Destiny 2: Why The First Descendant Has Siphoned My Attention Away

Destiny 2 is in an odd place post-Final Shape, but the contrast of The First Descendant is really an additional factor in my playing less. Here's why.
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[@alaskayoung3413]

Well when 90% of exotics are not even worth keeping in the vault….

[@GeremyG]

There were always going to be a lot of people leaving after The Final Shape but I feel like how episodes are spaced out really accelerated that drop off.

[@testme242]

It was all marketing bs that made it sound 'new.' they went out with a strong bang and it was a great final ride. I have no desire to play anymore it's the same shit over and over again. I'll wait for D3 and get back in

[@adamham3762]

@@testme242my guy they NEVER said it was gonna be new. They only ever said they were going to switch up the delivery cadence and the lack of a 4th season would give them more time to work on the content they will release this year

[@FlashesSoccer011]

​@@adamham3762 they quite literally did say it would be a new structure, more substantial content, more cohesive story lines, and would contain more content. They have failed miserably at every single one of those things.

[@blumagikdragon3078]

Facts! Episodes are just longer seasons

[@kalsabrain1370]

Tbf the first season after a dlc is almost always ass. I was hoping this would be something like the structure of the forsaken seasons, so far it isnt. But we shouldn't judge the entire new format from this first one, which isn't even finished

[@mrgrimm25]

They've beaten the season formula to death and did nothing with episodes to change it up.

[@Brownwaffles]

FACTS! 👆

[@TheComfyGeek]

Honestly, The First Descendant kinda proves why we need a Destiny 3. Players are looking for new content and expansions aren't cutting it.

[@rabb1tdotcom-ie3vk]

Just making a D3 with the same systems and UI design is effectively just going to be a new expansion. I don't know that Bungie is capable of changing/adding what things are really needed to increase interest.

[@adamrees2319]

Definitely not. I see what you’re saying but different game same Bungie. It’s not going solve a single thing until they learn that nerfs kill the game.

[@GenocideLv]

just play tfd and be happy for a while. Then look for the next big thing. You dont owe loyalty to anything.

[@bulthaosen1169]

​@@GenocideLvcould also play other games. Doesn't have to be tfd

[@rise4097]

Welp 😂

[@Forcer69]

Gonna be honest, between the Final Shape being the finale and echoes just honestly being pretty meh I really haven’t cared for Destiny lately. I’ve actually been playing Warframe and it ain’t half bad, definitely like Destiny more in a lot of areas but I can enjoy both games.

[@kevinmalcom4243]

Same af

[@inoob26]

well you clearly arent in at least one of them rn lol

[@Hagosha]

Welcome, Tenno! Excited to find out your thoughts on the newest Warframe content when you get to it.

[@TonyCruickshank]

If you like First Descendant I advise trying Warframe, at least until the former reaches the same level of maturity.

[@jackburkel4119]

I tried playing Warframe and it's like playing Roblox it just feels like a bunch of half baked mini games that don't have any substance, personally I just had the hardest time staying engaged in it.

[@kodhimac]

first descendant pulled me away and taught me warframe basics, now warframe is where i reside most days.

[@rinzle3r]

Warframe is such mess in teaching the basic stuff, that TFD is the better tutorial for Warframe ever, i came back to Warframe after 8 years and a lot of stuff there just makes sense thats wild, DE really should take notes if they wanted that level of sucess because its cleary working for them.

[@Silent_Norseman]

Hell yeah, as someone who's played Warframe off and on over the years, you're in for a treat, enjoy!

[@jameschou888]

Warframe was a dedicated fun game. It is too bad they are now a division in Tencent

[@MrJblazini]

Warframe is so good

[@slashthe2nd]

The Final Shape honeymoon is well and truly over 😢 And we now back to these seasons/episodes where player count drop a lot.

[@JingMitsuyamaCH]

For me Destiny will always hold a special place in my heart for the experience it’s given me for a decade, but I just don’t have any interest in their stories anymore. I strongly wish Destiny would tell more stories like they do with the grimore books rather than the cringy marvel-esque writing with character I could care less about

[@SailboatAqua]

The most recent nail in the coffin for me with Destiny 2 is that I farmed 120 class items and still didn't get the roll I wanted

[@mrdrifter3925]

😂

[@supermansdoctor]

Eek

[@JaWiHa1986]

RIP

[@NoahsGamingChannel1]

For me personally, after Excision and the ending, it was the perfect conclusion. I'm just happy to move on, it ended in such a wonderful note. It's not a bad game by any means and I will always love it.

[@BozBundalo]

One huge thing TFD has over Destiny is the fact that there's ALWAYS something to chase and with this, it's not just about the chase, but when you get it and you upgrade it you really feel the jump in power. Destiny just refuses to make people feel the power behind items. There is nothing to chase when the outcome is alway marginal improvement. It's been like this for years.

[@rabb1tdotcom-ie3vk]

The big difference for me there is that with FD you know exactly what the thing is doing. With D2 I have almost no clue what those perks do, or to what extent.

[@panzershreck8077]

There's no point in playing master raids or dungeons, lol. Bungie realised most of their playerbase is lobotomized casuals that would piss their goddamn pants if dedicated long-term players had better loot than them since they actually decide to engage with harder content. Trash game straight to the core design of the modes and the reward system.

[@EchoDoctrine]

@@panzershreck8077shouldn’t the point of master raids and harder content be the challenge in itself. Or because it’s fun to play. That’s the thing I always laughed at with “hardcore raiders” and people that demanded harder and harder content. When it comes out they play it’s once, maybe twice and after they have any loot they wanted they never touch it again. They just want loot they can dangle over others. “Look what I have that you don’t, hah ha”. Pathetic.

[@panzershreck8077]

@EchoDoctrine Yeah, that's the entire goddamn point. To show off to others lmfao. What exactly do I have to show that I completed the hard mode content? A glorified name tag? What a joke, lol. They should also make all weapons significantly more advantageous than the base versions of the same weapon. Idgaf about the crybaby casuals that play 1 hour a week and only touch braindead seasonal content to become overpowered after 3 runs. There needs to be an actual goal and reason to play and reach up to a point where I can start doing hard mode versions of content so as to increase my guardians' overall power within their loadout. No one gives a damn bout saying, "Heh yeah, I completed a hard mode raid and got 0 rewards for it. But at least I have this name tag that no one will even realise is in correlation to do with completing a master raid." No one gives a damn about adept raid weapons either. Oh wow, u spent all that time going for such a miniscule stat boost on a weapon when u could've just did the Normal version of a raid 5 or less times and crafted the enchanced perk version of it? Master level dungeons? Hahah good job grinding out ur cringe 9-5 +3 armor stat rolls nerd. Im going to turn off my brain and play seasonal activities a few times for engrams and hand em in to the seasonal vendor that has guaranteed high stat roll armor drops and takes less than half the amount of time it would grindind out dungeon boss checkpoints ad nauseum. This game is so goddamn funny to pick apart bout how awful it is. It's like bullying a deformed baby. It has no way to defend itself.

[@Dryvlyne]

Exactly right. I don't even care about exotics anymore. They just aren't special. When you can destroy 99% of the game's content with even basic weapons then there's literally no incentive to loot chase.

[@brackenjones3829]

I kind of expected people to finally drift away. My clan group finished the raid and only me and one other guy has even been on to do anything in the season. People just don’t care anymore and the episode isn’t grabbing anyone back

[@JPOG7TV]

I slowed down on destiny 2 because it doesn't feel like i need to play it. Im playing other games in the meantime and comeback when i want to play destiny 2. I love the feeling of playing it after a huge break

[@Sensets]

Bro exactly, it seems like this entire community wants destiny 2 to be the only game they can/ will play and expect Bungie to keep up with that. Like, you can play other games.

[@alexverhoeven3960]

Yeah, the timing issue is a two-fold problem. It actually makes me WANT to take a break so that I can come back and maximize my time by progressing all of the seasonal challenges as opposed to just this week's. The spacing of the story content also makes me want to step away for a bit. However, it also leaves me feeling good about it and I likely will come back each time I want to. In the past, there were multiple times I left because the game just felt annoying. I actually think its a good thing to leave you feeling good, thinking you'll come back, but allowing you to go play something else too

[@ivanwyatt6069]

The season pass is a perfect example…soon as you hit 100 may as well stop playing. Even GMs got time gated. Surges and champions force you to play how bungie wants. Pathfinder is annoying everyone. Getting rid of the normal NF. Bungie just lost touch…but are like the French…sorry if you are offended but we do what we want.

[@Sensets]

@@ivanwyatt6069 Bro this is literally just whiny bullshit. Awful takes.

[@moonducks507]

This is how anyone who doesn't enjoy mindlessly grinding indefinitely should play the game. Destiny isn't going anywhere, if you are bored, just take a break and come back later after enjoying something else.

[@tacticalpotato3315]

Why is it when I play Ajax I feel like a Titan who can tank so much damage while supporting my team. Whereas in D2 my Titan with max resilience and high recovery feels like wet cardboard. D2 characters in my opinion don’t feel different in terms of damage mitigation. It’s probably is just a me thing but that has always been my hang up with D2.

[@EchoDoctrine]

So much this. There is no power fantasy in destiny. I never feel OP, never feel strong, never feel like I won’t be beaten up by a Dreg or 3 thrall. I feel pathetic in destiny. And after 10 years playing I am beyond over feeling like that in my gaming time. I load up first descendant and feel like a god. Or I can add clear an entire area, or be an actual dedicated healer, or tank, or DPS. So many options.

[@Supernova094]

Destiny 2 doesn't feel like I'm making any progress , the power level just seems to be a number to hit to unlock content the -5 in content and scaling made sure that you never feel " powerful " after investing time in it. With 100 resilience and matching damage resistance on chest can still get 2-3 shot by snipers with frame rates As for loot chase been trti4to get arvendil the stasis fusion rifle with reconstruction and chill clip for a few months now focused over 400+ engrams and not a single one with right roll , this is why I prefer craftable versions of weapons

[@javsama1]

As far as I know the problem is not the activators, it’s the 11 polarized sockets you need for a very strict end game build, per character!!

[@EchoDoctrine]

I was frustrated by this too and the drop rates, then I started just ignoring these and going after guns and the ultimate characters. Some how the game reads our minds because now I’m swimming in activators and catalysts. I think because I was searching for these gun parts and ultimate characters and was hoping to get those parts the game gave me activators instead. Lmao.

[@PapaAwiz]

So there is one bigger elephant in the room no one seems to want to talk about. Especially in the current period of a "dead season". I always thought Bungie skewed middle ish when it came to balance patches for D2. Never overly good or overly bad. Just people are always emotional. That being said...when seeing how Nexon has handled community feedback & expressed what their philosophy is on game balance...it genuinely makes a lot of these bonehead decisions from Bungie seem A LOT worse by comparison. Could use a recent example. Over in TFD, so far they've openly commented on quite a few things players were scared of being taken away or nerfed. They flat out said they don't want to be a group that just sees people having fun with something THEY messed up, & simply nerf it. Instead they'll learn from the mistake, & make the fun thing a natural part of the game. Best guns? No nerfs. Strongest characters? No nerfs. Weaker characters? Getting buffed. Xp farm? Exploitable one brought down while literally all the other ones were brought up to essentially provide more options. Now weigh that against this latest change coming to exotic class items. Yes I'm sure people are foaming at the mouth to go do some more overthrows. Totally addresses the bigger issue. I'll be sure to hop in with my 2 titan supers that got buffed that ALSO do not come even remotely close to solving THAT bigger issue as well. The gaming landscape just looks different when you realize you have options.

[@EchoDoctrine]

THIS. Its wild to see a Dev make the right choices.

[@devilcorpsdoc]

Destiny 2 out grew me, its no longer a game I enjoy after putting 6k hours in it. Everyone wanted this over tuned sandbox and its nothing but a chore to play now.

[@RvLeshrac]

Yup, content creators like Paul have demanded these things, and it turns out they're awful. Gosh, who could have predicted that massive grinds and incomprehensible bullet sponges would be a bad idea?

[@kellygreenii]

No. The streamers and YTers wanted it to drive demand for their content. But all it has done is slowly sap the joy out of playing for the average player…and they are leaving.

[@Kevlar020]

8k hours in D2, 3k-4k into D1, was a beta player and now I barely play Destiny 2 at all.. each time I open the game, I stay in orbit for like 5-10 minutes and wonder why I’m even opening the game… it’s a sore and there’s nothing to do beside… a 10 minutes story mission than you can do at the end of the season to get the full story experience..

[@naiko8412]

@@RvLeshracwhat grind ? Destiny is hyper casual now exotics rain on you like blues the best guns can be crafted from seasonal activities what are you smoking

[@SALEENS7GTR5]

​​​​@@RvLeshracbosses are weaker than ever because of build crafting and power creep, and the grind for power stopped long ago. The only grind in D2 is triumphs, red borders, or PvP rank, and that's the problem. D2 doesn't need power grinding, it needs substance. Seasonal models struggle to do that, but some was there with the expansion. To someone else's point, exotics aren't rare items anymore because they're now designed for build crafting. Perhaps some modifiers or "ultra-exotics" like raid gear could fill that rarity role, but saying exotics drop like blues is so players can craft. Exotics moved from rarity to functionality.

[@GaryMFNoak]

TFD has killed my want/need to play Destiny 2 recently. I played TFS for over 150 hours but just feel empty now

[@TheTrueAlucard]

Same. I don't know what it is exactly, but there's something about TFD that I find very satisfying. The grind is very high but, for whatever reason, I personally still really enjoy it and the graphics are just mega cool. At last there's a game for me personally that's more fun than Destiny and, above all, that has finally torn me away from Destiny completely. Personally, I needed that for once.

[@DreadedLad88]

Putting more time into TFD, Warframe and Diablo recently, i realized that i missed grinding stats and making my character truly OP.

[@EchoDoctrine]

Its so fun to become legend … I mean “powerful” I love that feeling of making progress and coming back and pub stomping enemies. Being able to one shot the normal mode void intercepts is sick. I love that. Destiny never lets players feel that.

[@khonsux5240]

The problem with Destiny has always been timegating/limiting players. Example the raids. You can only do 3 per week, then it’s pointless. Same with dungeons. The story. You name it, it’s timegated. The 1st Descendant, you can farm until your heart’s content. My 3 problems with TFD, is the wait times for crafted items/characters, no bad luck protection on items, and the lack of trading.

[@speedyrogue6424]

at least one of your points just got adressed^^

[@scarixix]

As a longtime player of "Destiny" since the original beta decade back.... the formulaic grind has gotten old. Know developers talked about trying to branch out from it but replaying breach executable after all the other times going in for cards or what have you wears you out. I have lost lot of interest in trying to do raids or even getting an exotic class item due to time limit nonsense and puzzle puzzle puzzle shenaningans. I still have gotten in their and gilded my titles for Iron Lord, Dredgen and Deadeye but taking more breaks to play other games. Rarely see people from my clan online. Bungie has certainly done a lot of things right with the "Final Shape" but wish the grind felt more rewarding or varied.

[@av3rag3gam3r7]

I never hear anyone talk about the fact that since they removed the ability to over level for content the game falls off quickly. You used to be able to grind and raise your level then do master raids or dungeons and feel your level. You made the content easier by grinding your level. That is gone because .001 % of the sweat community said the game was to easy. So now everything is hard with no option to level to make it easier. With nothing to work towards with no option to power level ppl quit including me.

[@omarlocke4351]

the entire destiny youtuber ecosystem is pretending this tale doesn’t exist. most people quit because we can no longer over level and the game is now virtually unplayable. they don’t want to play either

[@TheZROLimit]

I think the thing I like about TFD the most is I don’t feel fomo. Like if I miss a day or two. Nothing is lost I can play at my leisure and no matter what I do there’s always a chance mostly for something useful. Destiny is you’re not on top of what the latest and new things are you are kind of wasting your time. Instead of just doing things as you feel like doing them.

[@rabb1tdotcom-ie3vk]

I guess we'll see how/if that changes with the update on Wednesday, but yeah, D2 definitely has always pushed people into do the newest paid content. And if you aren't paying for it, good luck with that. The free areas are almost completely empty, and honestly with how limited things are and seasonal wipes, there's effectively no reason to continue as a free person.

[@johnathana6082]

The way you explained the lack of power fantasy is exactly the way I feel. You really don’t get stronger, or feel your investment of time in your character. You just relevel to being on par with the enemies every single season and that what made me leave a few years ago

[@johnathana6082]

Also, they already added a new character and boss and it hasn’t even been out a month

[@Acrobuster]

I still love Destiny, but being able to get HUGE is something that I greatly miss in that game. First Descendant really hits that button.

[@BlkZard]

I’m slowing down on D2, but I’m shifting to different media altogether. Catching up on shows, movies, and a couple of books.

[@adampetro2159]

2024 is the first year I've had multiple options for games to play as opposed to destiny. I remember 2 years ago when my time was pretty much spent between Destiny and Division. Now I find myself falling behind in seasons bc I'm trying to keep up with these games

[@AlexEatsCats]

Playing first descendant makes me want to start over in Warframe again. The early game grind was so much fun. And all the quests for different frames for the first time was so good. 😦

[@theotherguy5304]

Destiny 2 in my opinion spoiled me with the almost perfect gunplay and overall good story. First Descendant feels like a mobile ported game.

[@kazeoniwaban9786]

People really aren’t really giving first descendant a real effort. It’s unironically really great if you like warframe style looters. It’s legit fun and addictive

[@NEVERMORE2627]

Loving the first descendant. 100 hours in and no end in sight!

[@kazeoniwaban9786]

@@NEVERMORE2627 dude me too it’s been a unexpected blast. I haven’t blitz a game like this in awhile

[@bulthaosen1169]

I mean people can play warframe instead if its like warframe. Thats one of the big negatives of making a game too similar. Warframe players wont make the switch since warframe is better. And d2 players that tried warframe will mostly end up there. Only people playing TFD are destiny small number of players that liked TFD over warframe and korean, asian players that like maid outfits. You can see the peaks of TFD and its during korean peak times.

[@cartoonvideos5]

Warframe better

[@kazeoniwaban9786]

@@bulthaosen1169 this is completely not true. Sounds like you don’t like the idea of the game succeeding. The devs are also killing it. It’s a solid game and warframe no offense is a corridor simulator. Love the game but it’s bloated and disjointed at its core as well. This is clean and has a lot of potential right out the gate. Only reason it’s not getting hyper praised is because people don’t want to praise a NEXON game. It’s like identity politics

[@khaosterminator]

I like the feel of the progression in TFD vs Destiny. In TFD we have so many more levers to pull when it comes to fine tuning a character. The mod system is super awesome.

[@rabb1tdotcom-ie3vk]

Heh, not to poo poo things, but it's exactly the same in WF, which came out 10 years ago. :) (I stopped playing WF because it is HORRIBLE to try to come back to after an absence. There is zero direction on what to do or where to go for returning players.) But yeah, with D2 I was always like 'I guess this is better', but never really knew, in terms of mods.

[@FlashesSoccer011]

It's actually pretty terrible compared to its inspiration (warframe) TFD shamelessly copied warframe, but did everything substantially worse.

[@arsarma1808]

@@FlashesSoccer011 Yeah, and I would say that Warframe is so easy that the options we do have really don't matter.

[@FlashesSoccer011]

@@arsarma1808 exactly.

[@khaosterminator]

@@FlashesSoccer011 Shamelessly you say? I hope so, they did a good job. I love the system and hate warframe. Please, back up your claim things are substantially worse? Do remember you are comparing a game that just came out to a game that has been developed for 10+ years.

[@cortanashepard6733]

Sorry about your health issues. Hope you are feeling better. Destiny is a game I never get tired of. Maybe because of the art? Shooting mechanics? Music? Can't play 20 hours a week, so it seems to have plenty to do for me. Descendants reminds me of Anthem, visually, haven't played it.

[@myp3tmonster]

What's funny is the final Shape was originally going to be my jumping off point, I hadn't played any seasons since Deep and had already "moved on" instead I'm really enjoying this chapter, I'm interested where the story is going and the gaps has allowed me for the first time in years to invest in all 3 characters, I can't say for sure how long it will last but I'm loving Destiny at the moment

[@Polish_Sausage__]

I logged in for about an hour and did nothing but change my costumes and shaders and logged off. There was nothing chase worthy to do

[@alaskayoung3413]

I haven’t touched destiny since tfd came out and I was a daily player. Same with my two other friends. Just much better experience to do in tfd. There’s nothing to do in destiny. The exotics are worthless. There is so little build diversity. I love the daily character power growth in tfd. I get a little stronger everyday and that doesn’t happen in destiny.

[@mrflipflop7116]

Next in D2: - the more you play the weaker you get - drops will be replaced by randomly deleting something from your vault Since they ultra capped light power (lightfall), I see no reason to play past a certain point. I liked the feeling of (sometimes) beeing over powered. Even if I had to do it for each season (just leveling, not the armor power increasing, that was awfiull) , it gave me feeling that time invested was somehow kind of worth it. I became more powerfull. And exotics from dungeons and raids... why are they so useless ? It's farm, drop, vault for most of them. I wish they almost gave you utlimate dps/damage, even if it's almost broken (in PVE). At least during the season they dropped from. And... what's next ? Who's the next vilain ? Are we going to fishing again ? Yes, I liked the power fantasy ;)

[@wazakashi]

Destiny needs a never ending horde mode with a leader board. I'm talking about the kind of mode that starts taking away your abilities, throwing nothing but champions and bosses at you at higher levels, things that guarantee you posing at some point. Then everyone would take their finely tuned weapons and super builds and start another brag wave.

[@Shinybook51]

I loved the contest version of salvations edge. It felt like the game was truly pushing back against our years of power creep. Felt amazing to clear encounters because every one was this huge hill to climb.

[@Daryphe]

Definitely. Something like Remnant's survival mode would be fresh.

[@DestroyerArcher]

I've been playing TFD a fair amount, so they nailed the chase. My brief thoughts: I like how each character does feel like they approach encounters differently, even in a similar role. A Yujin AoE build plays differently than Bunny's 3, as the former relies on tagging enemies before unleashing chain reactions, becoming stronger against denser crowds, while Bunny is reliant on just moving the most distance for more AoEs. The current meta is just not enjoyable, when 4 lepics can easily melt even Molten Fortress in much less than a minute, mechanics are easily skipped, and there is not really much reason why you would run anything other than DPS. The content design is not much better, as even if you don't skip mechanics, DPS is heavily incentivized as avoiding enemy damage is currently quite easy. No mechanic really encourages very unique utility or playstyles right now in a good premade. Farming gold is even more braindead as it's just spawncamping adds more often than not. The loot chase feels very satisfying as it is effectively a targeted grind for what you want. Want a specific reactor? Go do missions in this specific zone. Want a specific gun or character? Go do these specific activities so you can take a chance at components for said character or weapon.

[@TelosBudo]

Episodes were supposed to be completed at e everyone's own pace? Why is stuff time-gated?

[@trickyBasterd]

Because no life creators blast through it and Bungie doesn't like that driving PR and perception of their content. In a world of social media, we can't play how we want to play. Bungie has to control how we are play because they think they are everyone's parents.

[@nikolaicrawford9042]

I’d love to see more tfd videos from u Paul, I’m now like 9-10 hours in and am really enjoying it. Finally enjoying a grind after ten years of destiny. Make content on what u want!

[@Recklessplayergaming]

As a destiny 2 player I paused for a couple years and played final shape.. it just felt the same for me.. TFD is new and exciting, for someone like myself starting to make content they have giving me a chance to grow with it and I like it. I don’t mind grind some are keyboard or controller smashing hoping for RNG to be on my side. But one advice my community member gave me was try not to focus on those energy activator BP 6% and focus on getting weapons and Ultimates.. as I was farming for Ultimate Lepic I got some energy blue prints lol so I would definitely say the same.. try not to focus on that only but focus on other things that can also give you a chance to get those rare materials.

[@setheubank314]

For me, I absolutely did not like prismatic, ESPECIALLY since I have to go out of my way to find these fragments when I didn't care that much anymore anyway. The only thing I can still really enjoy is GMs and even that, I've played those 400 times. It seems most of my friends have moved on to COD (not for me) so I've just been playing my massive backlog of Steam games that I've bought on sale over the years and I'm having a lot more fun with that. Especially the Hitman trilogy, man that's grabbed me pretty hard.

[@giantwallrus]

I am assuming energy will return in late August when they do their yearly live stream.

[@brandonguy4086]

I have not logged into Destiny 2 since TFD dropped. I dont even think about reset. The new weapons. The game is stale. Alot of my clan mates have also left Destiny 2. We loved The Final Shape. We hate the echoes. With TFD the power climb is refreshing. Your not worried about nerfs or anything. Your usually just worried about how bad your luck will be when opening the amorphous materials lol Ive been having way more fun with TFD than D2.

[@GATX370]

What i found to be an amazing feedback loop is investing into a character or weapon and seeing it pay off over time. That and the build diversity is really fun, i managed to make a sweet business build for my enduring legacy where it fires slowly at first but ramps up over time and also does great damage. (This one a one catalyst no activator gun, mind you!)

[@CrossfitWarrior]

I've been playing first decendent since it dropped and loving it. The biggest hurdle I see the game having in the future is putting more end game content that's repeatable

[@JRyan-OSO]

I appreciate that the D2 cadence has relaxed. I am thankful that Bungie is shifting gears with less time commitment for veterans, allowing us to do things like binge TFD and whatever else comes out.

[@IXONERU]

i have played a ton of looter types, warframe (MR30), anthem, borderlands1-2-3, Remnant 1-2, Disablo 1-4, outriders, genshin and first descendant, but the last one, made me realize im looking to kill time instead of having fun while doing so, its the loop of getting up a long stair of power, but when you get up there, then what? I still find myself back to Destiny, because the Last floor, is for me more fun that all of the ones i mentioned, Remnant being a great competitor in its quality. I played a ton i dont have time for more of the same genre that wants to be something like Destiny or warframe now. Until they become interesitng like the others, but after a decade Destiny/warframe is still up there

[@VezonSympathizer]

I've been loving TFD, i wish Destiny had a gear system like the one it has. Would be nice to see it on your character as well. What's your main? Mine is Sharen with an ambush build.

[@NunyaBidness590]

With Destiny 2 ,as a solo, time limited casual, the things I haven't done are almost out of reach, and the ritual grind is stale.

[@o.d.6496]

Honestly, I had to take a break from First Descendant. That 20% drop for a Freyna stabilizer was a grind for real😫. But when I switched back to Destiny 2 this week, the boredom set in quickly after doing the weekly episode story & activity. There was no excitement to chase another adept weapon or hop in a dungeon/raid. At some point, you stop caring about the next "best in slot" gun to acquire. So, the time has probably come for us D2 vets to branch out and try a variety of games. Hopefully, things pick up again soon. If not, it was a fun ride.

[@ReviewersGuildArSR]

The only thing i don't like about TFD is you can't level up your things wherever you want to. And the item you need to upgrade them takes 10 minutes to build.

[@jameschou888]

Revisiting this given Destiny 2 is slowly passing away

[@dimitripsihas]

The roadmap for TFD looks solid. Im 140 hours in and loving the targeted grind. surprisingly it isn't that hard to get ult characters as I almost have farmed my second one F2P. I hope the season at the end of august brings new content to farm.

[@alexandercotman2553]

I have two main problems with Destiny. 1) It is formulaic/repetitive. Destiny hasn’t really evolved at all. It’s strikes, nightfalls, crucible, and with D2, gambit. Rinse and repeat, week after week. Even the story/seasons are formulaic. Do a thing then do the seasonal activity until you die of boredom while you collect macguffins. 2) The story. This one is subjective to me, but Destiny’s story is weak. I don’t personally care for the whole space magic story stuff. For me, the best story stuff is the Bray family stuff. Transhumanism, implanting minds into robotic frames, ego death, loss of oneself. HARD sci-fi. I wish Destiny would lean into that more.

[@ryandodsonmusic]

I really liked Beyond Light too.

[@frugaljoker8277]

Seasons/episodes are disposable content that need to go, it amps up the repetitiveness to 11. I agree with your second point as well. I really don't like the direction the destiny story and universe has taken after Beyond Light, I miss exploring actual planets and not made up fantasy worlds, it's harder to stay engaged when the visuals, writing and everything just doesn't feel like the destiny i loved.

[@mevinsmiley5210]

I picked up Division 2 again in Oct. '23 & IMO, that game has gotten so much better it's almost unrecognizable from the first year game. Recently, the number of people I'm seeing comig in from Destiny has been noticeable. For anyone looking to switch it up, I highly recommend giving Division 2 a chance. Some won't like it but some will definitely love it. I've been with Div 2 since both betas but I've heard that the new player experience is much more streamlined than almost all of the other live service games.

[@tkp98]

Lesson of the day here all. Play what you want to play. Enjoy the gaming. Peace ✌️

[@JJTRS219]

Don’t worry PAUL I’m with you BROTHER! your opinion is 100% logical and I agree with you man!

[@Crofty_99]

I’m that destiny player who’s been playing for 7 years. I quit playing the game unless somebody asks me to do a raid or gm. It’s incredibly refreshing to be at square one with everyone else I honestly haven’t enjoyed the grind aspect of a game that TFD Brings in a long time

[@JazzBagPipes]

And your reasoning again for not giving Warframe a fair shake is....?

[@FlashesSoccer011]

He just refuses to play. He doesn't have a good reason. It's better than TFD in every single way.

[@dukiwave]

"It's been out for too long, I want to play new games"

[@aronhill6353]

I've tried First Descendent, really struggling with just how grindy it is, though I'm not into the endgame at all by this point - got two characters to their first level 40 cap but that's it for now, not even got through all the 'campaign' quests, but finding the grind to try and get some of the ascendent mods etc. *very* dull

[@savagedrew]

As always you have valid points and I agree with 100%. Yes, Destiny is the better game no doubt about it but having the same reskin basically with a different name gets old. I’ve played Destiny from the start and what I’ve always loved was the story and chasing triumphs. I as many have been there through out the ups and downs. However, when it’s been since witch queen that we have Osiris and Saints love interest shoved down our throats and it’s still continuing, it gets old. I loved the final shape campaign, Bungie knocked it out of the park. Now I could go on this long rant about Fomo, gildings, seasonal model being the exact same or even where this game may be without the catering to new lights but we’ve all been down that road. My thought process now is exactly what you said. Get on for a weapon.. one weapon. A rocket sidearm, which mind you, will get a “balancing” to make in more in line with other weapons. Then I’m back on TFD and yes there is a grind but I’m gathering the exact materials needed to get the item and once I have it, it’s mine. Not grind x activity, hope x item drops with x perks and y traits. Sure there’s a lot of RNG but I’ll take a straight forward grind over a potential hope to hit a get x with y and z. TFD may have taken A lot of things from Destiny, Warframe, etc. but I hope Bungie takes a page from their book. I’m a guardian, a godslayer, a bad ass based on our accomplishments throughout 10 years of story but I sure as hell do not feel powerful in any way. Mainly do to constant re-balancing, nerfs and adjustments. If I hop on TFD right now and run a mission that says it will take 20 minutes or more, I’ll do it in 5 minutes. That’s because I built my character, my weapon, mods up and I can reck sheit. Destiny…Bungie doesn’t let you do that. Do to health gating, “balancing”, just the overall need to keep us the players involved but not in a good way. In a way that I personally feel that we have no free will. It’s as if they tell us how to play the game with do this and then that, oh btw you have to go back and redo this because it wasn’t retroactive and you couldn’t do it all at once because it’s not what we intended. Apologies for the rant, I just find myself more disappointed in a game that I love and admire but things have gotten to a point where I feel we as a community are always to blame and they don’t take responsibility or communicate anything to us, leaving us in a limbo and wondering what’s next. I get TFD is a new game but I’m enjoying it so much to the point my mindset on Destiny. Also Paul feel free to use any of this for an article or if you want to reach out as well. I have a lot more to say. As always thanks for the video and the thoughts.

[@cryengine_x]

I feel like destiny has always been scared of long term progression because they dont want new players to feel intimidated by someone running around with a really high number.. But as someone playing since 2014 i feel thats a mistake

[@Mishimatic]

My recent playtime has been split pretty evenly between Destiny 2 and The First Descendant, I like them both for different reasons.

[@glennmetdubbeln]

Did the final shape, had a great time but almost everyone i played destiny with quit. So just like you i tried TFD and all it did was made me install warframe again and start enjoying all the new content that game is offering now. Destiny is just there for the weekly logins and maybe finish up everything at the end of the episode

[@unrlntingghost6120]

I have went back and done the weekly reset missons. But I'm right there with you have been putting time into the first descendant

[@grrm1925]

With destiny I just get 5/5 weapons or exotics that I never end up using, and end up thinking what's the point. Nothing in the warlock exotic bond called out to me so I just ran dual destiny once.

[@jk5385]

Yeah I feel the same way. There is no point to getting anything in destiny. My weapons from years ago are perfectly serviceable compared to the stuff out now. There is a major flaw in player investment.

[@beardedshawn]

As long as they keep adding new content (especially the stuff they've already said they plan on adding), I think I might be hooked on this game for a really long time. It's the only game that I play now as it is.

[@dsc1596]

I have been playing Destiny since I believe 2020. At one point I couldn't imagine not playing Destiny. I have over 2500 hours into the game. That having been said, hearing that Bungie is laying off workers again, and really doesn't have large content coming at all in the future, and that the game is essentially in it's death throes, I have next to no motivation to play the game currently. Planning to check out The First Descendant after watching this video. Thank you Paul!

[@chrissturges8952]

I always knew there was going to be a fall off post TFS, but I honestly expected it much later in the cycle. On my end, it feels more and more that I am solidified in leaving the game behind after this year. It has just been a lot more bittersweet much quicker. My clan and I were hyped for the raid and now we can barely pull together a single run a week (I just got the exotic on my 10th completion...I have been at every single completion) due to life and people just not being interested in playing Destiny. I was very much on the class item grind until I started to get duplicate after duplicate after trash roll and just realized I was hitting that point of "by the time I get the roll I want I am either going to done with this game or not interested in that build anymore or both" and stopped. This echo hasnt really resonated with me and I am barely engaging there for that reason. While I probably should check out more of TFD, it was Warframe that pulled me back in. Tend to go heavy on it then take long breaks. On June 18th, Jade Shadows dropped which added a new warframe, a new short story quest BUT, more importantly, a limited time event that allowed me to obtain pretty much all the arcanes for Warframes that are normally awful to obtain. I was making progress toward something, in this case acquiring all these arcanes I didnt have as well as mastery and affinity ranks (I went up about 2 account levels, though I still havent done the second test). Then it was Tennocon and there is another story update in August. Not to mention we have 1999 coming end of this year as another huge (at least it looks that way) update. Both Warframe and Destiny have loot I still have not collected or content/systems to engage with, I feel stagnant in Destiny compared to Warframe since at least in Warframe, for the most part, there is so much progression happening and so much bad luck protection. I mean, Jade for example can have her blueprints and parts, weapons, and new arcanes drop from the new mission node OR if you dont get them, you are earning a currency to buy them. On the flipside Bungie is nerfing chances to get the exotic class item to address the symptom of "people are macro farming" rather than the cause of why folks are doing that.

[@khaosterminator]

I have no desire to be fleeced by Bungie. As much as I dislike Nexon, they released something I enjoy

[@MrPagey1212]

I think we have come full circle. We were fed up of grinding your power level so they got rid. Now we are complaining that there is nothing to do. Sigh.

[@KoreanBackdash]

Haven't even installed the Act 2 update from last week... I don't even understand why TFS was so hyped in the first place. Story was meh and more depressive Zavalla and we still have no clue at all what the Traveler actually is (a machine? A life form? wtf), mechanic driven missions with countless receycled relics were tedious as fuck, yet again large scaled mobs as bosses (ogre etc), the new enemies weren't used that much and failed to impress, a new subclass which basically makes you unlock old abilities again LOL and sold as new content 😂 (it's almost unbelieveable how no one from the community called them out for that), only 1(!!!) new strike which is underwhelming for a GRAND FINALE of a saga after like 10 years... Content wise it should have been much more. Games like Elder Scrolls and basically every other game are full of content when it comes to DLC. Except for Forsaken, every other DLC failed to impress. Also playing TFD since launch now and have a blast. You do can set your own goals and always have something to go for, if you like the grind.

[@usedfuzzbox]

I have barely played the Final shape, buyers remorse, but really enjoying my time on the First Descendant, been playing so;idly since launch.

[@rabb1tdotcom-ie3vk]

If you like story/lore definately get through all of that.

[@dominush4056]

This game faces the “we didn’t know our game would be this huge thus we can’t keep up with player content demand” again. This is something that’s happened in D1 and D2 launch. You would think after 10 years they solved this, but part of the problem is the lay offs and the leaves. All very talented people and you’re now left with interns, first timers or people good at tech not really gamers. Palworld and HellDivers had the same issue and they solved it. Easily. Maybe an ex Bungie employee can tell us, but someone over there isn’t hiring great talent, just people who want a job. Which is worse and shows as long as the hire ups have someone filling said position, doesn’t matter what their experience is. Which will fall off first Halo Infinite or Destiny 2? Frontiers has to save this series or it’s over for good this time, there’s just other options to play now vs 2015

[@shadyrebob5999]

Same here. There just isn't a lot to chase anymore. 1 or 2 weapons every season isn't enough to keep me engaged. Armor doesn't mean a lot. Stats on armor don't mean a whole lot outside of resilience.

[@jk5385]

Yeah, I've played a ton of D2, and there just isn't a lot of investment with gear, your character etc. having all the mods and stuff, with the mods just being boring adds to this feeling. The investment and character building just isn't there in D2 anymore.

[@shadyrebob5999]

@@jk5385 removing all the fun mods on a seasonal basis sucks.

[@dochedgehog]

We all take breaks We don’t all make multiple videos advertising to the community hey guys I’m not playing anymore. It’s time to jump ship now. I knew this would happen which is why I’m not surprised. I’m just amazed that a playerbase like ff14 or wow will stand by there franchise even when not much is happening. Whereas you guys? Talk the talk but regularly just throw there game and bundle out to the wolves any chance y’all get. FF14 wasn’t doing so hot often end walker there was many content droughts. Yet they don’t get a Forbes article advertising to people to stop playing. People took breaks, then came back. People are annoyed at others for sharing opinions because of that status of the people sharing. The community makes this game what it is, we made it great at times. Y’all gonna make it unbarable to play again, or can the rest of us play the episodes in peace? The change of pace is nice FFS It’s what we asked for!!! Less fomo, less mandatory log in EVERY week

[@BenAlfredo7]

Give it another 3 months and he will make the exact same video, but complain about first descendant instead of destiny.

[@lazydgsf7429]

Of course. That’s the reasonable thing. Frankly, I don’t think TFD will last long. That said, these games , none of them, stand up to 100’s of hours of play time. They all get painfully dull. But it’s natural as interest fades to become more critical. Worst thing about looter shooters is they all feel like the same thing. FPS; TPS; over and over and over the same thing. Genre as a whole has become tiresome.

[@richardestrada9994]

Paul is such a traitor. Can we stop supporting this guy please?

[@Bill-e-Goat]

@@richardestrada9994 what did he do to become a traitor?

[@jibbibious]

@@richardestrada9994a traitor seems like harsh words

[@jonahbrown5669]

​@@lazydgsf7429 Many people have put hundreds of hours in all of these games 🤷‍♂️

[@ModPhreak]

I had 2k hours, when destiny 2 went free to play and I had 3 DLC's to play. Till today I only got 200 hours in destiny 2. Now I have 5k hours in warframe and since the first descendant launch I'm now at 200 hours.

[@MetalDragon5745]

They want to bring players back give every player one of new exotic class item for a character of their choice. That would go a long way to bringing players back . Duo destiny has pissed off alot of the player base and many many of them have left the game as a result . Whether you like it or not that is a thing it is a fact and it's a problem. Also the game really isn't friendly to solo players it's a problem and the game will die if they don't course correct.

[@frankcouper9377]

I drifted away from D2 weeks ago as the game felt done. Zero desire to login.

[@douglassalexander6008]

Destiny will be my home game for a while. It’s “died” like 4x now in its life. I definitely wanna give first descendant a try though.

[@Grassdia]

like i said destiny was never meant to be a like a proper MMO with infinite grinds. just not built for that

[@profbrain8474]

When you put hundreds of hours into one game it’s okay to want to check something else out for awhile.

[@ai.Kyuseishu]

Forreal dunno why people act like the concept doesn’t exist to take the game at your own pace and not force yourself into playing something you don’t want to

[@mena10ss]

​@@ai.KyuseishuBecause it's not just about burnout, it's about the lack of respecting people's time while on the game. Grinding is in every online game, but Bungie's stinginess on drops and constantly nerfing anything outside of what they want you to use, makes the game a complete turn off. There are plenty of other games that you can put more time into than Destiny and not feel burnout because they're not stingy af on rewarding the player.

[@slashthe2nd]

​@@mena10sstotally agree

[@stuartbagley2586]

@@mena10ssI don’t think the drops are the issue, they seem to be at an all time high; but I do agree that nerfing and favor certain weapon types makes the game less fun to play. You’re often forced into a play style you may not enjoy.

[@mena10ss]

@@stuartbagley2586 It's not necessarily the amount of drops, but all the rng tied to it. The exotic class item being the most recent issue. The amount of hours someone needs to spend to even get one specific roll is ungodly. That's also not taking into account if you just want to get a specific armor/weapon roll to test it without knowing if it's going to be good or not. There's so many other games I could grind in where I don't feel like I'm being shat on by the devs and their need to drive up player count through bad practices.

[@RedShadowOfSaturn]

"I'm in on the ground floor with TFD, so I'm one of the high end players"...hmm, not when you haven't collected all the characters, and haven't beaten all the "endgame" bosses, oh...and Gladd is out here posting clips on Twitter of wasting a FIRE void intercept with a FIRE character sub-30 seconds. So this is an inaccurate statement. There are still people who blazed way past you, even though you played Day 1 like everyone else did. This idea of "keeping up" in live services is NONSENSE. At least in good ones it's nonsense anyway. Warframe did ALL...LITERALLY ALL...of the things you're claiming TFD "crafted" in its approach...YEARS AGO. I told Destiny players this YEARS AGO, and they brushed me off, because "lol." While Destiny was busy being praised by you for the "wealth of content it releases, that no other live service matches" that it also deletes after 1 year. Meanwhile, you should see the amount of newbies starting their Warframe journey NOW and still having a blast and having their minds blown, why? Because Warframe's content is PERMANENT, and they're not busy paying attention to the fact that "wha, Founders are stronger than me, that's it, uninstall." It's silly and you're missing out on a lot over that mindset. The game that basically made TFD so "addicting" deserves attention.

[@user-th7ig2oy9v]

Basically this.

[@ryanarchuleta6231]

I've bever been a fan of theze types of games. I always thought "what's the point of replying the same exact mission 30 times just so you get bigger shinier numbers when you kill the exact same enemies? But I am having fun with The First Descendant.

[@KisukexMomohime]

I just beat the story and just started getting into the endgame farming Also, just found out that you could reroll the stats on weapons. 😂

[@rabb1tdotcom-ie3vk]

You need to in the case of the Ultimates. They are crafted at level 1, so after you upgrade the level all the stats are gray. Remember to lock the ones that are good though.

[@jacobrandall9331]

All The First Descendant needs is the first expansion to add real endgame content. Things like raids would go hard, hopefully master dungeons are something like Destiny Dungeons but we'll see, and for the longer infiltration missions to be more involved with cool areas, traversal, bosses... and of course mission bosses with more mechanics than just balls. If TFD can do that, create good endgame content for people to play/farm, it could really cement itself in the looter shooter genre and maybe put some pressure on Bungie to actually innovate. We'll see how far Nexon/Magnum go with TFD, seems like they actually care here, but I'm looking forward to see where things go

[@Fr33climb]

Couldn’t get into FD….played it and it just gave me a bug to get back into Warframe where I’m having waaaay more fun.

[@ruhp2500]

Having played both, Warframe will always far and away be the better game and I would much prefer this attention go towards that game, but I can’t blame anyone for going into FD instead as it’s much less daunting and has a fresh slate for everyone to launch off of.

[@rabb1tdotcom-ie3vk]

I think if someone hasn't played either they should definitely try both. Beyond that I think people will prefer what matches their style more. I kind of like WF better, but the pacing has just gotten WAY too fast for me over the years. And as a returning player it's a nightmare. There is zero direction on where to go or what to do. I tried with Duvari, but outside of the new rogue-like mode it still had zero direction for a returning player.

[@Fr33climb]

@@ruhp2500 Totally agree. I think the human aspect of FD is more accessible to the general public then the art design of the warframes, but as far as gameplay goes it's Warframe all day.

[@The_HoochGoblin]

Why The First Descendant Has Siphoned My Attention Away. Easy, the game is STALE AF. The only way to revive destiny is with a new game, continually adding to the existing game is no longer sufficient for the player base.

[@jk5385]

Agreed, D2 just isn't it anymore

[@ricguerrero362]

For me, The First Descendant is the “new shiny thing”. Yes it has its issues and will have its growing pains, but so did Destiny (and Warframe in the beginning). So, I’ll play it for now, and when I get tired of the grind I’ll go back to Destiny.

[@chrisnichols2896]

Imagine Destiny with the power fantasy of Warframe or TFD 😍

[@omarlocke4351]

people are leaving because the “difficulty” increase on console feels so terrible it’s near unplayable. and the bugs with the invisible guardians and guns is just out of control.

[@TheRealSticky24]

Yikes best in the genre loot chase? Collecting materials that have low drop chances from the same missions is hardly exciting or rewarding. I’m not a descendant hater, I just lost interest a few hours after getting my first character to level 40. I get your enjoying it at the moment but jeez man that’s a pretty wild statement esp coming from someone that said 2 exotic class items per run isn’t enough lol

[@FlashesSoccer011]

Calling TFD the best loot chase is a wild thing to say considering it shamelessly ripped off every system from warframe. It's just a substantially worse version of warframe. In every way.

[@Miiscrxant]

It's been painful for me to play Destiny lately. Mentally so checked out that I'm not sure I'll even play the rest of the reason out. Act III being 4~ weeks away, is just too far out for me to get excited.

[@GenocideLv]

my favorite thing about TFD is the complete absence of forced ugliness and diversity. We have TRUE diversity which is every hair color and every eye color combination, instead of brown+brown+black

[@EvilBowlOfCheerios]

I'm using the first descendents as a study assignment so I could move on to Warframe lol.

[@Klaxir]

I switched to Warframe from Destiny a couple weeks ago and im still having a blast. Warframe is amazing.

[@TheRyRob]

Honestly I've slowed down playing destiny because A) I like to let the content drop and just catch up at my own pace, B) There are other games to play (Lets not forget Elden Ring DLC, TFD, ZZZ), C) It's the summer, hard to not want to maximize nice weather and vacation time. I love that Destiny will always be there when I want to play it, and I love that I am not obligated to log in every day.

[@abagofT]

Eh, I understand everyone wants a game to grind but idk man. 10 years of Destiny has made me appreciate games that you can just play for enjoyment, while working towards upgrades in the background. Plus no PVP hurts replay-ability. Say what you want about the crucible (we all know it’s fcked) but playing against another person is always better long term than solving ai

[@cortanashepard6733]

Destiny since alpha. Not much time to play, so I don't run into not enough things to do. Just love the game. The world, the art, the mechanics, the skyboxes, even the bunnies lol.

[@jsutty7530]

always been a crucible fan myself