I’m back into Destiny. I recently wrote about how I have no idea what’s happening in the game, and that testament is still very true, but now I’m slowly but surely figuring out how Bungie’s live service shooter works after so much time away.
Now my Warlock has some sick loot, cool moves, and a light level that has surpassed 1,500. I’m ready to take on Nightfall activities and progress through The Witch Queen campaign, even if from a narrative perspective I might as well be playing this game in French. I have no idea what anyone is talking about or where I am half the time, but the guns shoot good and that’s all that matters. I’m serious, I ain’t never fired a space gun this tasty before.
Unfortunately as a relative newbie in the current landscape I also spend much of my time catching up, with my colleague Eric Switzer explaining several important mechanics to me that the game never even bothers to bring up if you’re jumping in for the first time. Certain equipment is required to take down specific bosses, while each season has a narrative and distinct missions tied to it that can only be accessed by jumping through the right hoops.
It can be exhausting, but there’s also an alluring challenge to tackling a live-service game like this after being away since the release of Forsaken. There are several story campaigns and countless Strikes for me to embark upon, while I also need to lose my raiding virginity at some point once I find an appropriate set of partners. I’ll let them guide me through because I’ll be afraid of messing up and ruining the night for everyone. Just like real life then.
Lagging behind isn’t a big deal, especially now the new expansion is released I can slowly chip away at all the content I missed throughout the season. Unfortunately newcomers like me have a hard time experiencing Strikes how they’re intended. Much like running dungeons in Final Fantasy 14, you are often matched up with players who have run these gauntlets countless times, and are only in it for the experience and loot awaiting them at the end.
They are running dailies on autopilot to ensure they remain caught up, meaning the gorgeous scenery and hectic combat encounters are an afterthought on the way to the finish line. I feel like I’m being railroaded instead of actually enjoying myself, and it sucks. Mobs are killed within seconds, while bosses designed with a specific strategy in mind are smoked within seconds because a member of my fireteam has a nuke on them apparently. I never have a chance to prove myself or experiment with weapons, if anything I’m an obstacle to completion because I’m not as experienced as everyone else.
This is a clear issue with games like Destiny that can’t really be fixed unless there is a way for me to run Strikes solo or with the help of a CPU fireteam, neither of which are features I see Bungie implementing. Nightfall Strikes fare better, but even then I can’t stop and stare or I risk being left behind or losing my bearings entirely. The core of this experience now relies on gaining loot and completing challenges instead of enjoying the gunplay, which is why I spent so much of my time exploring planets on my lonesome. It’s better that way, and makes Destiny into a far more enjoyable time outside of the campaign missions.
If any Destiny players are reading this, please slow down a little bit and give me a break.
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