TL;DR Written before you is a subjective dissertation outlining in profound detail my complete thoughts on Destiny. This is not a short article, nor was it written lightly. Arms spanned afar, I welcome any opinions offered. Read it or do not. Affirm what I written or denounce me an officious ignorant Either way, this article is a simply a place of discussion, an invitation. Let us begin... [b]The Good:[/b] Destiny is a grandeur and ambitious undertaking by one of America's most accredited game developers. The First Person Shooter, Action-Adventure, MMO stands as an esteemed testament to modern gaming, despite the ever-flowing streams of unrestricted criticism. The ongoing IP generously gives a conglomerate of players an umpteenth amount of gaming hours, some of which number in the hundreds, whereas others number well north of one thousand. Whether or not such Brobdingnagian gameplay was spent in unequivocal enjoyment, or simply spent in grueling, unrewarding grind, the vast and growing majority of player must admit, even unto themselves, Destiny has substantially provided its money's worth. Now, such an outspoken opinion is bound to met with unrelenting disputations, but the fact of the matter remains Destiny acts as a Light in the Darkness, and like moths to the flame, we flutter towards that Light, indifferent if our wings catch fire. And as we flutter abound, whispering to one another in hushed gossip, we look behind us only to see the Light to which we are drawn casts a dark and infinite shadow. But some shadows are darker than others... [b]The Bad:[/b] Perhaps the largest shadow cast comes from our beloved RNG system. This infamous game mechanic has arguably earned the most ire and has additionally been the indefinite source of anger, sorrow, or disappointment for nearly every player at some point or another. And while the RNG system may not be a tangible paradigm of exceptional gameplay, it still exists as one of Destiny's fairest aspects, completely innocent of discriminating, rewarding, or punishing. Consequently, the RNG system operates with unbridled impunity and thus is not likely to change. Instead, players should simply accept the hand to which they are dealt, or fold like an origami crane, leaving those who stay to claim the winnings. Unfortunately, however, RNG is not the only shadow cast, far flung and cast aside are a plethora of growing problems, the import of which is evident from these rather tantalizing forums. In a broad and general summary, the problems listed via other Guardians are as follows: Lack of Vault space, the Glimmer cap, No Raid Matchmaking, lack of customization, lack of Tower availability, glitchy matchmaking, glitchy gameplay, The Cryptarch, The Existence of Xûr, Xûr's inventory, Iron Banner (the over-abundance of), The Queen's Wrath (the lack there of), Buffing Weapons, Nerfing Weapons, Faction unimportance, Bungie's lack of interest, and of course, Cheese. Of these egregiously listed issues, all are an infinitesimal needle prick on Bungie's conscience; the entire aforementioned list unheeded. Agree or don't, support or not, expect none of the problems listed to be remedied in the immediate future. Far more probable, they will be addressed when they can no longer be ignored, as Bungie has, as they say, bigger fish to fry... [b]The Ugly:[/b] Of all of Destiny's most forgivable sins, there still remains one particular issue which has been overshadowed by pandering gameplay and to Bungie's wounding loss, has been shamefully neglected: It's Story. Redeemably, the lore in which Destiny is set can be regarded as rich, intriguing, and beguiling. It is a lore which seamlessly enraptures a diverse audience. It invokes our wild imaginations and provides a staggeringly large array of backstory. My criticism isn't that your universe is lackluster; my criticism is simply the story to which you've provided does your lore an grave injustice. Allow me to elaborate... "Defeat our enemies. Explore new worlds. Become legend." The latter, Destiny's own marketed description, illustrates the entire story arch of Destiny with underwhelming accuracy. Who are "our enemies" aside from aliens? You'll never learn. "Explore new worlds"? I sincerely hope they aren't considering Venus, Mars, Earth and its moon "new worlds". "Become Legend"? Your Guardian is not even a proper hero. Your Guardian does not shape the world, but instead simply subsists within it. Ultimately, you are a forgettable face, expressionless, found stumbling alongside others who share and wallow in your empty countenance, entirely void of all character and meaning. And once this protagonist, this hero without manner or substance completes his/her journey, a sinister sense of dissatisfaction looms over your unquenched curiosity as the game's overarching mysteries remain largely unanswered. And so comes the end of this - [i]ahem[/i] - estimated eight hour journey. Your reward? A vague foreshadowing of events quote verbatim: "...there's so much more, Guardian. I've seen terrible things born out in the Darkness. Every moment brings them closer..." Restless and determined, you turn your fervent interest toward the encyclopedic Grimoire, only to face an ill-portioned codex which yields little in the way of compelling Story. My feedback? My rapacious desire? Elaborate, Bungie. Giveth unto me a fiction which engenders anger, sadness, joy, or confusion. Tell me your story, Bungie, but do so in a way which leaves my heart aching and my mind second guessing. Punish me when the wrong decisions have been made, force me to chatter my nails in anxiety, consign me to a state of tentative confusion, and leave me at the edge of my seat. I wish to be enamored with your story, Bungie, I sincerely do, but the one which was written was pitiably lost to me. But I digress... Bungie, despite my "feedback", what you given the world is golden, a stupendous success. Many have scolded you, reprimanded you for your wayward stumbles and for your triumphant climbs. Yet still, you are commended by a solemn few, we who appreciate your work and ambition. But take heed to tread carefully in planned footsteps; the pettiness of gamers is infinite and many would enthusiastically see Destiny fail. But stay resolute and be exemplary in the wake of their schadenfreude. Attest your agenda is genuine and seek it out with steadfast resolve. Learn from mistakes: fix the glitches, increase available content, note the constructive criticisms, understand the need for compromise but know when it must end. Destiny is your 500 million dollar investment, Bungie. See to it that it Becomes Legend.