Destiny 2: A Veteran and New Player Perspective

By | Niranjan Bhargav 4 Mar, 2023

Destiny 2 has been around for almost a decade and has grown immensely since its inception, with the latest expansion, Lightfall, being the fifth annual edition. The occasional removal of older content has created gaps in the story, making it difficult for new players to experience it in its entirety. To address this issue, Bungie has introduced the New Light campaign and Guardian Rank system. In this article, Features Editors Eric Switzer and Tessa Kaur discuss their experiences playing Destiny 2 from two different perspectives: Eric, a veteran player who has been around since day one, and Tessa, a brand new player who started with Lightfall.

Tessa’s Experience:

Tessa knew very little about Destiny before starting the game, except that it was set mostly in space. She was interested in it due to her love for sci-fi and fantasy games, and the fact that some of her friends played them. She didn’t expect the story to be as significant as it turned out to be, but she quickly realized that it was a critical aspect of the game. However, as a new player, the story’s complexity and the removal of older content made it challenging for her to comprehend the game’s narrative.

New Light Campaign:

Tessa found the New Light campaign to be relatively user-friendly in terms of instructing players on what to do and who to talk to. However, the campaign’s introduction to characters that were unfamiliar to Tessa was meaningless, as she had no background information on them. Additionally, when she tried to play the Lightfall campaign, the plot made no sense to her since she didn’t know who the characters were or why they were a threat. Even if she had completed the New Light campaign first, it would not have made a significant difference since the game’s story is complex and requires multiple expansions to comprehend.

A barrier to Entry:

The significant hurdle that new players face is trying to understand the game’s intricate story without the context of previous content. Bungie’s routine removal of older content has created significant gaps in the story, making it challenging for new players to comprehend the narrative. This obstacle can discourage new players from continuing to play, especially since the game’s primary attraction is its storytelling. While there is an in-game timeline that explains the lore, it is challenging to parse through without the necessary background knowledge.

Learning the Game:

Tessa found learning how to play Destiny to be a challenge. She struggled with understanding the game’s mechanics and controls, which are extensive and take time to grasp. Additionally, there are numerous barriers to entry that players need to overcome, such as completing specific tasks to gain access to game features. Overall, Tessa found the learning curve to be steep and that it took time to become comfortable with the game’s mechanics.

While Destiny 2 can be a challenging game for new players to understand, it has a lot to offer in terms of gameplay and storytelling. However, the game’s complexity and routine removal of older content can make it difficult for new players to comprehend the narrative fully. Bungie’s efforts to smooth out the new player experience, such as the New Light campaign and Guardian Rank system, are positive steps forward. However, more work needs to be done to bridge the gap between new and veteran players and provide a more accessible entry point into the game.

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