Should I Play Destiny 2? Years Later Review

Destiny 2 is one of the most famous online games with ongoing support, so if you are a returning or new player to the game you must be thinking should I play Destiny 2? Well, a lot has changed for the game making it completely different than how it was at launch. Updates and expansions have made it a different kind of experience that can make it feel like a completely different game. Destiny 2 has the most prominent changes that changed how people see the game. Its PVP elements and PVE elements are still as prevalent but the approach to these elements is now different. The release of new content changes the game little by little.

With the release of Beyond Light, there were a lot of changes to the game making it a different kind of experience. The change in content was so immense that it changed the structure of Destiny 2. The first two-year content was removed which included the content from both Curse of Osiris and Warmind expansions. Forsaken will also be removed with the release of The Witch Queen. The base game is now only a husk of former self. It has far less content and without expansions, it feels more like a demo. All this makes you wonder should I play Destiny 2? Let’s find out in detail.

Destiny 2 The Game

Destiny has lots of lore from the two games and their expansions. Its lore can pave the way for a lot more content since there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Upon release, even the base Destiny 2 game was a pay-to-play game. The game remained pay to play till the departure of Bungie from Activision. The base game was made free-to-play on September 17, 2019, with the launch of Shadowkeep expansion. It was a major change to Destiny 2 since the original Destiny is still pay-to-play. Even the first two DLCs, Curse of Osiris and Warmind were part of the free version of the game. So there was lots of content on the game and even some of the seasonal content would become part of it.

These days were the golden days for the base game and many new players started playing the game. Destiny 2 had a rough launch like many other looter shooters. However, with this decision, they were able to change its course. The free-to-play version of the game is also known as New Light. A lot of players were now buying the expansions of the game. Since expansions are the major source of content for the game. Things were looking great for the game and the situation is not much different even now. All this makes you wonder, should I play Destiny 2? Well, there is a lot more to it than this.

Changes and Beyond Light

Beyond Light expansion brought a lot of changes to the game and these changes had a major impact on it. For starters, a lot of content was removed from the base game. Such removal made the base game a shadow of its former self. The base game lost a lot of content and all of the major content was now coming from expansions. Without expansions, the base game is now pretty much useless PVE content. However, the situation is a little better than The Division 2 without Warlords of New York. Players can still reach the highest level possible though, the opportunities to reach the highest power level are less for players who don’t have expansions.

If you want to enjoy all that Destiny 2 has to offer then buying all of the expansions is the only way to do so. The base game doesn’t have a lot of content and some of the weekly tasks cannot be completed without having expansions. It is a valid choice since it is one of the biggest sources of revenue from the game. However, the base game is so small that it is just not worth it. With expansions, it can become a new type of experience. Whether you are playing as a team or solo there is always fun in it. The basic issue is the lack of content in the base game but if you have expansions then it’s a good one.

Seasons

Destiny 2 gets a lot of content, in fact, it gets more content than any other looter shooter. Each season brings new content along with some new items. This entices players to play the game. It reduces the amount of repeatability that the game has. Players will get to experience the same missions in a different light. This leads to a long-term commitment to the game making it one of the best looter shooters. Completing seasons is rewarding both in terms of power level and the number of items you can get as part of the season pass. Though items only go up to 100 levels.

Higher XP results in a higher power level so the more you play the better your character becomes. It entices players to get as much XP as possible. There is no power cap on the seasonal power up so you can go as high as you want. However, the higher you go the more difficult it becomes to increase the power since you would need more XP. The seasonal content makes it all of it better because it decreases the amount of repeatable content. It makes you wonder should I play Destiny 2 There is more to it.

Current State

Despite losing some content from the base game, Destiny 2 still has a lot of content from all the expansions. Players who have expansions don’t have to worry about content that much as nearly all of the new content comes from expansions. The base game gets far less content than the expansions. Updates bring content to both the base game and expansions but the high opportunities that expansions present make it a lot better.

Players having expansions gets more opportunities for better stuff. The higher-difficulty missions rotate every week. Each week, these missions will change, and from time to time they can be part of an expansion. These higher difficulty missions will be locked for players that don’t have that expansion since these missions are part of an expansion.

One week you might have access to higher-difficulty missions and the next week you won’t have the access depending on whether you have a specific expansion or not. Rewards for higher difficulty missions are far better and at times lower difficulty missions can seem unnecessary. This leads to some players having better loot opportunities than others.

There are also bugs in the game which can result in disconnection. Depending on your location and internet setting, Destiny 2 could prove to be a headache when it comes to server connection. There are also other minor glitches that can stop your progression in a mission. Sometimes, an objective would remain incomplete due to a glitch which can lead to a frustrating experience. The game is far better than how it was at launch. Considering its current state you could be thinking should I play Destiny 2? Well, there is still more to it.

Removal of Forsaken

The removal of Destiny 2 Forsaken is a major decision from Bungie. It is the first DLC outside the free-to-play version of the game that is being removed. The base game was made free-to-play though it was pay-to-play on launch. No content was vaulted and the base version of the game was pretty extensive (Vault is where all the deleted content ends up and it is a term used by Bungie) Players thought that it was going to end with that but that was not the case. The removal of Forsaken DLC upon the release of The Witch Queen can have a major impact on its player base. The removal of content can make you wonder should I play Destiny 2? Let’s discuss some more before concluding.

Players will not be so sure about their purchases now that Destiny 2 Forsaken is being removed. Even I am skeptical about the purchase of new expansion. I have already explained everything from the developer’s perspective in the content removal article. So Bungie has its reason but the removal of content can harm Destiny 2. It is a live service game and trust is an important part of any such game. It is important for such games to keep an active community of players. The removal of content from Destiny 2 is sending a negative message to its players.

Future of Destiny 2

The upcoming DLC of Destiny 2 is The Witch Queen and it will add major content to the game. Destiny 2 is still going strong with an active player base. A lot of players are still playing the game thanks to the regular addition of content.

The yearly release of a new story expansion keeps the game fresh for players. It gets more updates than any other looter shooter. Such a strategy makes it a good choice for players who are into looter shooters. The constant support from the developer is the main reason for its success even though its launch was not that good. It is even topping Steam chat from time to time as one of the most active games. Players don’t have to worry about the developers stopping support for the game.

Beyond Light Was A New Beginning

There is little room for doubt that developers are going to stop supporting the game. However, the amount of content it has can be more or less depending on how much content Bungie removes from it. Some of the legacy missions are already coming back as developers have already hinted at the return of content. Content could even return in the form of optional downloads to ease the burden on storage. Bungie is going to keep on supporting the game for years to come.

Beyond Light is more like a Destiny 3 than a new expansion. Destiny 2 is a major source of revenue for Bungie and they are not going to stop. Think of it like a Fortnite of looter shooter as it is as important to Bungie as Fortnite is important to Epic Games. It is one of the most widely known looter shooters. The original Destiny was one of the first live service looter shooters giving it the legacy of a founding game. Halo is part of Bungie’s legacy and players can clearly see its influence on the game. Destiny 2 is in good hands and Bungie knows that losing the trust of players can be devastating for them. Should I play Destiny 2? Let’s finalize the verdict.

Verdict

Destiny 2 is a looter shooter with a large active player base which makes it the most active looter shooter. The constant updates keep the game fresh for both new and old players. It gets regular updates that bring new content. The yearly pay-to-play expansions bring in new content and keep the game alive. The base game is not as good as how it was at launch. One can say that expansions are the most important part of the game and its survival is difficult if not impossible without them.

Destiny 2 was released on September 6, 2017, and it is even better than how it was at launch. It is one of the oldest looter shooters still getting updates. The removal of content is a major deal and can deter some players from the game but it is still a good experience. Despite having its fair share of problems, Destiny 2 is still a good looter shooter.

Now let’s answer the question should I play Destiny 2? Well, if you are looking for a good looter shooter with an active player base that gets regular updates then it could be the game for you. If you are looking for a live service looter shooter that gets major content in the form of expansion then Destiny 2 could be the game for you. In case you are looking for a full free-to-play experience then Destiny 2 is not that game. It is the type of game that requires you to buy each new expansion for the best experience.