780°

Destiny First Impressions – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

CraveOnline: "As you may have heard, Bungie refused to hand out pre-release copies of Destiny to journalists, with the developer claiming that this would lead to reviews that were unrepresentative of its new FPS/MMO/RPG hybrid..."

Read Full Story >>
craveonline.com
PONTIAC08G8GT3929d ago

I played the BETA and played the actual game now for about 3 hours. Although I am not bored in anyway, I'm not anxiously waiting to play it again. Certain games you play, go to bed, go to work or wherever and just can't wait to get home and play some more, this game just isn't doing it for me. Is it good? Yes. Is it the best game ever? No. I can't see myself playing this game into 2015. I feel like it's Borderlands but with nicer graphics. The variety of guns is disappointing. Having 2 guns look identical and just have a damage difference isn't that great. Lot's of back tracking. Inability to trade items (that I know of). Not being able to buy shaders until level 20 makes no sense to me. And each area, although open world, basically has a linear path to follow. I wish the environments were somewhat destructible. MP isn't really exciting in my eyes. But it's nice having a new game to play with a couple friends. I just dont think this is the "next gen/must have" that everyone's claimed it to be.

BattleTorn3929d ago

I agree with how describe it, but I love it! It's exactly what I wanted.

I couldn't care less that many many people seem to share your opinion.

buttclown3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

I would say that is a pretty similar opinion I have with Destiny. I like to play it, even more so with friends but never get the itch to play it. It has gotten a little better the higher level I have gotten but not much.

Still not a fail to me though as I went into this game with realistic expectations.

1nsomniac3929d ago

The clear vast majority agree with you. The paid media & fanboys however will completely ignore all truth & blindly fight to the death over their keyboards before disappearing & coming back later when the game has long gone & forgotten about.

Magnes3929d ago

It's a great game to play with friends. I always wished I could play halo with friends in a more persistent world this is it. They even threw in instances wow.

Lightning Mr Bubbles3929d ago

Game is probably crap, that's why they kept reviews away during launch. That way they can at least cash in on the hype before people see the truth.

UltraNova3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

So from where I m standing after reading a lot of pre-review opinions and having played it for a couple hours at a friends place, Destiny is a very good online game focused on co-op raids. Its story is lackluster and the single p part is a bit stale. It combines elements from many games like Diablo, Borderlands etc yet it doesn't innovate as much as its half billion budget suggests.

I cant help but wonder if this game wasn't hyped to the far reaches of the solar system if it was going to make its money back which lets face it other similar games would straggle to break even.

However ,there's no denying the fact that it has legs as it has Bungie's and Activision's support for the next 10 years. Who knows in 5 years time after constant updates, tweaks and expansions Destiny could be the next WOW but for now its simply a good online raid game nothing more nothing less.

anwe3928d ago

I feel exactly the same. I patiently waited for the game to launch, and after playing the beta I knew exactly what I was getting. I'm finding myself disinterested, and have very little desire to play it.

joydestroy3928d ago

yeah i have to agree. i was hoping for a bit more from the game. it needs a little more variety, esp for leveling. as far as i can tell, you can't earn more XP after completing a mission. i think that needs to be changed so you can at least get the difference of XP between normal and hard if you decide to go back and play one on hard.

+ Show (5) more repliesLast reply 3928d ago
ITPython3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

Well I for one am really enjoying the game, and I am anxious to jump back in to level up my guardian and get some more loot!

Got to level 5 pretty quick in one night, took me longer in the beta to get to that level if I recall correctly. Although since the first part of the game is exactly what it was in the beta (more or less) and since I know where things are and how things work, it makes sense I would level faster. Still very fun though, can't wait to pass level 8 and get past level 6 on the missions! As that is when the experience will become new for me since that was the beta's cut-off point.

Although one thing that has me a little down is there isn't as many people in the public areas as I was hoping for. Maybe that is because I am still at a really low level, I dunno. The most I saw last night at Earth social was around 5 people in the roster list and typically there was 2 or 3, which is almost a ghost town. But I hope they work it out so there are tons of people in each public place, as that is a big part of what makes Destiny so fun and engaging is the idea that we are all in the same universe gaming alongside eachother in real-time.

3928d ago Replies(1)
JonnyBigBoss3929d ago

There's definitely a big difference between playing socially and solo. In that sense, it reminds me of an MMO.

n4rc3929d ago

Huge..

Really enjoying this game coop. Just finished my first strike and it was a blast..

PvP is a turd tho.. IMO.. Perhaps they will balance it out a bit

ThatOneGuyThere3929d ago

PVP sucks if you're low level. Im not going back into it until im level 20

ChronoJoe3929d ago

Doesn't make much difference in PVP once your past level 5 or so. When you have all of your core abilities within the weapon balancing playlist it really doesn't make any difference regarding what gear you have.

For example, in the crusible, a level 20 shotgun, and a level 3 shotgun both do the same amount of damage.

n4rc3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

Ya it's just more then simple DMg stats..

For instance.. Some weapons are just better then others.. My grenade only does half the damage as some other guy simply due to the type of nade I choose in pve (mine has drones for instance).. Or the hunters gold gun seems at a huge disadvantage vs the ground smash or whatever (unless you have killer aim, but I'm speaking generally)

Plus I believe stuff like fire rate can still drastically effect a PvP outcome even if they technically do the same dmg per shot..

They need to do a lot of tweaking and balancing still IMO. That's what I meant

g4n3929d ago

"unlike most RPGs/MMOs Destiny only really gets started when you reach that cap, as that’s what you can go on Raids with your friends and begin to unlock some of the game’s best loot."

Stopped reading. This is going to be the biggest problem for this game. MANY FPSer out there have NEVER played an MMORPG. Name ONE MMO out there where the game does not start until end game.

b00mFargl33929d ago

I think they are trying to say it like games comparable to how Diablo III is. You really get going past level 70 and the options that open with more of a focuc on gear, abilities and advanced game modes such as rifts or bounties. Destiny's raid system and other modes become available after end game and level cap to give you a lot more to do with your friends.

nutcrackr3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

I want to say Guild Wars, but honestly it's not an mmo and the missions / starter areas are probably the best part of the game. Guild wars is a good example of a game that has good content up to 20 and beyond it.

Magnes3929d ago

@g4n Well than we can't go trying anything new then can we...

ChronoJoe3929d ago (Edited 3929d ago )

DCUO doesn't start until end-game to be honest. A lot of people argue that games like Diablo don't start until end-game either.

It's just an expression though, it means the real depth, and crux of the experience isn't present until end-game, and that's true for a lot of MMO RPGs. Don't take it so literally.

+ Show (1) more replyLast reply 3929d ago
Loktai3929d ago

I think its exactly what I expected from playing the Alpha and Beta.... content will come as it gets old, I Dont expect to play the game 8 hours a day for 10 years but I'll probably play it to death and come back for the new content as its released. Its worth the price of admission , just an opinion.

Wedge193929d ago

I'm loving most aspects of it so far.

Show all comments (87)
330°

"Everything Happening To Bungie Is Because of Greed" -ex-employees

Ex- employees Hope Studio Gets "Consolidated Into Sony"

Former Bungie employees speak out in a new report, blaming greed and leadership for the studio’s troubles, and say full Sony consolidation is the best way forward.

Read Full Story >>
thegamepost.com
dveio22d ago

Interesting article, even with some actual names of the people voicing their thoughts.

I think that we've had enough similiar situations at other studios and publishers already, hell even completely different businesses, to know that OF COURSE it's always about hostile environments at work and the search for rather effortless profits than causing excitment with great ideas.

All deflecting statements, wether from managements or other people in charge, have always, literally always been untruthful. Always.

And it's so silly.

Nothing of this crap causes a nuclear war.

But all the people in charge act like everything is top secret f'n CIA like intel, trying everything to not stand up for their mistakes.

I mean it's pathetic, it really is. In the brand scheme of it all it's truly pathetic.

robtion21d ago

Let me just fix this:

'Everything Bad Happening in 'The world' Is Because of Greed'

Bravo captain obvious.

Obscure_Observer22d ago

All of sudden consolidation is now a good thing.

Eonjay22d ago

Right I actually agree with you here. Something doesnt' seem right almost like Sony wants them to look bad because it is trying to takeover. I can't figure out Sony's intentions here but they are already wholely owned so full consolidation means that they can bring in their own management. And honestly this is probably NOT what Bungie wanted.

Obscure_Observer22d ago

"Well the obvious answer to that is that it kinda looks like Bungie is getting torn to shreds without Sony's help. And clearly there is no way Sony is going to spend all that money and not step in to help steady the ship at Bungie because that would be a huge wasted investment."

Exactly!

Phil allowed Pete Hines to run the show at Bethesda and we got Redfall as result. Now that he´s gone and Bethesda reports directly to Matt Booty at XGS, things are definitely getting better!

It´s past time to Sony to take over Bungie and fire that POS Pete Parsons.

-Foxtrot22d ago

Sony has literally given these guys chance after chance, they gave them an extra BILLION to try and keep talent along with telling them to sort their s**t out

What else can they do here? They gave them free reign, extra money and they've spat in their faces.

If they took full control when they bought them they might have been able to salvage them.

TheColbertinator22d ago (Edited 22d ago )

Bungie will be torn to shreds with Sony in full control. Another addition to the cemetery like Zipper or Sony Liverpool

Eonjay22d ago

Well the obvious answer to that is that it kinda looks like Bungie is getting torn to shreds without Sony's help. And clearly there is no way Sony is going to spend all that money and not step in to help steady the ship at Bungie because that would be a huge wasted investment.

MrBeatdown22d ago

Whatever mental gymnastics you just went through must be exhausting.

It sounds like you have some baggage from Microsoft's acquisition spree.

SimpleDad22d ago

Bungie was indie, so they depended on in game monetization. Sony makes money from other sources: music, movies, psn, ps hardware...

...so devs are hoping by full Sony consolidation they will cut down the monetization part, and make things easier for them...

...but keep in mind, Sony bought them because of their monetization and live service model and design, so much so they tried to make every Sony IP into a live service spinoff.

So I don't see much change in anything, for us consumers, if Sony takes full control.

Michiel198921d ago

i don't think you know what the word Indie means. Bungie has be under the hood of MS for a long time and basically were under the actiblizz hood while they were making Destiny. They are one of the biggest AAA studios, the polar opposite of indie. Technically they weren't owned, but they made deals with Acti like they were. Indie refers to smaller independent studios and don't need in game monetization at all to work. Hades for example has 0 ingame purchase options yet made a lot of money.

Show all comments (32)
460°

It’s Just Over For ‘Marathon’

Marathon has always been teetered on the edge of future failure, but now that seems set in stone after recent events.

25d ago Replies(4)
CrashMania25d ago

Paul Tassi is a known xbox/MS stooge.

Saying that, Marathon looks so meh to me, absolutely no interest at all.

JEECE25d ago

Once he wrote an article characterizing Horizon Forbidden West, which came out over a year after the PS5 released, as a PS5 "launch game." Assuming this was just a mistake, I pointed out to him that "launch games" for a console are widely understood to be the games that come out on the day of a console's launch or in the immediate window thereafter. He responded and told me that he understood "launch game" to mean a game that launches, which would mean that every game that releases on a console is a "launch game" for that console.

I've basically ignored everything he has said since then. But I don't care about Marathon either way; playing Hunt: Showdown turned me off this genre pretty much.

Killer2020UK24d ago

He sounds like a stubborn moron

babadivad24d ago

It's releasing on Xbox...

Notellin24d ago

He's a Sony and Destiny fanboy. Has been forever. He plays Destiny 2 on PS5, what are you even talking about?

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 24d ago
neutralgamer199225d ago

If I was running Sony why would I not try to have bungie reboot Killzone and have it as their Halo. Honestly I don't know how Sony could justify that 3.6 billion purchase price. Insomniac games at 256 million has been their greatest acquisition in Playstation history for what they have already delivered and what's the pipeline

Profchaos25d ago

The smart money would have given them killzone but they brought them to be a pillar of their live services investment and seeming have no interest in allowing them near a single player story driven game again.

Lightning7725d ago

The bigger mistake imo is not having them do any SP projects. Just all LS stuff.

Also want to clear up some misinformation on my part about Marathon. It wasn't due to creative differences as to why Jade left it was due to early internal Play tests were reportedly not received very well. Which probably prompted her to leave. My fault on that.

Ghostwood25d ago

It does look like ass shit.

Would pulling the plug now make any difference or is Bungie thoroughly cooked regardless?

peppeaccardo25d ago

Since when Forbes is relevant for the gaming community?

Profchaos24d ago

Have a read and you can't say they are not wrong.

S2Killinit24d ago

I had a read and it was pure hyperbole

Show all comments (48)
290°

Bungie Responds to Unauthorized Use of Art in Marathon

Bungie: "We immediately investigated a concern regarding unauthorized use of artist decals in Marathon and confirmed that a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately used in-game.

This issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred.

We take matters like this very seriously. We have reached out to @4nt1r34l to discuss this issue and are committed to do right by the artist."

OtterX28d ago (Edited 28d ago )

"However, one thing Marathon’s been almost universally praised for is its art style."

Eh, I've heard a lot of dislike for the bleak art style. "Universally praised" would mean that hardly anyone dislikes it. This is a pretty dishonest article. I'm personally not a big fan of it either.

https://gamerant.com/marath...

PapaBop28d ago

I don't mind the art style so to speak but watching footage, the world looked really bland and lacked detail, reminded me of a mid budget VR game.

Pyrofire9527d ago

They said it was universal so you might just unaware just how much you do in fact praise its art style.

Notellin27d ago

I have a hard time finding anyone who is praising the art style. All I see are complaints.

S2Killinit27d ago (Edited 27d ago )

Probably because the boo boys are more vocal. I mean most of us haven’t really played it and its still in development, so how can we praise it? Meanwhile the boo boys don’t need objectivity to criticize a game that has not launched yet.

The art style, I personally like it. But I also need at least a good lore to get into games as I am usually not a multiplayer only kind of gamer.

FinalFantasyFanatic27d ago

I have never seen anyone praise Marathon for its art style, in fact, I think it's one of the things that is universally hated about this game.

Juiceup27d ago

Since the early days of destiny, Bungie has cemented itself as the undisputed King of being dishonest while technically not lying. They simply don't hype things up or make statements without some kind of bs. Their dishonest marketing speak bs has become their entire brand for me.

You have to look at politics to find worse.

+ Show (2) more repliesLast reply 27d ago
Kaii28d ago

What's shocking is the amount that they've copied, thieving ghouls.

franwex28d ago

At least they’re trying to do right and admitted quickly that it was stolen. I give credit when credit is due.

I also dig the new art style, I know most people are mixed.

28d ago
Notellin27d ago

"I give credit when credit is due."

No you don't and this is an absolute lie. You aren't giving credit to the artist they stole from you're giving credit to the thief. You're a disgusting liar if anything.

28d ago
FlameWater28d ago

Game DOA, this is the closest they will get to mass promotion

FinalFantasyFanatic27d ago

I knew it was DOA from the trailer, yeah, there's no recovering from this, it's Concord 2.0. I dread to see how many more of these Playstation had in production before they changed direction and cancelled the ones that were in the early stages.

Show all comments (28)