Of all the things players can do in the open area, Adventures are the most story-driven. Presented on the map as an orange banner with a white sword, these activities task Guardians with following a series of objectives. Structurally, Adventures most resemble the mission design of missions from the original; get an objective, go clear out a wave of enemies, listen to Ghost speculate a bit, and battle a boss.
Hardcore Gamer went hands-on with the PS4 and PC versions of the upcoming game and if what we played is anything to go by, Bungie may have a real winner. While Destiny 2 may not change the minds of those opposed to loot shooter or MMO-lite mechanics, it will make those who were disappointed by the original game very happy. Destiny 2 is bigger, better structured and packs a more powerful punch.
Most importantly, Homecoming is thematic for getting rid of the old and bringing in the new. The Tower was a place of excitement and frustration in the first game. Players would have to continuously go back to The Tower constantly and eventually it became a chore. Walking through the destroyed halls you walked through thousands of times is poignant. We’re saying goodbye to The Tower.
The next week the raid reset and all Destiny 2 players learned something new about the raid: not only did the raid reset, but the order of the rooms was different. This is a smart design, allowing players to take on challenges they are unfamiliar with or maybe were having trouble with the week previous to improve upon them. Dogs were now first; this was fantastic news as the same fireteam could tackle the raid and knock out the part that had been challenging us, first. Unfortunately the same fireteam couldn’t all make it, instead the four that did show (myself included) ended up playing Trials of the Nine. We did try everything in our power to fill the two spots putting out lines throughout our friends list and even Destinylfg.net and other sources, but we gave up after a few hours at this. No raid this week it looked like. This is not a new problem for Destiny, with Destiny 2’s new feature of Guided Games it seemed some of this searching for party members stress could be alleviated.
The first piece Implement Of Curiosity Destiny 2 DLC for Destiny 2 dropped this week and Guardians have taken to The Curse of Osiris like Mercury takes to…OK, I don’t have a good example. What can be said for The Curse of Osiris is that it isn’t making waves and isn’t what Destiny 2 was missing to bring it back from the woes that it has been going through. Then again, isn’t Destiny always going through woes? If anything, Curse of Osiris is proving to be more of the same , while coming across as a bit watered down. I asked for three cubes bartender, not a glass full of ice with my whiskey. Caydee-6 would not be pleased, although he might not care either. For those Guardians that do care, though, it’s proving frustrating, and for anyone who might want to jump back in, Curse of Osiris doesn’t sell itself well.
Having gotten fed up with trying to find an appropriate group to run with from Destinylfg.net, it was time to turn to the new feature that seemed like it would deliver better results: the new Guided Games. Guided Games makes players jump through some hoops with good reason trying to create the most toxic free environment for play that it can, it sort-of works. First, Guardians will spend a token to get into GG, then players agree to the Guardian Oath stating they will be friendly, helpful and dedicate the time. Then if you’re a seeker, which I was, it gives an extra-long waiting time to make sure that the player is in it to win it. My first group I ended up waiting over an hour for. After some general party chat confusion and actually doing the banner part without talking in the fireteam I had grouped with, we finally figured it out and we could talk. This did not help either.
Where does this leave Leviathan then? Answer: Not in a good place. Out of all Destiny raids this might be the least fun yet. With plans of still completing it, now having joined a Clan I feel confident in, especially when it comes to gaming positivity I know it can be done. What sucks is the time, emotional energy and all feelings that get rolled into trying to complete this raid. Once I do finish it, that’s it, it will never be attempted again, because it’s just not worth it. Bungie stated they wanted to create a raid that would draw more people in to the ultimate end game content, Leviathan is anything but inviting, even if Calaus is literally inviting you on to his opulent ship. It's hands down the most deterring raid every created for Destiny. Which is why Bungie's messaging on what this raid was going to be could have been a bit clearer. Why say it’s going to be inviting when also saying it’s going to be the most challenging raid ever? That’s just an oxymoron. Who is this raid made for? The ultimate Guardians (streamers) that Bungie knows will complete it or the players they say they want to join in the end game content? The messaging is mixed and muddled with leaving little hope for the future of end game content.