That's a lengthy one, but I love the game - so it must be worth a read.
That's a lengthy one, but I love the game - so it must be worth a read.
Pegasus Actual
Member
I opened the thread... intrigued by the title. My first feeling was that the OP was being negative about this Kotaku review, and was putting it up for all to point and laugh.
I quickly opened the review link in a separate tab and moved the tab to its own screen. With three monitors it's a move I find myself often pulling. One might ask why not open it to its own new window? But the answer there is that said functionality is in a right-click context menu. Meanwhile I can simply press MOUSE3 to get my new tab. Dragging it over to the other screen is incredibly easier in any case. So that is the way of my doing.
I quickly paged up and down... Getting a feel for the review. Its length. Its shape. Maybe even its soul. Feeling daunted I didn't expect to be able to read the whole thing. But I tried...
After blasting through the brief intro, I began reading the "Alex & Shawn" section. Ahh, one of them is a "he", and the other a "she". At first I thought surely the Alex would be the she... but I was wrong. It was Sean! I guess that's my own bias at play. I've always liked Alex as a girl's name... and Sean as a boy's. Despite the initial gender intrigue, reading quickly turned to skimming as Alex gave the full-Slayven of lore to Sean. This put me in a strange place. I've played plenty of Destiny, but mostly ignored the lore. The lore was totally lame.
Finding myself no longer caring about these two I scrolled farther... The anecdote of Javi's sound echo rang very true to me. Some people just put no effort into setting up their party chat, and excess sound bleeds into decent people's lives as a result. Some people complain about racism and toxicity in these games... but personally I would endure every insult known to man before playing with people who refuse to get their mics sorted...
With interest in the Kotaku review starting to fade I changed screens back to the GAF thread on the subject. I got instantly confused as apparently there was some shit-posting regarding Angry Joe's review. But after the thread clean-up it just kind of looked like people were getting mad again at Angry Joe for no apparent reason. I had rather enjoyed Angry Joe's review for what it's worth... but decided it wasn't worth engaging in Jihad. Or perhaps in GAF-speak, it wouldn't be my hill to die on. For so many die on hills. And for what? Ultimately nothing. War is as pointless as it is pervasive.
I caught another glimpse of the opening paragraphs of the review as I went back to the other window. It talked about hearing his fireteam rather than Cayde et al. I started wondering though... in the game... I have a ghost. My ghost talks to all those motherfuckers along with me. Those motherfuckers are all Guardians as well. Presumably they have ghosts. Why don't I talk to their ghosts? Why don't I see them talking to their ghosts? Was that just too many personalities for Bungie to write? Are all ghosts kind of like my ghost? Do they all have the same voice? Am I stumbling into a pit of lore as I ponder these questions? I hope not. All I want is for what they put on my screen to have some logical consistency.
During this time, my white cheddar popcorn, which I had reflexively been chowing down on since loading up GAF this afternoon had run out. But my hunger wasn't satisfied. A snack is not a meal, and on this day I had yet to feast. So I had to make the call. Would I read more of the thread? Would I read more of the Kotaku review? Or would I get some real food?
I knew if I left... I probably would never circle back to the review. It didn't really hold my attention. And do I really need to read reviews of games that I've double dipped on? Not really... Angry Joe's reviews are more entertaining than whatever this was. I get stupid simple laughs from that enthusiastically simple man dressing up as a guardian and feeding me Cobra Commander 'member berries. The perfect sort of thing to throw up on a single monitor while browsing GAF or doing work on another. Kirk Hamilton's Tales from Destiny 2 just wasn't the same.
And with that thought I threw on my sandals and steeled myself for the one block walk to the local taco shop. I still don't know what I'm going to order from their extensive menu. But that mystery fills me with wonder. When the cashier asks for my order, as I stare at the menu trying to home in on what I want to eat... I will either in a moment of perfect clarity find an amazing meal I didn't realize I was craving, or fumble and order something I really didn't want. Isn't that what life's all about? Putting yourself out there despite the risk of failure? With that final thought I hit "Submit Reply" and took the first step of the rest of my day.
I quickly opened the review link in a separate tab and moved the tab to its own screen. With three monitors it's a move I find myself often pulling. One might ask why not open it to its own new window? But the answer there is that said functionality is in a right-click context menu. Meanwhile I can simply press MOUSE3 to get my new tab. Dragging it over to the other screen is incredibly easier in any case. So that is the way of my doing.
I quickly paged up and down... Getting a feel for the review. Its length. Its shape. Maybe even its soul. Feeling daunted I didn't expect to be able to read the whole thing. But I tried...
After blasting through the brief intro, I began reading the "Alex & Shawn" section. Ahh, one of them is a "he", and the other a "she". At first I thought surely the Alex would be the she... but I was wrong. It was Sean! I guess that's my own bias at play. I've always liked Alex as a girl's name... and Sean as a boy's. Despite the initial gender intrigue, reading quickly turned to skimming as Alex gave the full-Slayven of lore to Sean. This put me in a strange place. I've played plenty of Destiny, but mostly ignored the lore. The lore was totally lame.
Finding myself no longer caring about these two I scrolled farther... The anecdote of Javi's sound echo rang very true to me. Some people just put no effort into setting up their party chat, and excess sound bleeds into decent people's lives as a result. Some people complain about racism and toxicity in these games... but personally I would endure every insult known to man before playing with people who refuse to get their mics sorted...
With interest in the Kotaku review starting to fade I changed screens back to the GAF thread on the subject. I got instantly confused as apparently there was some shit-posting regarding Angry Joe's review. But after the thread clean-up it just kind of looked like people were getting mad again at Angry Joe for no apparent reason. I had rather enjoyed Angry Joe's review for what it's worth... but decided it wasn't worth engaging in Jihad. Or perhaps in GAF-speak, it wouldn't be my hill to die on. For so many die on hills. And for what? Ultimately nothing. War is as pointless as it is pervasive.
I caught another glimpse of the opening paragraphs of the review as I went back to the other window. It talked about hearing his fireteam rather than Cayde et al. I started wondering though... in the game... I have a ghost. My ghost talks to all those motherfuckers along with me. Those motherfuckers are all Guardians as well. Presumably they have ghosts. Why don't I talk to their ghosts? Why don't I see them talking to their ghosts? Was that just too many personalities for Bungie to write? Are all ghosts kind of like my ghost? Do they all have the same voice? Am I stumbling into a pit of lore as I ponder these questions? I hope not. All I want is for what they put on my screen to have some logical consistency.
During this time, my white cheddar popcorn, which I had reflexively been chowing down on since loading up GAF this afternoon had run out. But my hunger wasn't satisfied. A snack is not a meal, and on this day I had yet to feast. So I had to make the call. Would I read more of the thread? Would I read more of the Kotaku review? Or would I get some real food?
I knew if I left... I probably would never circle back to the review. It didn't really hold my attention. And do I really need to read reviews of games that I've double dipped on? Not really... Angry Joe's reviews are more entertaining than whatever this was. I get stupid simple laughs from that enthusiastically simple man dressing up as a guardian and feeding me Cobra Commander 'member berries. The perfect sort of thing to throw up on a single monitor while browsing GAF or doing work on another. Kirk Hamilton's Tales from Destiny 2 just wasn't the same.
And with that thought I threw on my sandals and steeled myself for the one block walk to the local taco shop. I still don't know what I'm going to order from their extensive menu. But that mystery fills me with wonder. When the cashier asks for my order, as I stare at the menu trying to home in on what I want to eat... I will either in a moment of perfect clarity find an amazing meal I didn't realize I was craving, or fumble and order something I really didn't want. Isn't that what life's all about? Putting yourself out there despite the risk of failure? With that final thought I hit "Submit Reply" and took the first step of the rest of my day.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
I always love when people who are killing time by reading things on the internet complain when they are given long things to read.
The Jazz Cabbage Master
Member
good shit.
very good
Random Human
They were trying to grab your prize. They work for the mercenary. The masked man.
.
LegitMcfalls
Member
I loved the review. It captured what makes Destiny 2 so great. We have lots of "graphics are good, story is alright and multiplayer wasnt laggy so 9/10" reviews. He summarizes the pros and cons near the end but the narrative really shows how special a game like Destiny 2 really is.
I'm not saying you're wrong, but can you elaborate? Help me see how the narrative shows the special qualities of Destiny.
17 Seconds
Banned
let's be real here, any review that's positive of destiny is going to take heat on neogaf if it gets it's own thread
RenegadeXV8
Banned
Oh god, reminds me of the Eurogamer Destiny 1 review where the author was trying way too hard to describe it as some transcendental philosophical experience.
It's just a loot shooter, dude, and you're addicted to it.
It's just a loot shooter, dude, and you're addicted to it.
Spine_Ripper
Member
Almost every post on this page is discussing the format. What is this post.
XANDER CAGE
Member
In a roundabout way I think this touches on something important: fixed, scored (or even thumbs up/thumbs down) reviews of some games are useless. There are some games that defy talking about in singular terms. Go back and read some reviews of League of Legends or World of Warcraft, or hell, for a more flash-in-the-pan example, Flappy Bird. Sometimes games become cultural touchstones and the conversation moves away from "is X good?" to "how does X make me feel right now?" and any attempt to categorize them in terms of the former is futile.
Destiny, like any MMO (or pseudo-Guild Wars type thing, in Destiny's case) aims to become a part of a player's life and routine, and if you let a game like Destiny or WoW or Dota or whatever into your life it's a lot harder to hold it at arm's length and say "this was an 8/10." Is it still an 8 when your clan triumphs over a raid? Is it still an 8 when a patch renders your favorite gun useless, and you're forced to change your style? Is it still an 8 when you get that rare drop you've been hoping for for weeks? Is it still an 8 after you've decided to put the game down for a few weeks to play something else? Is it still an 8 when you come back for the DLC, and there are some parts you love and some parts you think aren't so good? Is it still an 8 when you get in a shouting match with friends over something silly like losing a game? Is it still an 8 when cooler heads prevail, and your friends all bond over the game again 20 minutes later?
To put more than a campaign length's worth of hours into a game like Destiny, or more than a dozen matches into a MOBA or something - that renders aerial views like a concise review impossible, because there's an inherent amount of love (or addiction, if you're feeling cynical) involved once a game becomes part of your life. If you don't like a game, you can just not play it; if you like a game like this, it becomes almost symbiotic. There's a reason there are so many posts in that "explain Vanilla WoW to me" thread right now that amount to "It was the most beautiful experience I've had in my life. I made friends and will never forget some of the things I did. The game sort of sucked and was broken."
Destiny, like any MMO (or pseudo-Guild Wars type thing, in Destiny's case) aims to become a part of a player's life and routine, and if you let a game like Destiny or WoW or Dota or whatever into your life it's a lot harder to hold it at arm's length and say "this was an 8/10." Is it still an 8 when your clan triumphs over a raid? Is it still an 8 when a patch renders your favorite gun useless, and you're forced to change your style? Is it still an 8 when you get that rare drop you've been hoping for for weeks? Is it still an 8 after you've decided to put the game down for a few weeks to play something else? Is it still an 8 when you come back for the DLC, and there are some parts you love and some parts you think aren't so good? Is it still an 8 when you get in a shouting match with friends over something silly like losing a game? Is it still an 8 when cooler heads prevail, and your friends all bond over the game again 20 minutes later?
To put more than a campaign length's worth of hours into a game like Destiny, or more than a dozen matches into a MOBA or something - that renders aerial views like a concise review impossible, because there's an inherent amount of love (or addiction, if you're feeling cynical) involved once a game becomes part of your life. If you don't like a game, you can just not play it; if you like a game like this, it becomes almost symbiotic. There's a reason there are so many posts in that "explain Vanilla WoW to me" thread right now that amount to "It was the most beautiful experience I've had in my life. I made friends and will never forget some of the things I did. The game sort of sucked and was broken."
giant_frying_pan
Member
New New Games Journalism.
since when did nintendo get into games journalism?
Necroscope
Member
Art Vandilay
Member
I laughed.
Head.spawn
Junior Member
This may come off as a bit abstract, but a major question game reviews serve for me is, "is this experience worth my time?"
A review like this purports to answer that by demanding a sizable amount of my time for a creative exercise which doesn't quite answer the question. This review doesn't seem written for me.
A review like this purports to answer that by demanding a sizable amount of my time for a creative exercise which doesn't quite answer the question. This review doesn't seem written for me.
I appreciate the fresh approach, and it's fitting for a game like Destiny that encourages solo players to put themselves out there. A couple of the anecdotes rang very true from my experience with the first game.
It would be neat to see how this piece evolved throughout the editing process. I think the final product could certainly have withstood a few more cuts, and some of the more bullet-pointy items ("X is better, Y is still bullshit") could have been handled by the narrator rather than being part of a dialog.
So, yeah, it's a neat take on a review, and it has enough bits of information about the game that you'd still have a pretty good idea about its strengths and weaknesses even if this is the only review you read about Destiny 2. Perhaps the latter part isn't necessary, though; there are a million other reviews that have the same essential information, and removing that burden could make a piece like this more compact. The color commentator doesn't have to recap what the play-by-play announcer just said.
It would be neat to see how this piece evolved throughout the editing process. I think the final product could certainly have withstood a few more cuts, and some of the more bullet-pointy items ("X is better, Y is still bullshit") could have been handled by the narrator rather than being part of a dialog.
So, yeah, it's a neat take on a review, and it has enough bits of information about the game that you'd still have a pretty good idea about its strengths and weaknesses even if this is the only review you read about Destiny 2. Perhaps the latter part isn't necessary, though; there are a million other reviews that have the same essential information, and removing that burden could make a piece like this more compact. The color commentator doesn't have to recap what the play-by-play announcer just said.
unique structure reminded me of:
https://quarterly.camposanto.com/tales-from-the-borderlands-the-oral-history-d33bb5f146e6
curious if this was any sort of inspiration, its an amazing piece
https://quarterly.camposanto.com/tales-from-the-borderlands-the-oral-history-d33bb5f146e6
curious if this was any sort of inspiration, its an amazing piece
MugiwaraCole
Member
Extremely dope read.
I really enjoyed that, as a huge Destiny 1 player it struck all the right chords as a "review." All my friends have the same opinions as the article and so many of the same experiences, right down to the late night raid with someone from the UK being a champ and staying up til 6am. The rest of the group staying up to revel in our win and the excitement that carried through the next few days. And the same critiques (where is a new race).
In respect to the format, I think it's going to miss it's mark on non Destiny players despite Sean's story. It's basically what I'd want to hear as a D1 player (albiet two weeks too late, I understand there is no way around that though). The finer points of why Destiny 2 is or isn't better than Destiny 1 that are in there are going to be missed by people not taking time to process what the stories are saying. Those people are going to look elsewhere for a review and most Destiny 1 fans aren't going to wait two weeks for a review and miss out on the launch hype.
It's a great attempt and I loved it, but basically it's an article for Destiny fans to enjoy and say "yup that's the destiny I know and love and I'm down for another 500 hours" or "ah, that's the Destiny I know and love/hate and I'm not falling into that cycle again." I think the stories are great but there has to be another way to structure it for people new to the "experience." It does a great job describing the Destiny experience though, but I'm not sure that new folks will walk away with the answer to "should I buy it?".
I think it does a great job trying to not give a score to a game that is going to score so differently for so many types of people. They've got the view points of a hardcore pro player, the solo guy, the new guy, and the seasoned veterans. Trying to summarize it for you doesn't work since you will be very different than the next reader. You really have to read the whole thing to find the part that applies to you, which is an unfortunate thing to ask the internet to do (not directed at you, just in general to the internet).
In respect to the format, I think it's going to miss it's mark on non Destiny players despite Sean's story. It's basically what I'd want to hear as a D1 player (albiet two weeks too late, I understand there is no way around that though). The finer points of why Destiny 2 is or isn't better than Destiny 1 that are in there are going to be missed by people not taking time to process what the stories are saying. Those people are going to look elsewhere for a review and most Destiny 1 fans aren't going to wait two weeks for a review and miss out on the launch hype.
It's a great attempt and I loved it, but basically it's an article for Destiny fans to enjoy and say "yup that's the destiny I know and love and I'm down for another 500 hours" or "ah, that's the Destiny I know and love/hate and I'm not falling into that cycle again." I think the stories are great but there has to be another way to structure it for people new to the "experience." It does a great job describing the Destiny experience though, but I'm not sure that new folks will walk away with the answer to "should I buy it?".
I think it does a great job trying to not give a score to a game that is going to score so differently for so many types of people. They've got the view points of a hardcore pro player, the solo guy, the new guy, and the seasoned veterans. Trying to summarize it for you doesn't work since you will be very different than the next reader. You really have to read the whole thing to find the part that applies to you, which is an unfortunate thing to ask the internet to do (not directed at you, just in general to the internet).
I like how Kotaku ditched the number formula, but this was a very long review that I had trouble getting through. I mean I cannot fault them for trying something different, it just didn't work for me.
I would love if there was a review site that had 2 people review each game. One person who loves that game genre or style, and one person who doesn't really care that much for it or preferred a different style of game. This way you could get a more accurate sense if a game was for you or not, and may find games out of your comfort zone.
I would love if there was a review site that had 2 people review each game. One person who loves that game genre or style, and one person who doesn't really care that much for it or preferred a different style of game. This way you could get a more accurate sense if a game was for you or not, and may find games out of your comfort zone.
Heavy_D206
Member
I actually forgot about Kotaku since it's been so damn long since I've visited that site. I always felt their reviews were trying to be different just to stand out, but never really gave you anything better than any other review.
Messofanego
Banned
Then the reviews are not for you if you already have the game and just want to get back to playing it. If you can't tell if someone liked a game or not just from reading a review and maybe need some simple thumbs up or down sign, there are plenty of other reviews catered to your needs.
This is a great post. My most played game of all time is Runescape, its became a part of my routine for several years and for two months a year, it still is. I struggle to give any sort of meaningful rating to a game like that, from the highs of achieving a Quest Cape to the lows of the Evolution of Combat, it almost felt like life itself. I loved it, I hated it. It was stupid fun, it bored me to tears. At times it is simultaneously the greatest videogame I have ever played, other times the biggest waste of my life.
The Third Heat
Neo Member
Kirk's feelings for Destiny 2 are complicated so he wrote something that's complicated. That's basically the gist of the review. He chose to examine it in a way that made sense to him. He loves Destiny and he's made that known and he's even said he thinks Destiny 2 is terrific, but he knows the game has its flaws and doesn't appeal to everyone so he wrote something trying to capture that. Who is this game for? What things about will and won't work depending on how you play? It's a tough thing to quantify in a review, I'd say. He could've judged the game solely on its merits as a "game," but I think he knows too well that Destiny is far more than that (and to some, way less than that) to a lot of people.
Also, Kotaku's reviews have been odd balls for a while now, eschewing any sense of traditional game journalism in how their reviewers talk about games. And more importantly, they're all long. This felt on brand. I don't get why something like this deserves so much snark and cynicism.
All in all, Kirk wrote the Destiny 2 review that is undeniably Kirk Hamilton's Destiny 2 Review and that makes it cool in my book.
Well done, K. Ham.
Also, Kotaku's reviews have been odd balls for a while now, eschewing any sense of traditional game journalism in how their reviewers talk about games. And more importantly, they're all long. This felt on brand. I don't get why something like this deserves so much snark and cynicism.
All in all, Kirk wrote the Destiny 2 review that is undeniably Kirk Hamilton's Destiny 2 Review and that makes it cool in my book.
Well done, K. Ham.