Destiny: Post Launch Report

I got Destiny on launch day, played a bunch of games all throughout the weekend. Teamed up with a few online players, level up and looking for more experiences from the world set forth by Bungie. Reviews have started rolling in online, a lot of them not too favourable and I can understand some of the reasons why.

Here is my overall take on the game thus far(nearly 24 hours of gameplay in various game modes), thus far because Destiny is not a single game, in fact it becomes clear once you finished the in-story missions, that the game's story serves only to setup your journey to be a guardian. 

My experience with the initial introduction level of the game was very much affected by my participation in Destiny's Alpha and Beta test. It feels like, "I've played this already, can I get to somewhere more interesting?"; in which the same served up after the missions on earth.

Overall, the game's presentation and FPS(first-person shooter) mechanics are top notch, very Bungie-like. The game has a lot of potential going for it, but so far, at least from the story perspective it is remains just that, potential. Perhaps in future we will get more in-depth story-based content. Somehow, Bungie's decision to mash-up three different genres(FPS, MMO and RPG) into a single game seemed to lack a certain level of depth that kept it from being a satisfying experience. For example, from the FPS perspective, it took the best elements of shooting mechanics from Halo but it lacks the meaningful story, memorable characters and awe-inspiring set-pieces. 

One area of major frustration is the game's unfair loot redemption system. A legendary redeem code may yield only rare or uncommon items when redeemed at the in-game cryptarch vendor, is like trolling the player or setting up unfair bumps to extend the game's longevity to make you hunt for higher level gear.

Your guardian's level maxed out at level 20 for XP gains and levels 21 to 26 is gained solely by  leveling up your 'Light' level. Enemies at higher level are less affected by your weapons, so if you are at level 22, enemies at level 24, will be less affected by your gun shots compared to an enemy at level 21. Light levels can only be gained by acquiring light-infused armor that is rare (blue drops) or legendary (purple drops). Therefore, your 'Light' progress is negatively impacted by the game's redemption system...essentially making the progression a grind.

So here is my strategy on how to enjoy the game. 

Do not focus on grinding to level 26, just log-in daily to do the following:

- Check the Daily and Weekly Missions

- Visit the Tower and purchase related Bounties

- Join up in a fireteam 

- Do the Missions

- Do a few Vanguard or Crucible Missions

I hope this will essentially take us till October/November when the next round of games like (Alien Isolation, Far Cry 4 and Dragon Age Inquisition) start rolling in.