I'll start this by stating that I know this will/might cause much ire in this Community (there isn't a lot of discussion topics that don't...), but this is my opinion based off of what was seen in the Destiny 2 "Game Play Reveal". I'm not on any "hype train" as that doesn't make much sense to me. I understand being excited about upcoming games, but "hype trains" are another problematic level of excitement that usually causes a person to abandon the more intellectual side of their reasoning, and gloss over what would normally be very glaring issues, while raising expectations to levels impossible for any Developer to attain. I'd rather be critical, avoid the "hype train", and get an "uncolored" view of the game for what it really is; rather than board the hype train, build up D2 to absolutely unattainable levels of expectation that no developer on the planet could ever hope to achieve, then be let down when the game cannot live up to the nigh-Godlike hype that Bungie sycophants are currently doing. In that regard, I was highly unimpressed with what was shown. An hour long "Game Play Premier" presentation consisting of a total of ten minutes of Game Play. - What game play [i]was shown[/i] looked exactly like the current Destiny. Nothing alludes to expanding the Player tool-set. Nothing was shown that improves upon the game play of D1, just more of the same-old-same-old. - The map has more icons, but looks no larger than any of the current areas of exploration in D1. - Sure there's "Quests" to unlock new areas, but how long before you're retreading even those areas, but in a different direction? - Patrol looks like it will be more of the same boring "kill this' or "fetch Quests" that are so yawn-inducing in D1. - No improvement in the paltry, bare-bones character progression system from D1. You will almost literally be capped just as low as and just as quickly as you were in D1. - D1 = 4 planets. - D2 = 4 Planets with one of those you're already exploring. So, less content there. - 1 Raid - D1 had three Strikes at launch. - D2 has [b]'A' Strike[/b] (straight how the Bungie Rep said it) and if my math serves me correctly, that's less than D1 had at launch. - D1 had six sub-Classes at launch. Nine when D1 finished (after three years...) - D2 has three sub-Classes (because Bungie even said in the presentation, "when you lose your Light, you lose your Powers, Progress, sub-Classes, everything; and you have to earn it back" leaving you at only the three sub-Classes shown), which is paltry in a game that's supposed to be "more expansive" than the original. You know, kinda the whole point of a "sequel". - Bungie found a way (and this is pretty damn impressive for all the wrong reasons) to not only take away absolutely everything you did in D1 (via utilizing the cheapest, most played-out story cop-out in storytelling history), but give you [b]less than[/b] you had in the beginning of D1. Truly an impressive and new way to screw over your fan base, Bungie. - And... there's a whole host of other issues I saw; but I'm just old and tired, and really don't have the rage left to go into it in depth. So, yeah. I'm highly unimpressed with what was shown, and when the game and "reveal" are looked at without having "hype-tinted-goggles" on, there is nothing (absolutely nothing) that tells me that this should be a standalone game. Literally everything Bungie has shown/said, leads me to believe that D2 should only have ever been a $40 USD digital Expansion for D1. And that's just the opinion of a guy who's been gaming for 30+ years, and has been deeply involved in the MMORPG Genre for 20+ years. (Despite what Bungie says and how much they want to stay away from the accronym, they've created an MMOFPS. And even MMO publications and other Genre professionals agree thaqt this is exactly what Bungie has done.) It's an MMOFPS, get over it. And it's a shitty one at that, IMO. Edit = Additional thought. I've been thinking on what I've said here. And I have to say, I hope Bungie does indeed prove me wrong. I hope Bungie works Destiny 2 with all of the design-love that they can muster, and I deeply hope that they can prove every observation I've made above to be completely false and overblown. - I [i]want[/i] Bungie to create truly expansive areas to explore. - I [i]want[/i] Bungie to create a true sense of randomness in the Questing and Daily Activities, so that D2 [i]doesn't[/i] seem like I'm covering already trodden ground for the hundredth time. - I [i]want[/i] Bungie to create deep, engagin character customization and character leveling so that it feels like I'm [i]actually building[/i] a Legend. In short, [i]I want[/i] Bungie to create the MMOFPS masterpiece that Destiny 1 was supposed to be, but Bungie bungled all across the three years of Destny 1's lifespan. I don't [i]want[/i] to be "spot on" with my observations above. Not in any way. I want to be able to purchase this game, and know that it has all the epic qualities that it has the promise to be. I want to be able to dive into this game and get the old Guild back together and having fun like we did through out Destiny years 1 & 2. I want to be able to play-test/Beta test/purchase Destiny 2, play it, and be able to say "Yep, you really nailed it this time, Bungie. Well done on a finely crafted, deep, engaging MMOFPS." I [i]desperately want[/i] for Destiny 2 to be all of those things and more. I just have that gut feeling that it won't be any of those things. But only time will tell. Only Bungie can make those decisions and changes. And there's a few scant months this summer and leading into this fall, where all of that is possible. So, onus is on you Bungie. You have a former Destiny player here who desperately wants to regain their trust in you as a developer, as well as a severely disappointed fan and decades long Gamer and MMO enthusiast/fanatic. "The ball is in your court" as the saying goes. It's time for you to show us whether or not you intend to play.