When I played Destiny 2 at the gameplay reveal back in May, I felt that the game hadn’t progressed much past the foundation the first game had created. I’m not sure if that impression had changed after spending more time with the game today, but I had a lot more fun.
A few other players and I jumped in immediately, playing nine rounds of countdown in midtown, the map based on the last city on Earth. And just like before, the goal was to either plant or defuse the bomb at one of two points on the map, depending on you were attack of or defending.
Gameplay felt like both Destiny and Halo before it. Light gunplay that was responsive and meaningful, personal shields led to skirmishes lasting longer and feeling far more satisfying. It helps that I led my team with 22 kills and 3 bomb arms, a very strong record.
And while I enjoyed my time with the multiplayer demo a lot, what my experience lacked really highlighted what Destiny is all about-community. The conference show floor was loud and dim so I had a lot of trouble communicating with my team on strategy and tactics. We still came out with a victory, only because the other team was equally disjointed. No one was grouping up or coordinating which point to attack/defend, the direction everyone took at the beginning of the game felt random.
It was disappointing since Destiny is all about the community, raids and co-op are some of the franchise’s biggest draws. With that in mind, my time with Destiny 2 today came down to the mechanical skill of each player. It proved that Destiny 2 really solidifies the tight controls, multiplayer balance, and team composition that was created in the first game.
I even notice some big improvements from my experience with the game in may. The weapons felt like they connected more and the classes felt more balanced, I spent a lot of my time as the Sentinel class and I never felt to powerful or at a disadvantage.
And that’s what surprised me most, no matter what class I everything connected so tightly. Most of my shooter experience is with the Call of Duty franchise. I’m used to realistic gun mechanics and short bursts of life, and Destiny 2 showed me that more than Sledgehammers new game.
I don’t think I got the full Destiny 2 experience today, the atmosphere of E3 held community features back, but the game’s solid mechanics were a highlight for the same reason. This leads me to believe that things will be even better once I’m able to form a squad and strategize. I’m excited about that.
Destiny 2 hits PS4 and Xbox One on September 6th, PC on October 24th.
