Destiny 2 Isn't A Videogame, It's An Addiction (Real Life Review)

I thought it would be fun to hop back into Destiny 2 after having not really played it very much over the past 4 years apart from checking out the expansions like Lightfall, witch queen, and beyond light.
I gave it a proper chance, and as a result I found myself immediately addicted to the game. I was curious as to why it had hooked me so easily, and after some reflecting and research, I was able to see just how Destiny managed to keep me coming back for more, despite not having very much fun with the game.
Sources:
www.theguardian.com/games/201...
www.gamedeveloper.com/design/...
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[@Windwalker88]

Hearing IHateEverything talk about this game was listening to someone talk about his/her abusive partner

[@carlope6511]

Pretty funny how they always return to their partners 😂

[@R-SXX]

@@ItsFred614 yeha because we connect games to the studios, and bungee once stood for pioneering the fps genre. iHE and many more still hope that they somehow invent destiny anew, make it the game it deserves to be, with this awesome universe it has to offer.

[@MrAjking808]

That’s so cringec

[@aussieseal9979]

Gonna be real with you, just use they/them

[@Windwalker88]

@@aussieseal9979 uhm what the hell are you talking about

[@keepitclean8791]

The worst thing about Destiny is that it gave every game company on earth the blueprints to create their own virtual casino disguised as a fun video game.

[@Marksm50]

Dunno man, WoW (World of Warcraft) had the formula for addictive gameplay way way before.

[@paulregener7016]

@@Marksm50Yeah destiny didn’t invent anything World of Warcraft was a phenomena. Destiny 2 has a few million players maybe but games aren’t the same anymore too many things to play and the major outlets are cash machines. I mean how many talk about Destiny 2 today? Meanwhile World of Warcraft people who should not know about it, know about it.

[@NthnLikeCodeine]

Certified resident of yappersville

[@necro4258]

@@NthnLikeCodeinelmao

[@pacificblue5461]

I played Destiny 2 and didn't spend a cent on loot boxes, it wasn't a big deal

[@BubblenutMcMuffin]

I cannot express how much this hit home. It always felt like a chore, I didn't play other things that I wanted to, and I had those withdrawals too. I don't think I would've ever quit if I didn't move right when witch queen came out and had no access to my PC for a month. Oddly enough I felt a huge burden lifted and I've never gone back since. It sounds stupid, but it really is an addiction.

[@doctorthrax2076]

Nah fam, that doesn't sound stupid at all. The first step in fixing a problem is admitting it exists. Hopefully more and more people burn out and start seeing that some games are designed to harm them.

[@successfulfailure7563]

It's not stupid. Humans can even become addicted to non addictive things

[@BubblenutMcMuffin]

@@doctorthrax2076I've got friends that I don't really hang out with all too much anymore because that's their life, for the most part. They say the game sucks but they never leave, and I get it too. It was a game where I could turn my brain off, listen to podcasts and enjoy the immaculate gunplay. That's the big thing I miss. That and my friends

[@BubblenutMcMuffin]

@@successfulfailure7563Worst thing to become addicted to is stuff you need to live, like food. Sure, you don't need junk food, but it's a part of life and super convenient. I've kicked a few addictions down the drain, but food remains my hardest one thus far.

[@nonixus661]

yeah that is stupid

[@PAXperMortem]

I am so glad I stopped paying attention to multi-player games back when rampant microtransactions, 'seasons' and battle passes became a thing!

[@backwoodsonthabeat7783]

smart man

[@planescaped]

The last multiplayer game I spent any time with was Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, lol.

[@jonatanrobledo9812]

As a Apex Legends victim, I admire your good timing my man. Shit's like digital heroin.

[@Jdb63]

The golden era cods are having a resurgence since their servers were fixed, and playing them for just a few minutes shines a glaring light on just how far modern gaming has fallen

[@haruhirogrimgar6047]

I petered off as it crept in. Left HotS around the time they added it. Left LoL (again) around the time they added it. Left DBD before they added it but I realized the dlc-system was already predatory. There has been nothing worth playing since my delve into indie singleplayer titles.

[@TuxHood]

Lightfall cured my addiction of Destiny. I can't express how grateful I am to Lightfall's devs. They made me a better person and I can finally play video games healthier than before. 💌

[@tonymk-ii2614]

Same for me lol

[@Nailfut]

Same here. Up until that point, while I knew I would take a break after The Final Shape, I still felt guilty (mostly because I have a clan I'm really glad I found). Lightfall made me realize that I should never trust Bungie ever again. TFS and then it's over. Forever.

[@dat_21]

@@Nailfut Just complete it on youtube, don't pay $100.

[@praisetelesto]

​@@NailfutIdk what I'm gonna do after TFS. I think I'll stick around for that year and then....somethings are better left buried. Hell I might bury my entire playing videogames thing.

[@lovescars]

@@Nailfutelaborate as to why Lightfall was that terrible?

[@nickdanger12345]

Is it just me, or does it seem highly unethical for Bungie to intentionally make digital fentanyl?

[@piotr78]

It's not just you. I value personal responsibility but still think this is unethical.

[@carpathianhermit7228]

No shit. What's worse, even more deplorable things have happened irl and fuck all was done about it. Cough opioid crisis and the pharmaceutical industry cough cough

[@carpathianhermit7228]

There's no regulation for it :) and the regulatory bodies that are supposed to protect consumers are also funded by the same industry it's supposed to regulate, just like the pharmaceutical industry

[@carpathianhermit7228]

However whilst shitty, no one's forcing you to play this

[@bjornskivids]

It's actually really easy to quit

[@soaringspoon]

Apex snagged me for a year and after dropping 200$ realized how bad it was for me. Haven’t bothered looking at these multiplayer games since and much happier for it. Bless the depth and variety of the indie scene.

[@MaxskiSynths]

Indie all the way

[@TheErikjsm]

good call. destiny is way more addicting than apex ever is or has been. seen a lot of my friends drop crazy amounts on the game.

[@notimeforcreativenamesjust3034]

It’s not multiplayer games it’s that you’re playing the wrong multiplayer games. Stop playing FTP PVE shooters, gatcha games, MMO’s, and card games.

[@placeholder3853]

In my mind you got out easy, some people get really hooked on f2p games aka whales and spend tens of thousands

[@ogrodniczek3836]

A lot of people from my destiny 2 clan still pay 100$ a year and also spend some money in the shop, because they play this game so much and they treat it like a netflix subscription. I also used to play overwatch 1, but ever since they introduced battlepass with overwatch 2 I had to cut it off, because I can't deal with FOMO.

[@Ch0cken]

This video is spot on with everything. I haven't played Destiny for 3 or 4 years now, but I was so addicted for years before that. I had so much fomo even when I was still playing the game. I felt like I had to play everyday for hours just to keep up with my friends, because if you fall behind, nobody wants to go back and do old content with you. And like Renn said, if you stop playing for a while, you're pretty much done. There is so much to catch up on that it just feels incredibly overwhelming. Even when you do play, it always feels like you're behind as well. The rest of my life absolute took a back seat when I was still playing Destiny because the gameplay just feels so good. It's been 3 or 4 years and I still think about Destiny pretty often. I still have fomo when a new expansion drops. Bungie really has mastered the art of getting people addicted to their game.

[@jgvtc559]

They try as hard as possible to make in inaccessible for solos And they know how toxic the playerbase is that's all by design What about the whole debacle that just happened with people glitch hacking broken weapons and bungie saying have fun Knowing full and well that new players were trying trails the hardest of the hard at that time and getting robbed and gangbanged they didn't gaf I had bought every dlc 2 weeks before that and was no lifing it to do well in trails and they did that I almost refunded every purchase I just walked away instead

[@teamhop]

Hey I’ve got some really great news to share with you, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on a cross and resurrected on the third day so you may all have eternal life. If you believe and repent of your sins and put your faith and trust in Him as you would a parachute jumping off a plane at 25000 feet up in the air, He will give you eternal life in heaven as a free gift and I promise you, He will change your life forever as He did mine. He is the ONLY way to heaven and He loves you all. Please think deeply about this with urgency because this is your eternal life and soul, you don’t know when you could die, meaning you could die at any moment, so please consider this with all your heart. If anyone tells you that Jesus isn’t the only way, they are lying to you and they don’t care about your future.

[@Vaguer_Weevil]

For me it wasn't an addiction, but an infliction. I could feel my soul crumpling up into nothing when my friends made me play it.

[@moonwhooper]

Me but with overwatch

[@hhaste]

Then say "no" lmao.. wtf

[@Vaguer_Weevil]

@@hhaste Some games you only play with friends, but I did stop when it was too much

[@necro4258]

@@hhastejust like dont do heroin lol.. wtf

[@Just_KaoS]

My friends are currently gearing up for the new expansion and I had to tell them I won't be joining them for the first time since Destiny 1 original release. Sucks, but the games just not fun. I don't want to do some version of stand on a plate or deposit motes again. I've been doing it for 10 years.

[@hipnuts9180]

Stopped playing 3 months ago. My life is measurably improved

[@vanta9608]

mine got worse😭

[@teamhop]

Hey I’ve got some really great news to share with you, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died on a cross and resurrected on the third day so you may all have eternal life. If you believe and repent of your sins and put your faith and trust in Him as you would a parachute jumping off a plane at 25000 feet up in the air, He will give you eternal life in heaven as a free gift and I promise you, He will change your life forever as He did mine. He is the ONLY way to heaven and He loves you all. Please think deeply about this with urgency because this is your eternal life and soul, you don’t know when you could die, meaning you could die at any moment, so please consider this with all your heart. If anyone tells you that Jesus isn’t the only way, they are lying to you and they don’t care about your future.

[@Glenningway]

FFXI might have been my big addiction, though having a hard life with very little options makes it very easy to fall into escapism which gaming does provide in spades.

[@PeterPlayerOne]

It's interesting how deep some communities are without the rest of the world being aware of them. Like if we weren't told that WoW is addictive and that people spend their entire lives playing it I wouldn't have even known it was any different than any other RPG at the time. I instead spent most of my time playing games like Battlefield. Around the time of BF1 and BFV I learned that EA was also employing addiction science to their games, I remember it being a topic with Battlefront 2, but I felt it in the Battlefield games at the time. The algorithm would place you on a team more likely to win or lose based on your habits to stay in the game longer. I was aware of this even at the time but I genuinely enjoyed playing the games, however I could consciously pull myself off by asking why I was playing - was it because I was enjoying it or because I wanted something from it? Great video, Renn.

[@Speeff]

I'm a very active Destiny player (I have around 2500 hours in the game right now) and this video is a very interesting watch. I don't really relate to the addiction aspect, which probably sounds like something an addict would say. I play the game because I enjoy the content. I have all the "god-roll" weapons from the raids that I want, but I still enjoy raiding with friends and doing other things. I like running Grandmaster Nightfalls because they're some of the most challenging content in the game (aside from low-man raids and solo dungeons etc). Good rewards are obviously a great incentive for me, and I definitely have done activities JUST because the potential reward is good. But I won't go out of my way to play content that I dislike just for the rewards. But there are tons of people that I see in-game or in twitter who just seem miserable and I can tell are addicted to the game. The ones who complain all the time about Destiny (which a lot of complaints are valid. The game obviously has tons of issues) but still play it all the time. I constantly remind people "it's okay to take a break. Only play video game if you enjoy video game" I've definitely taken breaks here and there. If a season doesn't really interest me, I play something else for a few months. But I think that's where the addiction comes in. I'm not saying I'm better than anybody because I'm not addicted and they are...it's just interesting and very noticeable how the addictiveness affects different people in different ways. I hope this makes sense, these are things I've been thinking about for awhile and this video's comment section seemed like a good place to get it all out. Plus, I had a lot of coffee this morning lul

[@sawdust8691]

I felt the same way. There was a somewhat brief span of time during Forsaken where I was pretty much treating the game like a chore. But I quickly became disinterested in that, and really only played the game because I liked it. I love the art direction, music, gameplay, and universe. And the overarching story was very intriguing to me. I never really got into the day to day addictive aspects other than that 4 month time period. I skipped nearly everything I didn't want to do. Really, I only came back for big expansions. But alas, I decided to drop the game after Lightfall. I got fed up with the mediocrity of the content and story. And the crazy price and time sink of it. The good narrative I'm craving from the Destiny universe just isn't there. The story is treated just as everything else is. Just enough to string you along, but never giving satisfaction. And also it's frankly not good, despite the great universe. And after Lightfall, I just had to admit that Destiny couldn't offer what I wanted from it. It's designed not to. It won't and can't give me the satisfaction I crave from a good piece of media. So after 1000 hours and hundreds of dollars over the years, I uninstalled it and never plan to touch it again. It's hard to leave something with so much time and money invested into it, and that I still like aspects of. But I'm just not going to support the game with any more of my time or money. There's so much better media out there. I'm glad people like you can still enjoy it.

[@Speeff]

@@sawdust8691 Definitely fair and understandable! I would recommend checking playing the game toward the end of each year. That way, you have the previous 3 seasons of content to play through, and you aren't timegated from any of it. I definitely agree with your point about the seasonal content being "just enough to string you along". The weekly dripfeed of content definitely gets frustrating. Like, the content itself IS good, but their delivery model for it just causes so much fatigue for so many players. So I definitely get it. Like, whenever I take a break from the game (I'd say once every year I might go a few months without touching it) it's awesome when I get back into the game and I can catch up on everything I missed and play at my own pace. Do what you want and don't let me sway your choice too much if you just really don't enjoy the game lol. But to me, it seems like you generally enjoy the game, it's just their content delivery model that has soured you so much. So that's what I would recommend if you find yourself having the Destiny itch at some point.

[@acethemain7776]

it's important to keep in mind that it's not entirely the player's fault for not taking a break and falling into an addictive spiral. Because i can guarantee you that the devs/ execs made design choices that they KNEW would lead to more players being addicted.

[@Speeff]

@@acethemain7776 Oh I 100% agree! I hope I didn't come off like I think it's the player's fault. The devs/publishers absolutely know what they're doing when it comes to this stuff. I only meant to say that I find it interesting how some people are more prone to addiction than others. "Just stop playing the game lol" is DEFINITELY easier said than done, just like "Just quit smoking lol" etc.

[@XxHUNT3RN4T0RxX]

Destiny has the best FPS gameplay of all time in my opinion. It’s like the love child of Halo and Call of Duty with godlike superpowers. No other game comes close to that Destiny style gunplay. And that’s something only Bungie can do. It’s how I fell in love with the franchise all the back in Destiny 1.

[@x-arya-x]

"i feel the urge like i'm getting left behind" I've been with this franchise for literally almost half my life (I was 8 when destiny 1 released) and grew up with it. A gianormous problem that followed me for way too long than should be acceptable was exactly this, that feeling, that fomo. The ridiculousness of it all was that i was too bad to actually keep up, i eventually just gave up trying to keep up and went at my own pace. The game was much more fun since i was actually playing for myself now, ever since then destiny has become a nice comfort game for me wich i can return to and leave whenever i want. It's like minecraft where you have these phases that go on for a few weeks or maybe even a month and then you stop for a very long time until you return again, that could be after a week, a month, maybe even a year. But suffice it to say i don't see destiny as an addiction. I actually thought it to be impossible for destiny to have THAT kind of influence like described in the video. I always treated it as a joke but seeing that people actually suffered because of this game was a shock. I'm definetly more serious with that topic now.

[@Morossss]

i'm in the exact same boat, been playing since i was 12 back in dark below, and throught all of my time in destiny 2 i never played on a daily basis for more than 4 months, it really depands on the person and how they interact with games, it definitely was way more toxic to the playerbase(like year 2 and year 3) with the most fomo elements during that time, bungie got alot better now with the fomo even though i dont think literally any amount of fomo is just bad, some of it is fine you cant really have everything available at all times and be in any way rewarding in a looter shooter/mmo-lite, but i dont even think players interact with the game like he said in the video the vast majorty of playerbase dont have their neurons firing whenever they see a legendary engram lolol or honestly even exotics, almost everything in the game has a very clear determinstic path which really curbs the addicative aspects of the grind, i honestly think the current version of the game is really really tame compared to all of its competitors, and with the current systems in the game you can literally get anything you need for like 9 hours a week easily and you COULD spend more time up to a point and it wouldnt be even beneficial for you, at a certain point its out of the developers hands and more on the players responsibility to keep themselves in check

[@billjacobs521]

Like anything, it's really a small number of people who get hooked, who can't stop themselves. And it's hard to blame the game because, yeah, it's what those people want. It's like, what, do they NOT cater to their biggest, most dedicated fans?

[@DavidUtau]

Just don't play?

[@toopristineproduction]

Renn I love that you kept doing the Weapon Puns, just wanted to let you know your destiny series is a masterpiece

[@saimori7372]

I had created a timetable just to play Destiny 2 and then another timetable on how to play Destiny 2. Very efficient for the grind. It was when I was in a Dungeon with a random who didn't know how it worked and kicked him because he was slowing me down, did it dawn on me that I had a problem. It wasn't fun anymore, it was a non paying job that I paid for. How could I not take the time to teach him? What is wrong with me?

[@JohnSavant]

At the very beginning, Destiny 2 had about 20 hours of extremely engaging single player content, then bam ... nothing else but a fairly difficult raid which requires a clan/guild spastics on voice chat and tight schedule (already played WoW raids back then). That was my abysmal first impression and I haven't replayed the game ever since. No idea how a game can muster such an addictive fanbase after starting with barely 20 hours of content (nevermind pvp).

[@fireassassin1688]

I feel exactly the same I had a blast playing the story with friends and leveling up but then it hit the point where we were playing to increase our power level but 2 points each week and I said screw it

[@SimiCantStandYaBits]

Calling the og destiny 2 campaign 'extremely engaging' is some hilarious revisionism.

[@miragebarrage9748]

1 word. Forsaken.

[@r3mxd]

ok boomer

[@nonixus661]

calling raids hard lmao

[@timewaster504]

Having played the game since 2016, I can confirm, its an addiction.

[@moisttowlettes6532]

Many platers hate destiny 2, yet we still are happy to play it again.

[@lovescars]

@@moisttowlettes6532i love it, though i take breaks from it and dont burn myself out. Playing with a buddy also always helps

[@REsoleSurvivor1000]

An absolutely fantastic video that basically sums up how I feel about D2's cycle of madness. You got my sub!

[@Umbravitae19]

As a behavior analyst, I’m here to smile at the inevitable comments of people saying “they’re not addicted!”

[@horrorfan117]

What a sad life you must lead if you're addicted to scrolling through KZbin comments.

[@firstnamelastname4752]

As a behaviour analyst you should know what a Kafka trap is.

[@NebadonAdams]

It is an addiction, but a player can quit "cold turkey" if they want (I did). My friends try to guilt me into playing again, but it doesn't work. I don't care what "Shape" The Final takes. The story lost me, I have all the "loot" I need, they stopped the grind (was the only thing keeping me playing daily), so I am good. More for everyone else, right?

[@ritzboo9490]

@@NebadonAdamswell it seems like you quit not because the addictions gone but because there’s nothing in the game for you. I feel as though once new content comes out it might bring you back, that’s how I feel destiny has been sucking in people

[@darthfastball1150]

As someone who understands how insidious these systems are and how effectively they grab people, you should really have more sympathy.

[@carpathianhermit7228]

Also if you're someone who doesn't have a lot going on in life, games are very enticing. They make you feel like you're slaying the dragon and making progress when really in reality you're in stasis or going backwards. Distracts from the progress of your life I present thee the dream killer trifecta : Porn, weed, games

[@_grulee]

facts

[@patinar330]

Nah bro I always have motion going on highly productive so is my bro making the most of life but destiny is always calling bro

[@carpathianhermit7228]

@@patinar330 wasn't talking about you specifically was I 🤣🤣🤣

[@patinar330]

@@carpathianhermit7228 I know bro 😂 I’m just saying man there normally grass touching good citizens getting poisoned by destiny’s treacherous, hold bro it’s just a all out tragedy 💀

[@carpathianhermit7228]

@@patinar330 🤣🤣🤣

[@DCGMatthew1]

I literally started playing Destiny 2 again for the first time in nearly 4 years a few days ago. Was pretty fun, other than the multiple times I got disconnected right at the end of a mission... I was about to look for Destiny 2 videos as well.

[@soupgirl1871]

The reason you got disconnected multiple times was due to someone DDoSing bungie (they confirmed this)

[@Philip_Taylor]

Literally? No way, I thought your entire generation were speaking FIGURATIVELY! Thanks for clearing that up.

[@DCGMatthew1]

@@Philip_Taylor You're welcome. I know it can be hard to tell sometimes. Just had to make sure everyone knew I was being literal.

[@rpemulis]

@@Philip_Taylor be nice, we are all brothers in arms in the world of weird nerd shit

[@san_toad]

That’s sad

[@Panhammer64]

yo that's me at 0:15 Thank you so much for putting my name on there! Friends have been sending this to me a ton, great video!

[@vikrantpulipati1451]

Going to college and making irl friends was what finally broke the obsessive Destiny habit for me. It turns out that when you actually live life, you don't need games like this for your dopamine supply. I still log on for about 2 hours a week to complete the story content, and I still follow the raid races, but that's about it. After some time away, the gameplay grind in this game is so transparently manipulative that it's hard to give myself over to it.

[@felwinter7538]

Here from Aztecross’ channel, really great review and seeing it explained in such a way really opens up my mind. I should probably start considering leaving D2 completely, I’ve already distanced myself somewhat, but I still sometimes find myself with that need to play.

[@luketyrrell714]

Renn always dropping bangers, always a shame to see the algorithm not doing its job. Always love the content. ❤

[@celerity2763]

Im out of destiny 2 and videogames in general about two years by now and, these days, i played some destiny in my brothers xbox, seeing that video describes exactly what i felt when played destiny again. I was completely absorbed by the game, and feel that after 2 hours of gameplay seemed like i haven’t did any progress in the game and need to play more and more to compensate all the “lost” time where i don’t played destiny, and that moment i figured out that even 2 years without any game, i still adicted to destiny 2.

[@brooktocknell8575]

Gambling and gaming addiction therapist here. Really well made video, I used to play a stupid amount of destiny, I then started to notice it getting its hooks in me and made myself uninstall it, the similarity of modern gaming to gambling is astonishing.

[@Hitlerstopjew]

They are the same thing

[@brandona9326]

I straight up deleted my characters. No way of going back now.

[@FromGroundToMud]

I played 85h of Destiny 2. It's a good game and I had fun with it, but it ended up feeling boring, lonely, grindy. Doing the same thing over and over and over again to get... not much in reward. Good gunplay tho.

[@r3mxd]

its a game meant to be a grind lol sticknto cod

[@FromGroundToMud]

@@r3mxd yeah I mean I didnt find it pleasant

[@JohnDoeWasntTaken]

I only managed 50 hours myself. Same feeling as you, it's a garbage game without friends, and even with friends you can't shake the feeling that you're wasting your time unless you're willing to make it your ONLY game. Something which no game has the right to insist on the way Destiny 2 does. It's just an endless grind for numbers you don't really care about nor fully understand as a newer player. Shooting things felt so satisfying, but that's it. I can go play Doom Eternal if I want that.

[@MaxMiller94]

Great video! At this point I just play the weekly stories. The loot grind has never appealed to me that much, but I do enjoy the gunplay. So I don't play the ritual activities unless there's one I particularly like on rotation, and I rarely do raids.

[@gandorias8641]

im 100% addicted... ain't no way im tryna stop... gotta get them pinnacles and exotics every week baby!!!

[@valravn6777]

The psychological hold of "I have to do my weekly stuff or I might never get the [thing]" is so real

[@myst1cwaff1es65]

This video made me come to a somewhat corny realization that Destiny 2 is a real addiction for me. It takes over my life and I can't function properly if it is apart of it. I always leave the game unsatisfied and wanting more and after taking a break during Lightfall's season I realized that I don't have that problem with other games. I tried to play the newest season casually but fell right back into the same behavior. Thanks for making this video.

[@hejhejaske]

Fr you don’t realize how bad it is until you haven’t played the game for a month or two

[@nonixus661]

you guys are bots its insane

[@Seals_R_us]

I spend a lot of time on the game, but goddamn it is not nearly this bad. I think people forgot that video games are for entertainment. Just play a different one, and I don’t think that god roll Acasia’s Dejection will really make an impact.

[@AmuckScroll1850]

@@nonixus661😂 ur probably the bot get outta here boi lmao

[@nonixus661]

@@AmuckScroll1850 addiction to a below average game is bot behavior

[@2balls1nut]

Another day of thanking God I'm not a destiny player 🙏🙏🙏

[@FollowerofDuck]

i stopped playing like 6 months ago, and my life has significantly improved in those 6 months

[@smokinsnake42]

Great Video man. Hope it will reach more people, so they learn about these addicting mechanics in games.

[@parkermccalip8386]

Honestly, this is also why I quit Genshin Impact, I wasn't having fun. The only moments where I was having fun was in story battles or just enjoying the world and grabbing anything that looked interesting. It also started to become a serious drain financially. I gave up and I haven't touched that game since, and I still think about it, mostly in the sense of "I wish I could play this as a full price AAA game and not have the gross monetization tactics, just play it and have fun." so I definitely get what Renn is talking about.

[@Sakisasvictorianmask]

Interesting, I started Genshin a few days ago and it's pretty fun so far, my only gripe is having missed so many events that won't come back. Then again, I'm a f2p player, even did the math on how I would save up to eventually pull a 5 star as f2p, lol. May I ask how you played it, how much money you spent etc.? Only if you're comfortable, but I find the way these games work pretty inetresting, psychologically.

[@parkermccalip8386]

@@Sakisasvictorianmask Regarding how I played the most boring and common way I would play was doing daily quests and beating boss monsters to level up my adventure rank so I could get to “the fun stuff”. I also spent a decent amount of time just admiring the scenery and grabbing any shiny objects I could find. Honestly Jeyun Karst was my favorite place to do this. As for money spent I don’t remember how much but it was enough to get seriously reprimanded by my parents, so probably (?) north of 200 USD. Because of it I deleted my card info from my PS4 and haven’t looked back at the game since.

[@AAnomoly]

I see why the Genshin hate was warranted, so many good games cover with layers of shit.

[@MagitekBahamuto]

AR60 guy here and I feel the same as you. That game is not good, it feels like a job you don't get paid for.

[@JohnDoeWasntTaken]

I never bought anything in Genshin and still had almost every 5 star and nearly AR60. I was so dedicated to that game, ended up quitting and never reinstalling though when I realized that a) it felt like a job, and b) I didn't actually care all that much about the lore, story, and the world you play in. So I wasn't even attached enough to the game itself to push through the grindier aspects. Even though I had all those 5 stars, nah, there's just too many other good games to play.

[@BasementMinions]

This is a great way of explaining that chase and drained feeling after playing live service games. For me if was the Dauntless battle pass with my limited time and energy. I stopped having fun fighting monsters and just felt like I was doing chores. Thank goodness D2 never really was able to hook me!

[@Z0iD_exe]

renn you have been on fire the last few uploads ngl

[@DashingPunkSamurai]

18:07 LITERALLY my life when I sit down to game. Have so many games I want to play, so I tell myself I’ll put a little time into D2 and then switch to a different game. And then just play D2 the entire time. So I’m either playing D2 and nothing else or not playing D2 and actually playing and finishing other games. And D2 isn’t even that nice to me, none of my friends play and my clan never wants to run dungeons or raid which you can’t matchmake so god forbid go to an LFG but 80% of them say KWTD and how can I do that when I can’t practice 🤷🏻

[@lionfire3359]

I play an entire season. I buy season pass and invest another $20 it $30 dollars during the season until the season ends and then play a different game.

[@inchriswemistrust]

Started playing Destiny a couple months ago to hang with a close friend who moved away. Going from power 1600 to 1750 was fun cuz it felt like I could just play the game, chill, turn my brain off, and make good progress. At 1750 they let you do the nightfall, but we figured out we can’t do shit for damage until 1770. We’d still play to shoot the shit, but it was such a tedious grind of like 1 or 2 more power level per session. Haven’t played in a while cuz it slowed to a trickle (or spend money and do lightfall campaign and get to 1770), but i just remember thinking, what’s the end? In my head that was power 1770 haha but it’s like you reach that, and then what? Power 1800 or whatever to do grandmaster nightfall, and then raids, and so on. It’s like there’s no end or point where you are finished. You just stop playing.

[@Valkyrae123]

Exactly its either you stop playing or keep playing until no end, its not like the older cods or halos where you can hit max level and just be done

[@inchriswemistrust]

@@Valkyrae123 you’re right, and even then, those games gave you something to shoot for, but unlike destiny, the process to get there is based on fun, not addiction

[@jaymon64anabel53]

Right now what’s keeping me going is just the group I have playing it, honestly if it they weren’t on it- I would flat out quit. Plus the lore is extremely interesting, I like it so much. One reason why I always come back, to either read background on a weapon I like or the lore books you pick up in new missions.

[@livchamps9573]

really love the Phillip Seymour Hoffman look you've got going on right now buddy. nice work, keep it up!

[@greg8597497]

I think the healthiest way to play the game is having minor and major goals. I’ve been playing since launch destiny 1 and treated it like a job for years but as the game went on, I found that if I treated it that way, I would run out of content quickly and be bored. I’ve mostly focused the last few years on helping friends get content done, teach them interesting build that hopefully are fun for them and treat the game as casually as I can while playing other games. Every new season, my main goal is finishing all the story content and getting all the weapons crafted, and hopefully getting my 3 raids done a week

[@Sergeeeek]

Sounds like a second (third?) job

[@acethemain7776]

alright on papeer that might work, but human nature tends towards the undisciplined and reactionary, which means people will spiral back into just doing destiny, whatever it may be

[@squidward8125]

the healthiest way to have a game is play one that doesn't have you thinking up how to make it less stressful this game is dogshit

[@awehy3993]

@@Sergeeeeksome ppl find it fun

[@Richieraygaming]

I've been playing destiny since 2016 , it can be addictive but I play other games besides destiny so I'm ok with playing destiny for 1000s of hours

[@HenryMyth]

Imagine putting 1000 hours into a franchise where you’ve been shooting the same exact same enemies for nearly a decade.

[@Oldernator]

​@@HenryMythSo basically Halo.

[@HenryMyth]

@@Oldernator lol each Halo game introduced new enemy types and would revamp old ones. Destiny’s enemies haven’t even remotely changed in 9 years. You’ve been duped to play a shallow grinding simulator.

[@awehy3993]

@@HenryMyththey the same faction but new and diff mechanics release + people enjoy it

[@plaztik767]

Welcome back brother, We’ve been waiting for your return.

[@vipset87]

I forgot about this channel! I absolutely love this dudes dialogue. He's so clever and witty. And he's suffering from the same destiny addiction too?!

[@nopenope7777]

Deep Rock Galactic is my constant go to. Its my autism fuel. I just love it so much. No gambling or RNG except for what you experience when you load into the mine. All rewards are cosmetic. Updates are free but id gladly buy DLC.

[@The_Gravemind]

MY BROTHER IN ROCK AND STONE ⛏️

[@humantofu]

You really hit the nail on the head with Destiny 2. It's fun to play every now and then after a long day of work, and despite its glaring flaws there's very little like it in the FPS genre. Even Call of Duty despite the 3000 people that worked on MWII just can't quite compete with what Bungie's made. But making proper progress in the game requires major time commitment; even though the sense of FOMO is nowhere near as bad as it was circa Shadowkeep, if you fall off it can require quite a bit of time to get back into the groove.

[@djraider]

You nailed it! Haven't played D2 since its vanilla state, but I had like 2000 hours in D1 and I missed out on so many good games in that span. I simply can't return to the game now. It's like a full-time job.

[@l3en.]

love the irl locations in the vids

[@maxwellsokol2934]

This is one of the most informative, well thought out videos I’ve seen on KZbin in a decade. Fucking nailed it. I love this game like my own blood, but it is as insidious as anything I’ve ever witnessed. Intentionally so.

[@zachrohler1047]

Im glad i got my licks in destiny 1. I spent days grinding it out and even skipped school because of it. I played destiny 2 for a bit in year 1, only a few days each dlc. Hop on and get the new stuff done, then bounce. Stopped playing completely when cayde died, havent touched it sence. Love watching folks shit on it tho

[@6sakibean9]

Unironically one of the funniest people on I’ve found KZbin lately🙏🏾😂

[@TheAsdasy]

For me it was a 50/50. I loved how the game itself feeled, the shooting was so satisfying, the numbers popped up as I squeezed the trigger but also there was this thought in the background that this mission will grant me cool rewards and I can finish up a cool armor set or something like that.

[@KC-cs9bd]

Still the most underrated channel on KZbin, always pumping out quality content.

[@vdub2014]

I've never played Destiny but you can just replace it with " Escape from Tarkov" and this video was super relatable. appreciate the content as always, my favorite little boy in the whole wide world.

[@r3mxd]

eft isnt addictive at all lol

[@vdub2014]

it was for me lol im 2200 hrs in @@r3mxd

[@nonixus661]

@@r3mxd yeah youre just sad

[@artistpoet5253]

A very nice point and very well made. It is on us, the player, to decide how far down we'll go for the Destiny tickle. For me, I treat it like a suite of arcade style games like the Arcade Classics collections. I set up a window within which to play and select an activity to do. When it's done, I"m done and I go on with the rest of my day. I think this is because at my core, I'm more a table top gamer than a video gamer though I spend more time on screens.

[@thelateraledge]

I definitely noticed some addictive qualities with Destiny, especially when I started having these weird dreams where I was literally playing Crucible matches in them. So I would play Destiny for a few hours before bed, then have these weird dreams that were very fast paced like Destiny gameplay. Kinda shows how addicted you are when even your dreams are affected by the game.

[@althechicken9597]

It's cheaper than slots, but not by much.

[@Summerstitch539]

Put thousands of hours into it before I broke the addiction when lightfall landed. It’s exploitation at its finest. The game is a glorified cash shop mobile game at this point and it’s truly amazing how little content you really get yet people keep playing. For a new player sure there’s plenty to do, but don’t get suckered into the seasonal nonsense. It’s all rehashed recycled. Maybe a cut scene, maybe a few new voice lines but you will be doing the same exact thing you have been the last 20 seasons. My intention isn’t to come off as resentful: their gunplay is undeniably top notch and their environments and skyboxes are unrivaled. It’s just frustrating to see what the game has become theses days.

[@Sypitz]

Exactly. It literally has mobile game story steps (wait a week for a paragraph or two of dialogue).

[@kyler247]

How tf do you put thousands of hours in destiny 2 of all games 😞

[@Sypitz]

@@kyler247 you tell me. I have 2,000 on steam alone, and that’s not including battlenet time.

[@kyler247]

@@Sypitz buddy... why?

[@Sypitz]

@@kyler247 couldn’t tell you.

[@sentimentalmariner590]

For the last several months I was not getting ay notifications for your channel I had to manually find you again lol.

[@jellevanderputten2909]

Love that you mentioned Solar Ash. Truly an amazing game!

[@Philip_Taylor]

I'm addicted to Rust. I'm also not very good at Rust, so it's not fun being addicted to it...but I still love it. Help.

[@KoylTrane]

How? Rust's playerbase is so hostile, I dunno how anyone who has a job can play it.

[@Philip_Taylor]

@@KoylTrane Who cares? I don't need my cheeks kissed on a video game. I come home from work and play solo on quiet servers, like a kid making a den.

[@KoylTrane]

@@Philip_Taylor but there are hundreds of single player base building games, why Rust

[@Philip_Taylor]

@@KoylTrane There has to be some multiplayer/threat, or there would be no point in it. I used to go to bed imagining making a cabin in the forest, thinking about how I'd do it etc. and Rust allows me to play that in a game. Remaining hidden from other people is part of it.

[@jon-michaelfarrah4512]

Love how Lightfall was bungie's own redpill for the community😂😂😂

[@elmarce494]

Luckily I'm used to playing many games at the same time, so I stop playing these kinds of games when I feel they're asking me to drop everything else and ONLY play them. But we all have a friend that is hooked to one of these and even when they know they're playing it just because they feel like they have to it's not so easy to drop it. Great video as always Renn

[@dpsfitness7375]

Here from Aztecross’s channel just wanted to like and comment as fully derserves. Great video.

[@arned3901]

I'm addicted to that BAG 🤑

[@lovingdemon2932]

I really really really like your image!

[@beenguy5887]

Man am i glad to have an anti addictive personality where i don't want to do anything at all

[@Dancyspartan]

i think thats called depression

[@beenguy5887]

@@Dancyspartan maybe.. but at least im not playing destiny

[@Dancyspartan]

@@beenguy5887 i was depressed and hooked hard on League for many of the same treadmill mechanics, and chose it above self improvement and reality, so i empathize with players prone to addictive gameplay. I'm glad that you aren't suffering from addiction - its sad stuff

[@youtubebroken7916]

I loved D1 with a passion and returned to D2 in season of Dawn. I got hooked and broke free of my addiction on the 30th anniversary.

[@ToweringPepsiMan]

I just miss raiding and playing dungeons. But oh god do I know I would get addicted again.

[@dococ3272]

More like an abusive marriage… you’re literally forced to buy dlc that you cannot play at all…

[@creamboyfuengshwei]

the longer destiny 2 goes on the worse game it becomes. When they sunset 90% of my stash and shadowkeep (which I payed 40 bucks for), I quit and never looked back. Looking at it now, glad I did. Fuck that game.

[@evamotto9276]

The section on playing this season hit the nail on the head for me! I just hard-quit a few weeks ago, despite the season starting so strong. Just let me do the new things in a few hours every week, not constant grind every day...

[@dragonrabbit7410]

really great video! i hate that so many games are basically treadmills these days. btw what game is that at 10:58.

[@mangaas]

Thats like being addicted to tap water.

[@Sypitz]

Destiny 2 doesn’t have fluoride as a main currency.

[@Dancyspartan]

what are you, 12?

[@GeraltofRivia22]

Tap water is more interesting

[@kyler247]

​@@Dancyspartanno, but the people who still play destiny 2 are.

[@mangaas]

@@Dancyspartan You looking for 12 year olds on the internet or what?

[@IXONERU]

Destiny is like a Sack of Doritos or Cheetos, you eat one, its not that flavoured but still tasty, and you keep eating trying to find the one thats ultra flavored, maybe theres 1 or none, but you keep on eating. Its a fun game, but not too fun. Or you maybe need to build up to get that fun.

[@remenschenfresser]

Just yesterday I was reading on dark patterns in games, and here all of them are. Every single one. Very impressive, Bungie.

[@Mikcena501]

for me it's a weird mix of being addicted then feeling extremely bored in the middle of a season then taking breaks to come back even more addicted

[@ogashion]

I stopped playing when bungie stole my campaign and expansions.

[@itseuri]

Your content is really good but can we talk about the excellent music you use as background? Bc is really really great 👌🏾

[@pododododoehoh3550]

This is a really great video and super true, I got really addicted when i was a kid, I was playing everyday after school for years, my social life fell off qnd I whent from a top set student in everything to finishing my a levels with 3 C grades (minimal pass). It really screwed up some of my pivotol younger years and I struggled even after for a year or so after recognising the addiction to give up gaming. My productivity in life has gone uo massively since though and id never go back to that. It seems so obvious to me now how predatory modern games are designed to be, yet its so rarely talked about as a serious issue.

[@kyler247]

I'm literally too smart to fall for the tricks this game pulls, all my friends tried to get me to play it, and I couldn't stop noticing how they were trying to manipulate me and pull me in and it affected my ability to get immersed, and I told my friends they're suckers for spending hundreds of hours on it. Its just sad it works like gangbusters on the middle of the bell curve.

[@Jdb63]

🤓

[@piotr78]

Don't think it's intelligence. More so how much you are willing to go with it. I just can't take every "storyline" ending with more questions than it provides.

[@kyler247]

@@piotr78 it's 100% intelligence, its the same principle that applies to slot machines, gambling, and even smoking cigarettes.

[@kyler247]

@@Jdb63 guarantee you this dude has 100+ hours in destiny 2 lol salty

[@Jdb63]

@@kyler247 You've got a lot to learn young one

[@phillipredhead8254]

As a recovering Destiny addict I'm not the only one feeling a slight pull to go back on it while I agree with every reason why I need to not

[@notthatinnocent86]

Havent played since the beginning of Deep. Got the SF clear on GotD, fished for 5 min with a random, and uninstalled. I keep tabs on the game of course. Just because I dont play anymore doesnt mean I cant be passionate about the game still. The most ive ever been tempted to come back is right now actually with the release of Warlords Ruin, but I know that craving will pass soon enough. If youre going through cravings/withdrawal/desire to play Destiny, just give it a week or two of doing ANYTHING else (preferably not playing other games) and I promise it'll subside. You are not missing out on anything worthwhile.

[@SpilcedJeans]

As soon as I max the season pass I'm done until the next one. I don't even play that much during the season I just complete challenges that accelerate my progress.

[@Dwuudz]

Im honestly shocked that these games never got their hooks into me. I get curious sometimes but the time investment required usually drives me away.

[@RayTheomo]

1:30 i hadnt touched the Dest-In-Nearly 4 years. I caught that. Bars.

[@wazzpqazzza]

2:45 Absolute PEAK performance looks like this. Strange man making a strange sound in a strange place and the take just goes on like nothing. Performance of his life that take. Amazing.

[@Johnston212]

Good to know that I am not the only one. I went through this during lightfall. Thankfully I hit nuclear burnout and realized that I needed to step away.

[@jugdar13]

Lightfall is great for snapping one out of this

[@spencer1342]

So so so well presented!

[@peterpanaguiton973]

This video described every feeling I have about playing destiny. I couldn't put it into words and I know it's doing something inherently unfulfilling but I can't put it down concretely. Thanks for making this vid.

[@Arshay]

The 3 tap in pvp with an hc is by far the biggest dopamine hit of any gameplay element in any game I have played.... ...like ever.

[@bloodblade1221]

I got so hooked into Destiny 1 I use to wake up early before school so I could grind out taken king. When Destiny 2 came out free on PC it absolutely demolished my schedule. I broke out of the cycle when they started sunsetting gear which was fair for things like the mountaintop and recluse, but that little bit of disheartenment probably saved me from an ever increasing addiction

[@seffye2195]

thank you, you were the nail in the coffin for me, finally have 110 gb of space available on my PC

[@simonweldon7972]

I relate to this. I was totally hooked to Destiny. I had to quit because I was missing out on sleep. The withdrawal symptoms were also real. I was depressed for weeks.

[@toxicshot7728]

Great video!!

[@benblades8465]

I don't know why your recent videos have got such low views but it's definitely not a comment on the quality genuinely great work

[@FragmentsOfWill]

Took me years and finally after witch queen I broke my addiction. It’s all I played, I didn’t wanna miss a thing😭.

[@tlotlosenai7304]

I'm just surprised they had the audacity to film in a casino hahaha what's the background song @16:30?