#10: Destiny 2
My feelings on Destiny 2 are complex, probably borderlining on apologist for some people. This is the sixth purchasable chapter of Bungie’s sci-fi space-opera shooter, but the rampant issues present as each month passes make it feel like a last wave of polish was sorely missing in development. Off the top of my head, the community has had to contest with a lack of endgame for hardcore players, loot boxes, obfuscated gearing mechanics, XP throttling and inaccurate user interface, a mediocre expansion, dlc locking previous content, grossly imbalanced weapons, and just to top off the year, broken consumables. If you’re wrapped up in the daily Destiny community, it’s easy to bag on the devs as each issue arises, especially if it’s one that should have been learned from one of the franchise’s five previous entries.
With all that being said however, Destiny 2 is still a game I love to play and probably has some of my most hours played for 2017. The actual act of playing, the kinesthesia, is still one of the most refined for the FPS genre. Whether on console or PC, running around, shooting, grenading and supering with friends and fireteams feels fluid and has a great rhythm to it. Encounter design in missions still revolves around and masters Halo’s 30 seconds of fun. When gameplay is on point, you character and group can feel like a well-oiled machine, dispatching foes and setting up one another for hero moments with outrageous abilities.
As for updates, content, and an endgame, it’s important to note that Bungie is listening to the community. The game is better than it was when it launched, and seems to be getting better with each update. Bugs and systems are fixed. There is more content now in the game’s lifecycle than where Destiny original was at the point in its release window. Weekly events are frequent and usually offer new gear for regular players. Clan support ingame gives tangible gameplay rewards. Masterwork and forge weapons give hardcore players long-reaching goals. Raid content is some of the best ever presented in the franchise. PVP maps are well designed and are rolled out at a regular pace.
Despite disappointment for some, Destiny 2 is a lot of game. It’s still not a life-consuming MMO like WoW or FFXIV, and it might never be. It has its flaws and is nowhere near perfect. But it’s still a fun time that’s worth checking out.
#9: West of Loathing
No game this year made me guffaw as loudly or as often as Asymmetric Publications wild west RPG. Set in what at first seems like a stereotypical cowboy schtick, you’ll quickly be introduced to outlandish concepts like necromancers, snake oilers, stupid-walking, meat currency, beanslingers, and a host of other ridiculousness. There is so much good-natured humor in this stick-figure driven adventure that it’s impossible to pick out one scenario or joke as standout good or bad. It’s a massive volume of puns, sight-gags, japes, jests, gags, and...(opens thesaurus) shenanigans. If one joke doesn’t manage to land, five more afterwards probably will.
There’s also a surprisingly robust combat and quest system actually packed into all the humor as well. While it’s standard turn-based affair, humour continues as you maximize unorthodox statistics and fight unlikely foes. Using skills, perks and temporary buffs, you’ll be able to interact with your environment in new ways and complete tasks in unlikely ways. And honestly, this is probably the minimum amount you need to know. Going in with just a cursory understanding is kind of half the fun of West of Loathing.
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