The release of “Destiny 2The release is drawing ever closer, which is why Bungie and Activision are releasing a beta version of the game. However, this beta is more like a demo or server stress test, especially since not much is likely to change in six weeks. Nevertheless, the current closed beta allows us to examine the numerous small and large changes that will be fully revealed on September 6th.
Before you can get a feel for the BETA, you have to choose one of the three classes. Each class has a different loadout and receives a completely new exotic weapon during the first and only included story mission. With the exception of the exotic weapons, all other weapons can be earned through PvP and PvE activities. However, anyone wanting to try out all the new exotic weapons will have to give each class a chance. During the BETA, all classes have access to two subclasses, one of which is already familiar from the first game, such as Gunslinger or Defender, while the second is the new one seen in various trailers. We don't yet have access to the entire skill tree, and four skill bubbles per subclass remain unavailable. The skill redesigns are interesting, giving each class more personality. For example, the Titan can now deploy a stationary shield, while the Hunter can perform a Shadestep that instantly reloads their weapon or charges a melee attack. The Warlock, on the other hand, can place a healing circle or charge their grenades with super energy for extra firepower. These nuances in abilities make the classes feel much more distinct, even in the beta, than in the first game.
Meanwhile, with Homecoming, we get the chance to play the first story mission of "Destiny 2," already familiar from gameplay videos. Here, we can expect a much more dynamic mission, one that feels almost identical to the missions of the first game. At the beginning of the beta, after seeking refuge in one of the last intact rooms of the Tower amidst a crowd of people, and later encountering Cayde-6 and Ikora Rey in combat, it quickly becomes clear that significantly more effort has been invested in scripted scenes. As a result, the situations you find yourself in already leave a positive impression; characters finally develop real personalities, becoming more than just equipment dispensers, and the world feels many times more alive.
Also included is a Strike. In “The Inverted Spire,” you fight your way through hordes of Vex and Cabal on Nessus. The sheer scale and variety offered here are particularly interesting. The Strike begins like any other, then leads you through narrow canyons to a giant drill digging for Vex artifacts, across a vast battlefield that seems endless, and finally into a Vex cave.
In PvP mode, the number of players has been reduced, with two teams of four now competing against each other. Bungie apparently wants to keep the player count manageable to improve oversight. Also new is the weapon system, which allows players to equip a kinetic energy weapon and a power weapon.
Kinetic and energy weapons are comprised of the main weapons already familiar from Destiny. For example, you can now equip a pulse rifle in the kinetic slot and a hand cannon in the energy slot. All other weapons capable of eliminating players with a single shot now reside in the power slot. Meanwhile, abilities recharge significantly slower – a Super, for instance, can only be used once within an eight-minute multiplayer match. These changes naturally also affect the PvE mode, leaving a somewhat lingering sense of uncertainty. Abilities must now be used judiciously, as the long cooldown is quite noticeable, and shotguns and sniper rifles have considerably less ammunition. It remains to be seen whether these changes, intended to benefit PvP, will negatively impact PvE content, as Destiny 2 will undoubtedly offer items and abilities that further reduce cooldowns or allow you to collect more ammunition.
“The Destiny 2 beta still evokes rather mixed feelings in me. If the first mission is anything to go by, missions in Destiny 2 will offer a significantly better narrative structure. Important characters, crucial to the story, finally fight actively alongside you and thus integrate more seamlessly. On the other hand, we have changes that, by all appearances, only serve PvP balancing and slow down PvE content. One cannot exist without the other, so it remains to be seen how Destiny 2 will find the balance between the two modes and which details they are saving for the game's release.”
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