It’s been one year since Bungie last released a new Destiny expansion and things have really changed over the last 12 months. A smaller team took over content updates. Microtransactions were introduced to fund development. Destiny 2 was delayed. Someone at Bungie or Activision decided to pull the plug on PS3 and 360 support ahead of the Destiny: Rise Of Iron release date. It’s been weird. And it all lead to today, when the fourth (and presumably final) Destiny expansion hit PSN, Xbox Live and traditional video game retailers (via Destiny: The Collection).
But the million dollar question is: Is Rise of Iron actually worth your time?
We’ll have a full Rise of Iron review up sometime next week once I've had a chance to check out the new raid. But I wanted to publish early thoughts on the expansion for anyone still trying to decide whether or not to buy it. I’m still not entirely sold…but I’ve always been on the fence about Destiny. It demands a time commitment I’ve never been convinced it earned. Destiny makes a stronger case for itself with each new add-on but the value proposition ultimately depends on how much you spent to experience the current version of the game.
Admittedly, I have kind of a strange relationship with Destiny; one that’s probably similar to yours in many ways but simultaneously different in a way that few who aren’t paid to write about games can relate to. I don’t have to squeeze my time in after work, once the kids are asleep or in the same handful of pre-ordained hours every weekend. If I want/need to play Destiny for work, it’s just a matter of telling my boss. I was on the couch, controller in hand, when the base game and each new Destiny DLC went live. Like many players, I wake up early every Friday to check Xur’s inventory, hoping it will convince me to spend a few days collecting Strange Coins. But I haven’t played Destiny for more than 15-30 minutes since 2015.
That said, I spent most of launch day in front of my PS4, completing the new story before 99 percent of those who’ve purchased the expansion (according to trophy data). As a result, the new content does feel a bit short. The only reason I didn’t finish the primary story arc (which is only five missions) before breakfast is because I got distracted by a Taken King quest I didn’t finish last year. Without that diversion, I’d have finished the Rise of Iron quest line in two or three hours. And I wasn’t even at the pre- ROI Light cap. But what’s present is entertaining, even when retreading familiar ground, and leaves room for more down the line.
I’m still a fan of Bungie’s revised presentation style. If you didn’t come back for TTK last year, the game’s story doesn’t feel like it's entirely buried in the Grimoire, which still isn’t accessible inside the game client. Figureheads like Lord Saladin or (going back to older content) Cayde-6 are now fully-voiced and many finally have the memorable personalities they so desperately needed in Destiny’s original incarnation. It helps the campaign feel like a cohesive story instead of a collection of stages. Gunplay is still exhilarating but you already knew that. If there’s one thing pretty much everyone agrees on, since Day One, it’s that Destiny always felt great. It just had too other many rough edges at launch.
Few things appear to have changed for Destiny from a technical standpoint. Two years of post-launch support has ironed out many of Destiny’s most irritating wrinkles, provided we aren’t talking about launch day server issues. And some fans might be disappointed to find the enemies, environments and weapons in Rise of Iron don’t look any better than previous Destiny releases, despite Bungie’s decision to dial back support for “legacy” platforms. Especially since Bungie isn’t ready to commit to releasing a performance patch for PS4 Pro users after Sony’s next console hits stores in November. But Destiny still runs well, sounds great and looks as good as it ever did. Expecting anything more than that just makes me feel like a nitpick.
Private Crucible matches seem to be popular with a segment of the community. I’ve spent a bit of time engaging with the PvP side of the game today, mostly to complete bounties and claim a few trophies I’d nearly earned, and I can still safely say it’s not why I’m a fan of Destiny. I have zero doubt that those who claim to enjoy the competitive portion of the shared-world shooter are being honest about that appreciation. I just think you’re all out of your mind. At least the oft-requested feature brought some new Dead Ghosts for the rest of us to collect.
Regardless of how you felt about Destiny coming into launch week, it’s safe to say it will remain unchanged after your time with Rise of Iron. The game’s latest expansion includes a wide array of content, including a new raid that goes live this weekend, that should appease those who’ve been content to grind away on the same missions for the last two years. Conversely, if a lack of content has been your primary complaint about Destiny , particularly those who only enjoy the PvP or PvE (but not both), Rise of Iron will just serve as further proof the game isn’t for you.
Destiny: Rise of Iron is now available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Be sure to check back with iDigitalTimes.com and follow Scott on Twitter for additional Destiny coverage throughout 2016 and for however long Bungie supports Destiny in the coming years.
