Dear Bungie, We Apologize...

Destiny walked its own personal firestorm in the wake of the “Gamergate” controversy which had put the ethics of video game journalism under a magnifying glass. Bungie's title was the first major release since the “games journalism boil” ruptured and it appears in an attempt to secure the mindshare of gamers out there, Destiny was dragged across the coals for no other reason other than a distraction from the news of what goes on behind the curtain.

[Yo Mama]

Good and very interesting point of view. I'd never considered this.

[DoublePlusGoodGames]

It's a bit of a stretch with the #GamerGate thread, but I've always known that any time you scratch the surface of the inner circle of games news that there's a price to be paid. Case in point, I still remember when Strength Gamer was verbally attacked on Twitter by Ben Kuchera over a benign tweet about 'possible nepotism' in the press.

I'm up to level 14 and have enjoyed 90% of my experience with Destiny thus far. Sure, there may be issues with the groan inducing dialog but I've rarely encountered a game, book or movie for that matter that didn't make me do one of these ಠ_ಠ. I've been playing with some of my old Rainbow Six 3 friends and have met some new friends along the way. No other game in the PS3 or PS4 library has made me increase my friends list as much as Destiny and the game is less than a week old.

I'm not saying the game is perfect and I feel that I'll find more plusses and minuses as the weeks go on. That said, I definitely feel that I had to do what I could to come to Bungie's aid on this one.

Not that they needed my help when your game does $500,000,000 in one day of sales, but...

[donthate]

I can say that my experience has been quite the opposite of yours. I loved Halo and used to love Bungie. I really really wanted to like Destiny, and I tried, and tried and tried to no avail. Destiny is a hollow shell.

I knew that when I tried the beta, proceeded to ignored the red flags of lack of early reviews, and foolishly let the hype get me and doubled down $90 on the digital guardian edition.

Even my girlfriend says, you look bored and not as animated as when you play Titanfall. Who can blame her, she has been watching me play Titanfall for six months.

I don't doubt people enjoy Destiny, but it is an average game, and as a consensus on metacritic is pretty spot on. It is a 70 game!

This is a lesson in, don't hype up your game if you can't keep up.

[XBLSkull]

This game has done as expected. I was certainly excited as a Halo fan to see Bungies next product. Screenshots looked great. Red flag went up though when they started showing gameplay, wasn't nearly as magical has Halo, it just seemed, well, boring. Beta confirmed it. Final game and reviews all say it. This is not the studio it was once before. I think the heart of Bungie was transplanted and is now the heart of 343i.

The 75 or so metacritic average is completely fair for this game. The 5's and 6's weren't, but those average out.

[TheRedButterfly]

Seems pretty try-hard to criticize Polygon, Kotaku, Gamespot, The Escapist... Not saying it's ++ is a bad site, but I've never heard of it until now, and I'm /pretty/ sure that respected sites are respected for a reason.

IMO, Destiny, at release, is a solid 7.75. Will future content additions make it better? Hell yes! It'll be loads of fun. (Hell, it's already fun when playing with friends.)

But boil it down? Destiny (again, at release) is nothing more than open-world Horde mode. It's like making a game out of ME3's multiplayer, only on a MUCH bigger scale. The only problem? Destiny is trying to be so much more, and it... well... it just isn't...

Destiny is at its best when it's just a typical FPS... which is sad.

[iNFAMOUZ1]

nah nah nah you alreaDy hated on the game, cod loving kids
you cant take it back

[DoublePlusGoodGames]

Wait, what? We generally don't hate on things so I'm genuinely curious as to whom you are referring to. Also, we were big fans of CoD4 and look forward to what is coming out in November.

From everything we've seen the new CoD is looking good thus far.

[xDHAV0K24x]

I'm not a cod kid. I don't hate it but I only paid $30 for it so I thought it was worth a shot for 2 months before Halo MCC releases. I don't regret buying it. Only at level 8 and so far it's alright.

[EinRobot]

The game is dull. The locations are lifeless. The game play is repetitive. Gamergate had nothing to do with the bad reviews. Borderlands did it better.

[Aleithian]

Borderlands is a great comparison to show how hollow Destiny is.

[Xsilver]

you can remember every single character from borderlands1/2 even the smalls ones that's one reason i like borderlands more than destiny so much life in boderlands.

[Phene]

Yeh ..if u like the game cool, in fact I had some fun moments. But that doesn't take away from the overall fact that the game is hollow. And I can't believe these guys had the nerve to say story doesn't matter...wow.

[DoublePlusGoodGames]

My favorite games for story have been the ones found in titles like "Journey", "Ico" and "Shadow of the Colossus". In the medium of games, I personally feel that "minimal dialog made up by tons of experience" is key.

I have had more memorable stories from games like WoW, FF XIV, Rainbow Six and others through experiences I have had with the gameplay. Taking down a huge creature, resurrecting a friend moments before the end of a battle, a weekend of questing, THOSE come with hundreds of stories.

Stories are majorly important to games, but they should be different than the scripted kind of story you see in movies or games like Uncharted & TLOU*.

* BTW, I personally loved Uncharted & TLOU. But those stories pale in comparison to what I pulled out of a game like "Ico/SoTC".

[Phene]

Ok @doubleplusdgoodgames ..I can respect where your coming from and I wholeheartedly agree, those critical moments during strikes and boss fights do come with their own stories and in fact that was by and large the most fun aspect of Destiny. However, heavily scripted or subtle ...your personal experiences shouldn't be what replaces or has to make up for a games own story. I mean Destiny was pitched as this epic story of a Traveler saving humanity and I'm thinking man this could be some really interesting adventure. Except I barely get a cutscene, instead I get a machine that spews a few lines and I wait to shoot something. Differences of opinion I suppose, but I'm just calling it like I see it ...and Destiny comes off weak.

[jdiggitty]

The thing that slapped me most about how weak the story is is that I accidentally completed it with 2 story missions left to do on Mars. How does that happen?

[Johnsonparts23]

Story doesn't matter. At least not for multiplayer focused games. When was the last time a cod or bf game had a good story? Oh that's right, never. Yet they consistently get 8's and 9's. The media are tools in every medium, especially gaming.

[DoublePlusGoodGames]

I was a HUGE fan of the first Borderlands and absolutely loved playing the game with friends. Even the intro movie was flipping hilarious.

Picking up with Borderlands 2, I enjoyed that title, but I didn't have the same level of enjoyment as the first. Not saying it was a bad game by any stretch, but definitely not as laugh out loud enjoyable as the first.

All that said, the writing in both Borderlands is superlative to that of Destiny but I've always thought the best written Bungie game was Marathon.

[GUTZnPAPERCUTZ]

I don't like Borderlands, I like Destiny... You see, not everyone thinks like you ;)

[EinRobot]

Its not a matter of taste, its a matter of execution. The world of Destiny is repetitive and hollow. It is not a ten year formula. They have to go very big with this game and very soon or mark these words. The interest will fade, its not as ambitious as they first made out. Can you honestly tell me the world of Destiny can even come close to living up to their nod to an mmo or persistent world that they leaned on early in marketing campaign?

[UnwanteDreamz]

See this is a mission these haters are on. You say you like the game and he cant accept that you think its good. Man this is borderline obsessive behavior by some. Grow up and let other have their opinions.

[MSBAUSTX]

@EinRobot I agree. I would like to point out a little game that came out not so long ago named Titanfall. I lost interest in that game after one week. I fell prey to the hype engine on that game and I was really entertained for literally 5 days. I traded it in and bought COD.

Now I am not saying that COD is better than Titanfall or Destiny. I am merely saying that there is still something to be said for single player campaign. Hell even WOW has story and lore BIG TIME.

I canceled my preorder of Destiny after the beta because of the seemingly lack of story and repetitiveness. I am not saying anyone is wrong if they bought and enjoy Destiny. We are not going to all enjoy the same games and to think otherwise is completely ignorant.

Bungie made their mark on the gaming community with a game that had Both incredible story and amazing competitive multiplayer, Halo. They did not do that with this game. It has incredible multiplayer for sure, but lacks in the compelling story and content that I PERSONALLY enjoy in games.

@ GUTZnPAPERCUTZ I don't like Destiny, I like Halo....You see, not everyone thinks like you do. ;-)

[mcarsehat]

Stop putting GATE on everything, it isn't clever.

[DoublePlusGoodGames]

I never did like that "gate" moniker as it shows a lack of creativity in the media. Personally, I'd use something more like "#TheGameisUp", "#Gamesmageddon" or "#RedRingsExposed" for the last few weeks, but I'm not in the position to make those kinds of decisions.

That said, I only used it as it's become part of the vernacular in the past few weeks and I completely agree with the stupidity of 'GATE'-ing on everything.

[Th4Freak]

Who's we?

[EinRobot]

Bungie says they see this game lasting ten years. Even if they drop lots of dlc I will bet it will be forgotten in less than five years. I feel that's even too generous.

[BattleTorn]

*franchise to last ten years.

[jrshankill]

try 10 days.

[Einhert]

Apologise for what?

I am sorry but the criticism is legitimate, this guy also makes out story does not matter? WHAT?!

Sorry but this was typed up by a complete hack of a journalist, to turn around and make an apology for the likes of Jeff Gerstmann who do you think you are?

The need to defend this multi million game is frightening, The fact people think 6/10 is a BAD score is frightening, the fact people think a game that made 500 million in its first 24 hours needs defending is lunacy.

People just cannot be comfortable with their own opinion and they need reviews as a yard stick to measure their own personal enjoyment.

What is also delusional is thinking a game deserves a baseline review score....just NO.

The people obsessed with defending this game are becoming like some sort of occult offbeat religious sect with their mantra that it deserves no lower than a 8/10.

On a closing note if anything is "clickbait" it is trying to act like the cool underground reviewer who goes against the curve and who is "real" who tells everyone what they want to hear and lambastes bigger publications for their own gain.

[UnwanteDreamz]

Wow talk about obsessed you are on a non stop mission to downplay and talk down anything positive about this game. It really is pathetic man. If you hate it thats cool but you are acting like a child about it.

[ALLWRONG]

There are just some people who just wont let it go. It's a mediocre game, move on, it's not the "Halo killer" many here were hoping.

[mhunterjr]

Nah, I think everyone agrees that Destiny is solid. I haven't seen the first review that suggests that the foundation isn't sound, or the presentation isn't top notch. But there are some flaws in execution as well as some misrepresentation of the games scope in the marketing. These things lead to disappointment, which leads to mediocre reviews. Most reviews peg it around a 6 or 7, which isn't a score that demands an apology. Assassaims Creed 1 got 5s for many of the same reasons, now it's a giant franchise. Bungie and Destiny will be fine in the long run. But they have tons of room for improvement

[Spotie]

If everyone agrees, why is it getting 6/10 from some places? We can argue about whether it should be the case all day, but that's not a score given to a "solid" game.

Add to that the observation that many of the larger publications are giving out the lower scores, and it's not hard to come to the conclusion this article draws.

[mhunterjr]

6-7 is EXACTYLY the score you give to a solid game. It's solid, borderline good. If they fix some of the glaring issues, future installments definately have the foundation to improve on the formula.

[DigitalRaptor]

"But there are some flaws in execution"

Again, to reiterate the double standards… Titanfall had the same flaws, and was met with 8s, 9s and 10s. It even had technical problems, whilst Destiny has none.
-----

"Most reviews peg it around a 6 or 7, which isn't a score that demands an apology."

Well seeing as most reviews are above 70, with absolutely plenty that are way above that, that's hardly fair to say that the 6-range can be considered "most". If the game averages out to a high 70, then the game is getting most of its reviews from games above 75/100.

[mhunterjr]

TitanFall wasn't marketed as anything more than what was delivered. A pvp game with interesting movement mechanics, and a nuanced dynamic between pilots and mechs.

Destiny was supposed to be this massive universe, with strong social interactions, and tons of content... Didn't turn out that way, at least not in time for the reviews.

As far as the math is concerned, if I game is getting a 75/100 that's just less reason for people to be upset.

[MSBAUSTX]

Foundation can be solid but the house built on top of it can be crap. Somewhere in Destiny is the perfect foundation for something epic. That is why we all preordered it and played the beta. When we finally saw the finished product, It had taken a different form that what we were lead to believe.

The game is fun, I can admit that. But it is not great by any means. Like I have said before, Titanfall was fun but only for a few days. Destiny will be loved by everyone looking for incredible multiplayer experiences. People who love lore and story content are going to be disappointed. That is why you see some reviews giving it a 6.5 and others give it an 8 or a 9. That is because reviews are relative to the author of the review.

I like to find a review source that bases their criticism of a game on the same points that I look for. So,If you like it, that's awesome. I am all for people playing what they like. If people do not like it because it didn't deliver what they want in a game, respect their opinion and lets all enjoy playing what we each personally enjoy.

[mhunterjr]

I can't argue with that. I feel like we're saying the same thing. I think Destiny will be great, but at release, it is not. Based on the reviews, many people share that sentiment. There's nothing to apologize for.

As far titanfall is concerned, when the reviews were coming out, few people were complaining of boredom... Hence the hire score. Sure it's has lost some player count, but there are a ton of people who are still playing the hell out of it.

In either case, waiting a month to write a review probably would have effected each games review score. But that's an unreasonable expectation given how the market works. Customers want impressions on games they are considering at or around the time of launch, so that's what they give us.

[Roccetarius]

I don't think there's anything to apologize for, certainly not the low scores (which more critiques should use). It's a hollow game to the core, and that's the sad truth.

[UnwanteDreamz]

Your truth is not my truth buddy. Your opinion is just an opinion. Not truth.

[JeffGUNZ]

I don't get the hollow aspect. The game is great imo. I respect your opinion, but I feel this game offers a lot more than most games on the market for the same price. Expansions and sequels will keep this game shinning. Just hoping between releases the raise the gear/motes of light cap past 30.

The good news is that a lot of potential is here. More planets, galaxies, solar systems, etc. I think this game needs a goo 2-3 months before it is critically reviewed. I am level 20 now and now i'm in the hunt for legendary gear.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Or... maybe Destiny really is just an average game with pretty graphics/presentation and we all have been so "wanting" there to be an actual great new 1st person shooter IP that many of us are not really minding the grind or lack of story. Sometimes things are just fun even if technically they are kinda crappy when you really look at it.

[DigitalRaptor]

Or maybe Destiny actually has more good reviews than average ones that came out early. It's fine that everyone overreacted to the 5s and 6s, but those are few and far between.

[Assassingamer136]

Its cool to hate popular things

[Alucardx03]

I came to the same negative conclusion before any of the reviews were released. The game is littered with poor design choices, hugely repetitive missions, threadbare story, goofy writing, and questionable voice acting. Not to mention the game has a serious identity crisis and seems to adopt the worst qualities of each genre its imitating.

I'm not writing off Destiny, as history has shown that games can evolve dramatically (Diablo 3 anyone?), but as it sits, it's not a great game.

There's a belief out there that just because a game is "fun" for you, that automatically makes it a good game. Sorry, but that's not the case. I had a lot of fun with Jaws Unleashed on the original Xbox, but I'd never try to convince someone it was a good game. Or even an alright game.

[CrowbaitBob]

I would submit that "fun" is the very definition of a good game. Otherwise wtf are we playing them for?

[problemchild84]

That's the thing about reviewing a game like this I think. It seems to me that most if not all of the reviewers knew ahead of time what this game was all about. It was made to be built upon in the future somewhat similar to an MMO, with expansions, raids and other content added in the future after the release.

I'm not defending the game, as I have not purchased it nor have I played the full version yet (I was however in the Alpha).

After playing the alpha version I thought that they had a solid foundation laid down for a great game. But reviewing a game like this so early in it's life (as is the norm for video games) seems to only be a hindrance to it's longevity, because I doubt very much these websites/reviewers will constantly go back and change or alter the scores given to it to reflect the added content available in the future.

That being said maybe a 6 or 7 is fair for this current version of the game, but will that score still be accurate in 6 months or a year from now?

[mananimal]

Apologize?

Lmao, that's insane. There's NO NEED FOR AN APOLOGY.

It is what it is, a solid game, 7 or 8.

If you want a better reception for your game, make a BETTER GAME NEXT TIME, simple.

Not gonna play BS POLITICS cause the Industry spent $500mill on a game that didn't live up to the hype that the INDUSTRY CREATED.

Your all the same, publisher, developer, media...it's the INDUSTRY'S FAULT, not the game consumer.

And Destiny got what it deserved, and the reception it deserved.

And you love Destiny then ok, just don't cry and whine & get but hurt and defensive, feeling a need to justify yr purchase if your a gamer.

And then the Industry trying it's hardest to sway public opinion, get lost you losers.

Destiny is just a solid game, nothing more.....and its NOT MY FAULT.

The Journalist who wrote the article should be ashamed, Destiny s scores had nothing to do with gamergate. You are a LIAR.

[Caffo01]

"I have paid VERY little attention to the story and it’s entirely possibly it comes off as extremely amorphic and obtuse, but we could easily say the same of games like WoW, Diablo or Final Fantasy XIV"

You are comparing Destiny to MMOs...i'll say that again, Destiny is not an MMO, it's a coop shooter with rpg elements.
And then you say that FFXIV has an extremely amorphic and obtuse story which is not true, it has a story comparable to the offline FFs, something that can't be said for the majority of MMOs.

[peshkavusCA]

1 more week and this game's hype will be forgotten.

[_FantasmA_]

I've never played a game that you can play for 2-4 days and realize you've played it all. Theres just no sense of progression or accomplishment. You play the same levels over and over to get better gear so you can play the same levels over and over again!!! I don't see how anyone will be playing until December let alone in 2024.

[artsaber]

Destiny - this is the 1st game someone pre-ordered for me, and I have em' send it back. The reports of what _FantasmA_ said "I've never played a game that you can play for 2-4 days and realize you've played it all." is the core reason why. In my opinion there is no excuse for this. How did this happen, or could someone educate me on why I'm wrong.

[TransientDreamer]

It has to be conspiracy? It can't simply be that other people have a different opinion of the game than others?

[tommygunzII]

So this person doesn't pay attention to story yet wonders why the game is getting hammered in reviews in the story department while comparing FFXIV to WoW's story at the same time.
Maybe he should start writing about things he does pay attention to.