Destiny 2

Steam Reviews

Read all reviews on Steam

• Not recommended Posted October 3, 2025 on Steam I don’t write this lightly. Destiny 2 has been a huge part of my life for years. I’ve bought the Collector’s Edition, recruited friends and family, defended Bungie through their many shortcomings, and poured over 7,200 hours into this world. This game has given me incredible memories. But today, I feel absolutely heartbroken. The state of Destiny 2 right now is the worst I’ve ever seen it. In a single day, I ran three different Master Fireteam Ops—each time the strike bugged at the end, denying completion and rewards. This is just one example in a growing list of bugs and technical issues that make playing feel more like fighting the game than enjoying it. After years of investment, I’ve never felt so let down. It feels like losing Cayde all over again. And while I can’t bring myself to fully walk away, I can’t in good faith recommend Destiny 2 to new or returning players in its current state. The story, the world, and the potential are still there—but the execution is broken, and Bungie has not shown the respect or consistency players like me deserve. This isn’t easy to write, but it’s honest: Guardians deserve better.
• Not recommended Posted August 17, 2025 on Steam [b]Destiny 2 is a just as much of a victim as the fans who play it, and it's a testament to how damaging [i]Games as a Service[/i] can be in the long run.[/b] Last year, I wrote a really damning review expressing my frustration and hurt on how Edge of Fate butchered the standard gameplay loops that the game spent years perfecting, and has since spent the months after its release desperately getting the game back into a semi-playable state. Since that review, we saw the release of Renegades, which was for the most part, a great expansion (which is ironic, given the whole expansion was just a Star Wars collab), providing much-needed quality-of-life updates. But the harsh truth is that most of these quality-of-life updates are really just rolling back controversial changes and design decisions bought on by Edge of Fate. And because of how haphazardly and quick these changes made have been, players have essentially been able to power farm Tier 5s and the best endgame gear for little-to-no effort. It makes sense to do so in the short-term when player engagement is at an all-time low. But it significantly hurts the game as a whole, as it just makes the core issues people have with the game more apparent. That's why I've rewritten my previous review to look at things from a new perspective. Simply put, the game just has WAY too much half-baked systems layered on top of one-another, which is a direct result of years and years of the game seeing new systems and Game Directors take the helm and completely redesign the core gameplay experience because of how they feel the game should be played. With Edge of Fate, this issue skyrocketed into absurdity, with essentially 90% of the game's content being outright ignored and outdated, likely because Bungie's intention was to again, drip-feed content on a bi-weekly basis rather than providing a complete package right off the bat. But Destiny 2 isn't a brand new release or even a new IP. It's a decade-long franchise that's entertained hundreds-of-thousands of players (maybe millions). It's also gone through SEVERAL controversies that has mired its reputation in the wider games industry, and simply can't afford wishy-washy directors and developers to step in and say [i]"Hey, I think it would be cool if the game worked like this instead."[/i], while ignoring YEARS worth of developmental progress, feedback, and lessons-to-be-learned (Sunsetting, DCV, Plagiarism, Dungeon Keys, Expansion Content Packs, etc.). New players can't even fully immerse themselves in the game either, thanks to the truly atrocious New Light experience that, to this day, still hasn't received the proper love and care it needs. Building and releasing new content won't solve the core issues of why people don't want to play this game anymore. Veteran players have long-since burned out at different stages of the game, and new players are discouraged from even playing due to the awful onboarding experience and EXCESSIVE number of paid DLC materials to purchase (which, again, are now mostly irrelevant to the current game due to the foundational changes brought on by Edge of Fate). And all of this just sucks because at many points of the game, Destiny 2 was simply one of the [b]BEST[/b] games to play out there in the industry. One that fostered many relationships and experiences between players and a game that needed more than simply bashing out new seasonal content and carrots for players to chase. For this game to succeed again, it needs to be restructured from the ground up. I know this, everyone reading this probably knows it, and Bungie DEFINITELY knows it. And when I mean restructure, I don't mean redesigning legacy systems for the sake of making things easier. I mean applying any changes made on a [i]universal[/i] level. So if you create a new weapon rarity system, that system needs to be applied to ALL weapons in the game, not just the new goodies you create to give players a reason to play the new content. [i]We've been playing the "new content" for years. Enough is enough.[/i] But the sad truth is that it's likely Bungie has already decided for themselves that the game is a lost-cause, focusing instead on other projects such as Marathon and other internal initiatives. The Shadow & Order update, which was supposed to release this month, was announced to be getting a major overhaul, resulting in a significant delay and rebranding, as well as promising future quality-of-life changes. The optimist in me wants to believe this update will be akin to the Into the Light mini-update, which was an incredible time to be a Destiny 2 player. The realist in me feels that this update instead is looking to be more like an Age of Triumph update, where primary development on the game will come to a close, with minor bug fixes, quality-of-life patches, and Portal updates following through. I really wish I could recommend this game. I really do. But right now, the current state of the game's far too messy and predatory in its current state. And with no development roadmap and no clear communication/updates from the Destiny 2 Team since Renegades' release, the future of this game is looking rather grim. I still enjoy playing this game. It hits a niche I adore, and has given me so many wonderful experiences/memories playing through. [i]I just wish Bungie had the same level of love and respect for the game as I did. :([/i]
• Not recommended Posted February 20, 2026 on Steam I'm going to make this very short and concise for everyone EXCEPT Bungie. I have words for y'all. New Players: Don't. As of my posting this, it is not the game it was even a year ago, let alone at its peak. Play another shooter that doesn't require a subscription. Returning players: Don't. The game you loved is not that game anymore. Put some flowers at its grave, remember the good times. Save the Gigs for another game on your rig. Bungie: I don't care if none of you EVER read this, because this is really for me. I loved this game. It became a huge part of my routine, and even though it had some spots that were problematic, it was something that I enjoyed. You had great storytelling, great lore; you were in on the jokes about the game and you in terms of spaghetti code and exotics breaking the game for the billionth time when you tweaked them. You had a knack for turning lead into gold and making things work even when the chips were down and your playerbase loved it. But then that sparkle that made the game so fun just... went out. The puzzles became easier, the care of the story dropped. Lightfall happened, and I'm not going to beat a dead Neomunian when it comes to why that story was a sadly contrived echo of Cayde's Death that had zero payoff because we barely got to meet him. That was the beginning of the end, at least for me. Witch Queen had been a great example of what you were capable of after the lull of Lightfall, but Lightfall? You lost the plot in order to give us a green subclass. The Final Shape? Honestly some of the most fun I've had. The raid, not so much, but the story was phenomenal. The achievement system you implemented was a touch odd, but the spirit of something was there. It definitely had potential. And then one of you decided to take that spirit, drag it to the 9th circle and let the spirit of Judas possess it because who in their right mind would make ""The Portal"" the heart and soul of this game? We had strikes, we had Crucible, we had-- well, we HAD Gambit, even if it was about as half-baked as the Drifter most days-- but we already had a rhythm. "But player retention! But numbers! But the bottom line!" 5k hours in, and most of the people I played with are the same or higher. I chased the achievements, I ground the grind, I forced myself to get better because it was fun. We didn't need a portal telling us what to do, we played as a community and learned by word of mouth. That was refreshing. Instead of a portal, you could have invested in a better New Light journey. Was Shaw Han's VA too busy to record new voice lines? The worst part is you had something like that and then never went anywhere with it. To continue: I'd like to say it was still there in some fashion, but I have no clue, because you are obsessed with removing things or changing things that really didn't need to be touched. I think George Lucas would envy you, because I don't think even he has remade his Sci-Fi series as much as y'all have. (Not a compliment, by the by.) While I have plenty more to say, I'm not writing a dissertation for a company that is so tight-lipped that they can't post an honest answer for what fans they have left regarding a roadmap. You had lightning in a bottle. Granted, it got away from you a couple of times, but you did have it. When your red-headed stepchild of an extraction shooter doesn't perform as well as you had hoped and tanks, we're not going to the wake. We've already had to sit in hospice with D2 for over a year now, and we're tired.
• Not recommended Posted February 4, 2026 on Steam Destiny 2 is like that abusive ex who texts you at 2AM like, “I’ve changed. I miss you. Come back.” And for some reason you do, And for a little while? It works. You load in, shoot a few aliens, everything feels smooth and satisfying, and you remember why you ever loved this game in the first place. But then Destiny 2 does what Destiny 2 always does. It starts abusing you again. After the past few DLCs, the magic just isn’t there. The excitement has been replaced with fatigue. The “wow” moments are fewer, the payoff feels weaker, and instead of feeling rewarded, you mostly feel relieved when you log off, like you just escaped another abusive argument. Destiny 2 still has flashes of brilliance. It still can feel amazing. But at this point, it’s less “I’m having fun” and more “I’m being emotionally manipulated by a game with great shooting mechanics.” this is also a very roundabout way to say i hate sauerkraut Let the game go. it isnt worth it anymore
• Not recommended Posted July 12, 2025 on Steam Edit: After getting back into the game to give it a proper goodbye and finally play The Final Shape, I wanted to come back to this review and add some final thoughts. Below is the original review, one I made with a lot of left over resentment and frustration for Destiny but one I ultimately still largely stand by. All I will add is this: Destiny 2 deserved better. Playing The Final Shape has reminded me why I enjoyed the game so much in the first place. Playing an expansion at my own pace, getting to really soak it in without worrying about seasonal content or grinding out new gear in order to keep up with endgame content, it's the most fun I've had with the game in years. I wish Bungie had just put their focus into making excellent yearly expansions and content that is worth repeated engagement instead of relying on a seasonal content model that locked story and rewards behind repetitive weekly chores. I look at games like Guild Wars and Warframe which are fun even in-between content drops simply because they were designed to be engaging, with activities that are varied and unique. Some of the most fun I've ever had with Destiny was simply logging in to play Gambit all day while I waited for the next big story update, or grinding out strikes and raids while I waited for the next big expansion. But that experience isn't there anymore, not really. Your goal now is simply to keep replaying the same content via the portal over and over and over again while the game drip feeds you story. Destiny could've been a game that lasted for much longer, could've stood alongside game like Warframe and Guild Wars as beloved titles people stick with because they are just that fun to play. Now it's not even clear if Destiny is going to last another year. Despite all of the frustration you'll see from me in the rest of this review, I'm not angry any more. Just sad. I mean it when I say: Destiny deserved better. Original, much more cynical review: The vast majority of the content I have paid for no longer exists in the game. Let me say that again: [h1] THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CONTENT I HAVE PAID REAL WORLD MONEY FOR NO LONGER EXISTS IN THE GAME [/h1] There is literally no excusing this. I do not care what anyone could say to defend this game. From a vet who has put up with Bungie's crap for a while now, DO. NOT. PLAY. THIS. GAME. Edit: Because the white knights of Bungie, defenders from legitimate criticism have arrived, I'll make myself even more clear: [h1] THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE CONTENT I HAVE PAID REAL WORLD MONEY FOR NO LONGER EXISTS IN THE GAME. THIS IS INEXCUSABLE, AND HAD ANY OTHER COMPANY DONE THIS WITHOUT A PRE-ESTABLISHED BASE OF ADDICTED PLAYERS WHO HAVE SUNK COSTED THEMSELVES INTO IGNORING EVERY SINGLE PROBLEM THE GAME HAS, THAT COMPANY WOULD BE BANKRUPT WITHIN A MONTH [/h1] If the literal worst possible business practice a gaming company could commit to its users is somehow still not enough for you, here's a short list of some other grievances I have with the game: Terrible, slapped together last minute story telling that sees character arcs introduced, barely developed, and then suddenly concluded, such as Crow and Amanda Holiday apparently having a romantic thing going on until oops she's dead now (no I don't mind spoiling this you can't even play that content anymore why do you care) all so that Crow can be big sad in The Final Shape. It's clear that a lot of the story telling in modern Destiny 2 is just checking off boxes and moving on. Recycled content, and no I don't mean "Oh how dare they bring back an old strike from D1" I mean tossing old content into a blender and slapping a shader and a $40 price tag on it and calling it a day. The newest subclass, chromatic, was marketed with the same flair and fancy of a fully fledged subclass, but is in fact just a mash-up of other subclasses. Seasonal content has been repeatedly criticized for just being the same basic activities over and over again, and just in general the gameplay loop is just that, a loop. After a while you're not playing to see what new things get added, you're just going through the motions while you wait to be dripfed new narrative content. And lastly, the financial element and content model make this game impossible to recommend to people, which is a shame because the game is really only fun with friends. The on-boarding is just kinda terrible. No one wants to play a game that they're gonna have to pay $100/year for and dedicate large amounts of their time to just to stay up to date with what's happening in the story. The main reason I quit in the end was simply because I had a job and a life to live and friends I wanted to spend time with. This game demands so much of your money and attention, and unless you and several of your friends are willing to suffer through that, it's just not worth it. And if you think you'll make friends in the community, trust me, statistically you wont. Destiny, despite being an MMO, was a shockingly lonely experience for me. The playerbase largely cares exclusively about performance, and those who don't have long since been scared into not engaging with other players because the environment is just toxic. If this is not enough to convince you to avoid this game, you seriously need to raise your standards. There are better games out there, trust me.
• Not recommended Posted March 2, 2026 on Steam I tended to love Destiny 2, because: - Very nice gunplay - good graphics and engine, low requirements and running absolutely smooth - extremely good storytelling - motivational grind but: - Extremely overpriced DLCs - Microtransactions are greedy, too - Progress gets nullified from time to time, making old items you grinded for useless Biggest contra for me: - No chance to replay the whole (extremely good!) story again, because multiple content (I paid for multiple times!) got removed from the game.