Topic: The Destiny thread.

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@dryrain: From someone that has accumulated well over 2,000 hours and still climbing, and I am not amongst the highest of my friends in hours either, that should tell you how much potential game-play can be had from this. No other game comes close in terms of value when looked at 'Cost per Hour'.
Destiny's biggest problem in my opinion is the early part of the game. Levelling your character up to a point to participate in the 'End-game'. The story isn't that great but the Lore is very deep - it is a pity its locked away behind Grimoire cards that can only be accessed from Bungies site. The mission structure for the story isn't that great either but its designed in such a way to be able to use these as part of that 'end game'. The story part itself seems nothing more than a way to get you to the end game, a way to learn certain mechanics and introduce you to various enemy types as well as the different areas that you can explore. The Taken King Story part though is certainly better but still has an eye on the 'end game'
Its when you get to the point of being able to participate in these end-game activities though that the game really opens up and shows why it is so popular and played regularly. The Raids for example are brilliant and some of the most challenging co-op experiences - everyone has a specific role and can only be successful by working together. They require communication and co-ordination.
Personally I don't really play the PvP myself but if you like the longer time to kill type PvP experiences (because of shields) then this is going to suit you. Certain weapons and abilities can kill very quickly though a Sniper headshot for example will kill you in one hit and of course the super abilities have that potential too.
Mechanically, this game is superb. The controls are responsive and hit detection is great. It feels rewarding to get headshots and the super abilities are great fun too. Weapons are varied and the weapon perks can also help increase the 'fun'. Having 'Firefly' for example never gets old - This causes targets to explode with headshot kills which can also kill nearby enemies. Enemies are quite varied - certainly more varied than military shooters that only have humans. AI is good too with certain enemies using cover whilst others rush you. Visually each area is stunning and unique as well - from the dusty red planet of Mars to the lush green of Venus. Each place has remnants of human inhabitation as well as 'structures' by the dominant enemy type.
The variety of weapons, perks (on the weapons and armour) and classes, mean you can adjust your build to suit the situation. The exotic Armour often helps certain class specific builds and others are beneficial to all sub-classes but these can vary in perks and stats so you may find a better version to suit you. The Exotic weapons are more locked in terms of their perks - i.e. every one has the same stats. The other weapons all have different perks (unless its one you buy from a vendor) which adds a lot of variety and options
As a solo experience, there is always something to do - even after beating the story content. Some of it can be a bit of a grind - like hunting down resources - but this can also be broken up by completing 'bounties', doing 'patrol' missions and the occasional public event and generally having fun just killing enemies. Chances are you will still have quite a bit of loot from this. Strikes are similar to the missions in essence but require 3 players (match-made if you don't have others to play with). These have their own playlist too and jumping into these will give quite a bit of loot too. Even if its below your level, dismantling for parts is useful and the XP gained helps level up gear as well as your character too.
Because you always have something to do, weapons and gear to collect/find/buy/level up etc and can have 3 characters as well, it does offer a lot of potential game-time. There isn't a game like it - certainly not on console at least. Whilst it may have elements from other FPS games and its MP is not that different from those in some ways, it also has significant differences too. Trying to compare the Story/campaign to something like Halo or any other FPS is an injustice in my mind. Those campaigns are designed to focus more on the story and don't offer much in replayability (unless you count trophy hunting). Destiny is more about the end game and using those missions for that purpose. I hate to think how many times I have replayed some missions. Whilst they are not exactly long, nor particularly full of 'cut-scenes and story', it does make them perfect for the 'daily mission'. Like I said though, the Taken King part is a lot better than the original 'vanilla' Destiny.
The changes made for year 2, in general though have improved the experience overall. It has hidden quests for Exotics as well as relatively easy class specific exotics to obtain. Quests and bounties have improved overall too and like I said the Raids are by far the best and most complex co-op experience on console. In terms of 'Value', the Taken King (around £40) also contains Destiny, The Dark Below and the House of Wolves (around £80 when sold separately), its incredibly good value in my eyes. Even though I bough on release (and therefore spent a lot more on the content) Its still worked out as the 'best cost per hour' game I have bought. No other game even comes close and its getting lower every week with each additional hour played.
Its certainly not the deepest and most meaningful experience you can have but it is certainly great fun and mechanically fantastic. If you can get past the initial story, by the time you get to the Taken King story and then onto the end game, the whole game opens up and becomes a much better experience.