Here Are 5 Things 'Destiny 2' Gets Incredibly Right

Destiny 2 has consumed the past couple days of my life, and I'm pleased to say that the game is excellent---an improvement over the original in almost every possible way. That's not to say it doesn't have its share of problems, and I'll get to those in a later post, but it gets many, many things right. So let's kick things off with some optimism, shall we? Here are five things I love about Destiny 2.

1. The music.

Seriously, Destiny 2 has some surprisingly good original music. The first game's soundtrack was good; the sequel's is outstanding. Early on in the game you're treated to this melancholy treat:

That's just lovely. Great music like this is scattered throughout the game. It adds a ton to the experience. Sound design beyond the music is top-notch as well.

2. The humor.

The first Destiny was, at least in the beginning, a pretty lifeless game, devoid of things like 'character development' and 'story.'

Destiny 2's story isn't much to write home about, but at least there is a story. And it's filled with characters we enjoy to be around.

Cayde-6 (voiced by Nathan Fillion) is still my favorite character, and his humor keeps the game from being too serious and self-important. It's great that he's actually part of the missions now, too (as are the rest of the characters.)

Other bits of humor sprinkle the missions and help keep the mood light, even though the story itself is a fairly grim one.

Credit: Bungie/Activision

Destiny 2.

3. The improvements in quality of life.

There is now a map you can use when you go visit various worlds, or even when you're in the game's social space. You can track objectives, see when and where public events are about to take place and fast travel to different 'landing zones.'

I'm honestly not sure how we lived without a map all this time because it's just infinitely better to have one.

The fact that you can just go to any destination without first going to orbit is also a huge time-saver that makes the game much more enjoyable.

Meanwhile, lots of little quality of life improvements have been made. The menu screens are cleaner and easier to navigate; there's no confusing currency to juggle; and it's easy to track your activities. Bungie made lots of small improvements that add up to make a really big difference.

Speaking of currency/reputation etc. the new token system is really great. There are tokens on each planet and in the Crucible which you earn for doing various activities and trade in with various NPCs for rewards. It's simple and easy to understand.

And finally, there are only Legendary and Exotic engrams to decrypt. Every other piece of loot is just a piece of loot. This saves oodles of tedious time.

4. The gunplay.

Credit: Bungie/Activision

Destiny 2

I always thought Destiny had great gunplay, but it's even better in the sequel. My Guardian feels more powerful.

Guns simply feel more natural, both in PvE and in the Crucible where I now occasionally stand a chance in PvP.

That Bungie was able to improve what was arguably Destiny's biggest selling point is quite an achievement, but there it is.

Right now no other shooter feels quite so perfect as Destiny 2 in terms of gunplay.

5. The level/mission design.

The new areas in Destiny 2 are so much more interesting than the first game's. The European Dead Zone is the new Earth location, but unlike Old Russia it feels like a living place. There are old city ruins, lush forests, deep canyons and a maze of underground passages. Nessus is overgrown with massive trees and bright red foliage. Titan is a water world of massive, teetering platforms and precarious causeways.

In the campaign, the mission design is far superior to anything we saw in Destiny (especially vanilla Destiny) with missions that take place on the tops of skyscrapers, across a deadly platform where shade is your only recourse from the sun, and various others that are almost always interesting and enjoyable.

Suffice to say, there are many things about Destiny 2 that I'm enjoying so far. As much as it is similar to the original, both in its aesthetic and gameplay, to anyone who spent any significant time with Destiny over the past three years it's a completely different beast beneath the surface. I know it's a commonly used expression, but this really is how Destiny ought to have been when it first came out, replete with an actual story and basic quality of life features like...a map.

What are your thoughts on Destiny 2 so far?