whoa whoa whoa whoa WHOA. hold up.
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Destiny - Review Thread
- Thread starter opticalmace
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whoa whoa whoa whoa WHOA. hold up.
Some people are so jaded that they can't enjoy stories for entertainment.
I'm so looking forward to replaying all Halos through in chronological order at some point in the future.
http://xboxclips.com/video.php?uid=...asky&vid=bdae41e8-c4ff-4c5b-830a-5a972983c00b
This is something we need to be able to do in Halo.
If anything, Destiny nailed the psuedo-ghost mechanics.
Still not as good as Mario's "Yoshi" mechanic though.
Destiny would be a pretty terrible chat-app lol.
A story doesn't have to be intelligent in order to not be shit. It just needs to be sufficiently interesting. Halo, Mass Effect, Star Wars etc are, even as an adult... and Destiny isn't.
For all the way you talk about people being dismissive of Destiny in here, you sure do spout some ridiculous shit as soon as it comes to talking about any other game.
Halo gave you far more than the fact that you're on a Halo. To start with it revealed what the Halo actually was, and why it was important. You knew the motivations of Guilty Spark. You knew the purpose of Cortana. You knew who/what you were, and the role you played in the universe. You gotta be taking the piss to act like it's comparable to how Destiny presents its story.
haha, yeah, real wtf there. The original Star Wars was an epic amalgam of pulp 1930s serials, Campbell's 'the hero's journey', and 70s 'lets take a big gamble' filmaking. It wasn't until Lucas begin milking the toy money with Return that things became pap.
TheCanisDirus
Member
Wasn't IGN (US) supposed to post their final review yesterday (Wed)?
1. Ign is the biggest video game news site
2. Ign is one of them few that decided to wait for the raid to come out
3. People have different preferences
I'm just curious what they will say, especially about the raid. Eurogamer apparently waited for the raid but then said nothing about it in the review. They waited for nothing since they didn't even participate.
It's also because, as far as I know, IGN has never afforded any game this much benefit of the doubt. To wait greater than a week to review a game that takes 10-20 hours to beat the campaign is highly unusual. Do you know of any other game that has been given the chance to release additional content before being reviewed? Or of any game where the review score is significantly impacted enough to justify delaying so long for content that a very tiny fraction of the player base will ever experience?
I don't know what their score will be and that actually doesn't matter at all to me. But I am extremely interested in reading the text to see how they can justify holding off reviewing for so long, which I believe to be a disservice to any readers that use reviews as a "buyers guide".
TheCanisDirus
Member
All this... plus mostly just curious as to how they go with it. Seems like a meh-good 6-8 from the videos i've seen.
As much flak as IGN gets, I find their reviews to be rather good. I tend to agree with their scores more so than other media sites. They're also big and have lots of influence.
TheCanisDirus
Member
I do as well save for a few reviewers that seem to have different taste than I.
Wind's Howling
Member
Looks like I reached infamous status on GAF by posting in this thread, haha.
I adore my title next to my name.
I adore my title next to my name.
But at this point, with all the reviews all over the place, what good will one more review do? Even with their extensive time playing it, Destiny is still going to look like a game that you're either going to love or hate. It's not universally praised, it's not universally loathed, it's just a game that some people have fun with and others don't. It's almost the definition of a "rent it to try it out", "wait for a sale", or even "wait for the eventual 'Game of the Year Edition' that will have all the DLC".
On the flipside, after the infamous "8.8", I can see why some people want it to drop. Reading the reactions is usually the most fun part of reviews.
TheCanisDirus
Member
It's just becoming "suspect" that it hasn't released yet. They've had MORE than enough time to give a complete assessment.
FriedConsole
Banned
I am sure it is really interesting to kids and they will be buying Destiny books just like the generation before it did with Halo.
Stories of someone saving the world with a deep lore behind it is great as kids but is hokey to adults. I spent my twenties frustrated at media for not giving me the same feeling as a kid with lots of "stuff was better in my day". When you get to your thirties you accept things will never be amazing as they were as kids. Nothing today will ever give me the feeling of Star Wars, listening to Jimi Hendrix for the first time, playing Super Mario 3 as a kid. You accept things for what they are and have fun with tempered expectations. That's why I can have a lot of fun with Destiny.
Good luck to all those people expecting Destiny to make you feel like Halo did when you were 12.
bananafactory
Banned
Agreed. They're pretty bad lately for clickbait articles and trying to stir up fan wars, but they do have some solid writers on staff. I enjoy reading anything written by Colin Moriarty - Marty Sliva is pretty good too.
FunkyPajamas
Member
Oh, man, what is this. I played Halo CE when I was 27, ten years ago, and while the story is not "awesome" it is nowhere near "incomprehensibly stupid". It's a fun story that borrows from and builds on most of the action sci-fi clichés, and does so well enough to keep you interested in what's going on around you. If you want to say that you didn't like it then sure, do so, but don't come in here playing the "I'm too mature for this shit" card.
Seriously? This is making you look bad.
You are correct, sir! Agreed 1000%.
cleveridea
Member
Eurogamer review nailed it IMO
For you guys talking about story, well, This is how Bungie has always been. The story is there for those who want to invest in it and take the time to find the additional lore. Bungie has done this with every game they create and I would argue it is even a core design philosophy. Game first, additional story for those who want to look for it. The games have always featured additional world building and story, for example, the terminals in Marathon.
There is nothing wrong with this. They fucked up by not putting the grimoire cards in game, that is the key mistake.
There is nothing wrong with this. They fucked up by not putting the grimoire cards in game, that is the key mistake.
Muffdraul
Member
Myth was never my favorite, to me it was a lull between Marathon and Halo. I've just never been one for strategy games. But I played them and enjoyed them as much as I could and I'm digging the healthy dose of Myth references peppered in Destiny- The Fallen, Thralls, Hellmouths, etc.
breakfuss
Member
People throw around 'lol' a lot but I'm genuinely laughing at this. Hilarious. Come on. "Christmas will never be the same now that you know Santa isn't real".
Anton Sugar
Member
I don't think "this is how Bungie is" is a good excuse, though.
The problem with "Game first, story for those who want to look for it" is that Bungie themselves hailed the story as epic, cinematic, etc. blah blah blah. I think everyone agrees that, when it comes to delivery, they failed. If they wanted this game to be memorable for its story, they failed.
That is the #1 rebuttal to "this is how Bungie has always done it". Which is arguable, btw.
However, I DO agree that there IS a lot of interesting backstory and lore there...which makes it all the more disappointing that they failed to convey or communicate this to you unless you read the Grimoire OUTSIDE of the game.
It doesn't have to be one or the other--"game first and story second" is not a rule and it doesn't have to be one. When you visit the Ishtar Academy Library, your ghost says that losing this sacred source of knowledge to the Vex would be a huge blow. Why? He says that there is a lot of knowledge there, but in all actuality, in terms of gameplay, it's just a new stage to shoot bad guys in.
You're literally in a library that is said to be a crucial source of Golden Age knowledge--and that is the extent of it! You're not really told what that knowledge is, you can't read anything (despite being surrounded by thousands of books).
Instead, you just protect your ghost as he unlocks a vault.
I am having a good time in MP, but playing this game SP is frustrating as it is boring. I'm not rushing around with friends and can take my time, but there is no impetus to do so unless I want to find dead ghosts or loot chests.
/rant
Oh wow, I don't know why I didn't connect those references! Found any Marathon references?
Fun fact: my heart dies a little every time I read about the "Lords of the Fallen" game, as I always think it's a new Myth game
Yep. If you read only one it should be this one. Fair and accurate as to pros and cons. this is from the article and is what stood out to me and is honestly the best thing about the game; "Disregarding the fact that Halo continues to be made by other people, Bungie has claimed this creation as its own - and its dynamics are just as brilliant now as they were in 2001. It doesn't do cheap and it doesn't do stagey, and even the slightest encounter has a life of its own. Moment to moment, it's the best shooter gameplay in the business, bar none."
That "feel" was never replicated in H4 in my opinion (sorry, not trying to offend) and combined with the rewarding enemy behaviors and deaths Destiny just doesn't get old for me.
I don't think "this is how Bungie is" is a good excuse, though.
The problem with "Game first, story for those who want to look for it" is that Bungie themselves hailed the story as epic, cinematic, etc. blah blah blah. I think everyone agrees that, when it comes to delivery, they failed. If they wanted this game to be memorable for its story, they failed.
That is the #1 rebuttal to "this is how Bungie has always done it". Which is arguable, btw.
However, I DO agree that there IS a lot of interesting backstory and lore there...which makes it all the more disappointing that they failed to convey or communicate this to you unless you read the Grimoire OUTSIDE of the game.
It doesn't have to be one or the other--"game first and story second" is not a rule and it doesn't have to be one. When you visit the Ishtar Academy Library, your ghost says that losing this sacred source of knowledge to the Vex would be a huge blow. Why? He says that there is a lot of knowledge there, but in all actuality, in terms of gameplay, it's just a new stage to shoot bad guys in.
You're literally in a library that is said to be a crucial source of Golden Age knowledge--and that is the extent of it! You're not really told what that knowledge is, you can't read anything (despite being surrounded by thousands of books).
Instead, you just protect your ghost as he unlocks a vault.
I am having a good time in MP, but playing this game SP is frustrating as it is boring. I'm not rushing around with friends and can take my time, but there is no impetus to do so unless I want to find dead ghosts or loot chests.
/rant
Oh wow, I don't know why I didn't connect those references! Found any Marathon references?
Fun fact: my heart dies a little every time I read about the "Lords of the Fallen" game, as I always think it's a new Myth game
I agree totally. I wish there was more there for story and lore and that it was more easily accessible. I think another thing I failed to touch on is the fact that they may have gone somewhat light on story because players are creating their own fiction and stories in a social game. I kind of like that but I do wish there was more of a template for the story, so to speak.
I'm remaining positive and hope there is more of an attempt in the future to flesh out the world in game. There IS a ton of potential.
Firstly, I am now in my thirties also.
Now that we have that out of the way. I'm not holding games to recreating how I felt playing them when I was younger. If I play something with a story equivalent to Final Fantasy VII today, I do not slam it for failing to grab me the way FF7 did on release. However, if I play something with a story significantly WORSE than FF7 today, I'm probably going to call it shit. That is Destiny's problem. It's not "equivalent to Halo's story, but not as wonderful because I'm older". It's just rubbish compared to Halo.. or Mass Effect... or nearly every other game I've played in the last decade or so that uses a story to move its campaign along. I'd have said Destiny's story was shit back in 2001 also.
You're making up a completely separate problem to defend the fact the Destiny does a horrible job portraying its story.
Bungie may historically always have a much deeper lore than is presented in the games, but that doesn't mean that each of there games has a story so weak that it can't stand on its own without referring to what's covered in an alternate medium.
I've never read any of the Halo novels but every Halo (barring Halo 4, which I've ranted about in the past) tells its story to a sufficient standard that you don't feel as though it's incomplete. If the only way to receive a functioning story is to read the important bits off a damn webapp, then the game's story is shit, period. All the other stuff? That's not this game's story. This game's story is what is actually in the goddamn game.
This isn't even a Lost Odyssey situation.
EDIT: In case anybody thinks I'm selectively picking on Destiny in regards to this. These were my posts relating to Halo 4's story here and here.
Anton Sugar
Member
Agreed, there is a lot of potential.
Honestly, this is one of those instances where they should take followed the cues of MMOs a lot more closely. MMOs do a great job, ESPECIALLY in the beginning, of explaining the story and context of your character, in relation to the bigger picture.
Someone in the OT complained about how the reveal of the Awoken in the rift was supposed to be "shocking" but, as an Awoken character, it was really just confusing/weird. Apparently there is a Grimoire card that explains the Awoken on Earth are descendants/relatives of the "true" Awoken (like the queen) or something like that.
NOT including a detail like that chips away at not only the world-building, but it undermines the customer's experience of the game and story.
I am so curious how the story was mishandled, given the development time. It almost feels rushed, if that's even possible.
That said, I do have hope for the DLC/extra content. I hope they get it together!
GrizzleBoy
Banned
So eurogamer gives destiny 8/10, then feels the need to publish an article that explains the story because its so non existent in the actual game?
8/10
8/10
NullPointer
Member
And still doesn't speak to the connection between the
Black Garden and healing the Traveler. The Hive was doing voodoo on the moon with a lock of the Traveler's hair - what were the Vex doing that made it the crux of the game and where destroying the Black Garden's heart was required: ""Only then will your Traveller begin to heal."
SolidChamp
Banned
...Wat???
TheCanisDirus
Member
His post makes perfect sense. Did you not finish the story?
@Null - I too don't understand any of the Vex and Black Garden destruction healing the traveler. They didn't explain a single portion of any of it.
It was just...
"Hey, shoot those guys in the belly, take the big one's head to the Queen and then enter the garden and shoot this heart. Tah'dah!"
I'm holding to the belief that, somewhere about 1/2 or 2/3 of the way through Destiny's 4+ year development time, something fairly dramatic happened that caused Bungie to completely change direction of development. The final game we're seeing is actually only the product of about 18 to 24 months of work, maybe even less.
I don't know if the departure of Joe Staten October last year was indicative of this or what, but between that, the out-of-the-blue firing of one of the industry's best composers in Marty O'Donnell and this rather generic final product that seems rushed and reeks of questionable design decisions, it really gives the impression that the wheels were starting to come off over at Bungie over the last 9 months or so.
TheCanisDirus
Member
There really has to have been some sort of major direction change, leadership switch, complete restart or something that happened. There is no way what we have now was the culmination of 6 years of work. (Maybe it is - i have no game development experience; however that's insane!)
UnlovedJew
Member
IGN still hasn't pushed out the review yet? The reviewer must be AGONIZING over the score at this point. I guess it's a lose-lose scenario for them.
NullPointer
Member
So, an 8?
bananafactory
Banned
Pretty sure they're just waiting on the video version to be ready before they post the review. Vince said yesterday they were having technical problems:
@Vincogneato
6:56 PM - 17 Sep 2014
Ok folks, the technology gods were laughing at us today, so my Destiny review is going up tomorrow in the first half of the day. Sowwyyy.
When in doubt, 8. Always a nice, unoffensive score.
Meaning today, any time now?
Posted?
http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/destiny-review
4.5/10
And this one :
http://mmgn.com/ps4/destiny-review
6.5/10
"It sets very sound foundations for a franchise with what will be an inevitably long life, but it’s a profoundly shallow experience that tricks players early: you’re driven to slowly level up, moving from wasteland to wasteland in repetitive, mostly lifeless environments, with the promise of something greater at the end. Unfortunately, that greatness just never seems to arrive. And yet in the strangest of ways, Destiny can be a mindlessly addictive grind, which, for better or worse, is the core differentiation between it and Bungie’s other games."
http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/destiny-review
4.5/10
And this one :
http://mmgn.com/ps4/destiny-review
6.5/10
"It sets very sound foundations for a franchise with what will be an inevitably long life, but it’s a profoundly shallow experience that tricks players early: you’re driven to slowly level up, moving from wasteland to wasteland in repetitive, mostly lifeless environments, with the promise of something greater at the end. Unfortunately, that greatness just never seems to arrive. And yet in the strangest of ways, Destiny can be a mindlessly addictive grind, which, for better or worse, is the core differentiation between it and Bungie’s other games."
Either this is the case, or Bungie way WAY overachieved (or just got lucky) with the Halo series.
What has me confused though is that the game seems to have a fairly high level of polish, at least from a graphical, environmental, sound and music standpoint. I'm not going to say they spent the last 18 months "polishing a turd" because even from the gameplay I've watched a bunch of, it's good on a very fundamental level and honestly reminds me a very good bit like Halo. Beyond that though, it looks like they took all of the most questionable design decisions from Halo 2 (i.e. bullet-spongey Brutes/ Tartarus boss fight) and some from MMO's (grindy hit-or-mostly-miss loot quests/extra-super-spongey boss fights) and put them into this game.
Right now, I'm just left scratching my head to think, "what happened?" I'm still willing to give this series a chance (haven't bought it yet), but I've got to wait for some appreciable increase in content/game systems and/or a clear message from Bungie that "Hey guys and gals, we undestand that we under-delivered a bit compared to what we promised over the past year. We wanted to take this time to apologize for this disappointment. While the community appears to be disappointed with the product right now, we're going to work hard in the coming weeks and months to rectify that."
bananafactory
Banned
I just don't understand where all their time went. It's basically just 4 medium sized maps with a bunch of missions that reuse the same places over and over again.
Their score won't be lower than an 8 that's for sure.
barneystuta83
Member
Destiny was being talked about on the IGN Xbox podcast, Podcast Unlocked.
The consensus was definitely an 8, although they didn't explicitly say that.
They actually said at the start that they feel Destiny was being hyped, even by themselves, was a nailed on 9+... but it isn't. They went into a discussion which very much feels like an 8.
At least that will bump the average [troll.gif]
In all seriousness, I am grinding the shit out of this game, and I am actually enjoying it. It isn't what I was expecting, and yes it could do a lot more, but I am still finding it a lot of fun. It is that need for the nice exotic loot that has me hooked.
I'd say, when I look back, it will be an 8 if it stays like this.
If they can build on the world, with updates and good quality DLC, then that score could bump up
I'd say, when I look back, it will be an 8 if it stays like this.
If they can build on the world, with updates and good quality DLC, then that score could bump up
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
I think their excuse is that your Ghost is doing all of that kind of communication. He always has says things along the lines of "I'll let the city know" etc.
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