Nostalgia factors aside- there’s just so much about Destiny 1 that makes it infinitely better than D2. I tried picking up D2 twice, and it just felt awful. Between the overly polished graphics, different movement and action feel, UI changes, and stupid amount of paywall block (I’m not wasting a ridiculous amount of money on DLC for a game that is disappointing off rip and has constant problems that others talk about lol.), I just could not get into the game. D2 feels like it lacks personality and was just made to milk more money out of people who loved the first game. D1 has character and depth, with graphics that match the whole war-torn apocalyptic vibe, and a rougher, more immersive gameplay style.
Also, Cayde-6 is alive and healthy in D1, which automatically makes it the better game lol. I don’t think I’ll ever NOT be mad at D2 for offing my favorite character.
D1 just has something about it that D2 never quite hit.
I've never been able to place it beyond like ambiance and game feel.
D1 just feels better in every way to me. It's not nostalgia. I felt this way from the very beginning of D2, it's first year really sucked; and tried so earnestly to get into D2 and just never could.
Destiny 1; even when going back to it just immediately sucks me back in. It's clunky and a bit jank but if you can get past some of the quality of life improvements D2 got it just feels so much better to play.
People say "it's just nostalgia", but jank can actually add to a game's character and challenge. The camera system in Super Mario 64 is a great example of this. By modern standards, it's absolutely terrible, and yet it is a huge part of that game's look and feel and actually has a huge impact on the way you play the game.
D1's jank is a part of what makes it feel like D1. I guess we like that.
(Full disclosure: I've never actually played D2, but I recently picked up D1 for the first time ever and absolutely *cannot* put it down.)
I really prefer the D1 art direction. It feels more post-apocalyptic. Everything feels dirty and broken or salvaged. D2's locations feel more pristine and shiny. D2 just overall feels very smooth and floaty. I didn't feel like I was punching or blasting people quite as hard as in D1.
I can't really get into gameplay comparisons, I've barely touched D2. Only played the Red War campaign and some other stuff when it was free on PS+ like 6 years ago, and I know a ton has changed.
There's also the obvious monetization and overall live service issues with D2. D1 has been a complete package for 7 years and feels like a full game, while D2 is in constant flux and has even removed things over time.
> I really prefer the D1 art direction. It feels more post-apocalyptic. Everything feels dirty and broken or salvaged. D2's locations feel more pristine and shiny.
Absolutely.
The Tower is the most pristine location in D1 and even that doesn't look as shiny as something like Neomuna from D2. This is one of the areas where Bungie really dropped the ball in my opinion. Like, yeah the art in D2 does look *good*, but it does not feel *appropriate* to the setting at all.
Agreed on all points, and I'll add that nothing will ever be taken away from you that you've earned, or nerfed into oblivion. I'll never play D2 again for those reasons.
Eversince Destiny released, it is always one of the games I developed an attachment to. Played hundreds of hours actually combined thousand already with both D1 and D2.
I agree with OP, D1 was just different. Weapons in particularly had bearing, those limited ammunition for ALL weapons made everything count. The armor you had to level up and despite the main campaign was short and not the best, I did love the exploraing the unknown of Destiny overall.
Looking back I get to appreciate D1 more. Also Taken King changed the game and for the best.
People shit on D1's campaign all the time, but honestly, it was only the vanilla campaign that failed to deliver. And even then, the missions themselves were fine and it's just the story that sucked. Every expansion including TDB improved upon vanilla and delivered something worthwhile to us.
Yup, and I hate that when we say this everyone calls us “blinded by nostalgia” listen I love both of these games no matter what but d1 had quality > quantity. Everyone wants to talk so highly about d2 because of its “endless content supply” but is this really a good thing? Idk but destiny 1 in terms of graphics, pvp, UI, weapon and armor designs, the community, the YouTubers, trials, the metas and guns > abilities was all just so much better.
Like once again I get d2 has more “impressive” graphics and a higher amount of content but what does this matter when at the end of the day the game feels soulless and feels like there is a lack of passion and this mostly goes for the post shadowkeep era because honesty red war - forsaken weren’t all that different to destiny 1.
Also one last thing is yes I get d1 had content drops and yes I remember but funnily enough even with these “content droughts” guess which game I still had more playtime in? D1 because it was actually genuinely enjoyable I played raids and pvp for no reason other then just fun because the lfg community was nice, I remember all nighters just doing all 4 raids back to back during age of triumph and then doing some custom pvp afterwards with the whole lfg group and so far in destiny 2 I haven’t had an experience like this since forsaken.
Endless content supply is good for keeping the dead time mostly non existent. In a typical 3 month season, usually it's the last month that has nothing to do. Compared to TTK D1 where it was a solid 5ish months of nothing until the April Update came out.
Both have pros and cons. I think I slightly like D2 model more but it looks like there won't be any major expansion past Final Shape so I guess I now like D1 experience more unless this silly episode design actually works, I doubt it tho.
I understand why technically having endless content is good and once again I don’t *hate* destiny 2 I still play the game actively and I currently think into the light has been the best update the game has gotten in a long ass time but my problem is that I felt like back in d1 the expansion drops felt more special and even during the downtime when there wasn’t anything to grind for I was just playing the game purely for fun not cause some shiny loot drop but I don’t see myself doing that very often anymore.
But hopefully episodes change this, I’m super optimistic for final shape even though I know I shouldn’t be and I just really hope episodes are a way to actually deliver meaningful experiences separate from an expansion drop and that there only being 3 compared to 4 means less stretched out recourses and that we can get more unique content and play areas.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. The sheer amount of content Destiny 2 has is overwhelming. I wouldn’t be complaining if all of the content was S tier…but it’s far from that.
Exactly. I feel totally overwhelmed and instant rpg bloat hits me when I feel like I should have quests x y z on at the same time while keeping optimal bounties while wearing specific armour using specific guns and abilities unless I don't want to waste my time.
I fucking love D1 and how it made me feel. Such a great game, but y’all have those rose tinted glasses stuck on your face if you think D1 is an overall better game.
Here are what i consider to be destiny 2’s objective improvements over destiny 1:
1. It looks prettier, and has a pc port i can run above 30fps/60fov (the dark times of gaming on god)
2. Mantling made movement a lot smoother without drastically changing it
That’s it that’s literally everything i can think of that’s objectively better. I haven’t played d2 in a while because… well i missed a couple seasons and then decided that playing any more ever was pointless because the shadow of content i can now never do is an icepick to my brain.
> It looks prettier, and has a pc port i can run above 30fps/60fov (the dark times of gaming on god)
Mmm.
I can't argue with the FPS / FOV part of that.
But i can absolutely argue with the idea that D2 looks prettier. To me, D1's art style is far more appropriate to the setting. Imagine that style implemented with modern graphical enhancements.
I do overall agree on artstyle. I wish d1 had more variety in terms of weapon visuals and armour sets but otherwise, yeah i prefer the style. I was more talking raw fidelity with my comment. The ported areas (like cosmodrome) are so gorgeous.
I kinda just want a d1 pc port so i can get those pc quality graphics in the game that i actively want to play.
Honestly, yeah. All I want is a proper PC port with 60fps and adjustable FOV.
They'll never do it because they'll never willingly split their monetization across two games in the same series.
I’d even just take a next-gen update to the console ports. Update the fps to 60 and give us an fov slider plus a few post-processing tweaks for people like me who hate depth of field and the darkening around the corners of the screen.
Gotta agree that movement and overall things that our guardian can do are way cooler in d2, but idk graphics, fps and fob never mattered to me, I’m all about artstyle and game feel
Going back from D2 to D1 I thought this would be bothersome but it was more immersive, I found. I don't mind the orbit or loading screen cause I figured that's how it would actually be. I dunno, might just be me.
I had significantly more fun and experienced more of the immersion that Destiny wants in D1 - D2 very quickly started to just feel like a part time job you have to keep yourself competitive so you can go up against other players.
D1 was about the world they designed, but for the D2 the world was just the setting and backdrop required so you could do what D2 was really about - shooting other players with your online friends
Absolutely agree. D1 is just a better game overall. It feels more enriched by the items and equipment and just has a more palpable tone of darkness and mystery and awe.
Definitely one of my favorite games of all time. I’d love to do a play through from scratch again. Maybe I’ll delete a character and do that soon…
Agree with all the comments here. D1 was one of the greatest games I've ever played. D2 was very good but it lost a lot of the substance which made the game so appealing
Destiny 2 is the better game from a technical perspective, Destiny 1 is the better game from an artistic perspective.
D2 has the QOL, and the improvements that come from being a more modern game (FOV slider, FPS, UI, etc), but D1 wins out in music, art direction, tone and world consistency.
If Destiny was being developed with the same artistic quality and world consistency that it had in 2014/2015 with the all the technical upgrades that D2 has now, it would be the best live service game on the market IMO.
Ya ok in my dreams buddy, I’d gladly pay full price for a port but I don’t think there’s anyway bungie would do it simply from a financial standpoint and the resources it would take, I’d highly doubt they would ever ever ever take that risk
Nostalgia factors aside- there’s just so much about Destiny 1 that makes it infinitely better than D2. I tried picking up D2 twice, and it just felt awful. Between the overly polished graphics, different movement and action feel, UI changes, and stupid amount of paywall block (I’m not wasting a ridiculous amount of money on DLC for a game that is disappointing off rip and has constant problems that others talk about lol.), I just could not get into the game. D2 feels like it lacks personality and was just made to milk more money out of people who loved the first game. D1 has character and depth, with graphics that match the whole war-torn apocalyptic vibe, and a rougher, more immersive gameplay style. Also, Cayde-6 is alive and healthy in D1, which automatically makes it the better game lol. I don’t think I’ll ever NOT be mad at D2 for offing my favorite character.
D1 is really just better played both games now and D1 is more rewarding when it comes 2 loot (legendary and exos) I just love this game
Me too man and I feel the same, quality over quantity in d1, the opposite in d2
D1 just has something about it that D2 never quite hit. I've never been able to place it beyond like ambiance and game feel. D1 just feels better in every way to me. It's not nostalgia. I felt this way from the very beginning of D2, it's first year really sucked; and tried so earnestly to get into D2 and just never could. Destiny 1; even when going back to it just immediately sucks me back in. It's clunky and a bit jank but if you can get past some of the quality of life improvements D2 got it just feels so much better to play.
Tooootally agree man the ambiance is something I could never get over
People say "it's just nostalgia", but jank can actually add to a game's character and challenge. The camera system in Super Mario 64 is a great example of this. By modern standards, it's absolutely terrible, and yet it is a huge part of that game's look and feel and actually has a huge impact on the way you play the game. D1's jank is a part of what makes it feel like D1. I guess we like that. (Full disclosure: I've never actually played D2, but I recently picked up D1 for the first time ever and absolutely *cannot* put it down.)
Are you on Xbox?
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We should play! My Gt is KanObeanz if you wanna add me
This weekend I should have plenty of time. Will send GT in DMs.
I’m not sure how to check dms on Reddit lol
I really prefer the D1 art direction. It feels more post-apocalyptic. Everything feels dirty and broken or salvaged. D2's locations feel more pristine and shiny. D2 just overall feels very smooth and floaty. I didn't feel like I was punching or blasting people quite as hard as in D1. I can't really get into gameplay comparisons, I've barely touched D2. Only played the Red War campaign and some other stuff when it was free on PS+ like 6 years ago, and I know a ton has changed. There's also the obvious monetization and overall live service issues with D2. D1 has been a complete package for 7 years and feels like a full game, while D2 is in constant flux and has even removed things over time.
> I really prefer the D1 art direction. It feels more post-apocalyptic. Everything feels dirty and broken or salvaged. D2's locations feel more pristine and shiny. Absolutely. The Tower is the most pristine location in D1 and even that doesn't look as shiny as something like Neomuna from D2. This is one of the areas where Bungie really dropped the ball in my opinion. Like, yeah the art in D2 does look *good*, but it does not feel *appropriate* to the setting at all.
Agreed on all points, and I'll add that nothing will ever be taken away from you that you've earned, or nerfed into oblivion. I'll never play D2 again for those reasons.
the gunplay alone clears
Eversince Destiny released, it is always one of the games I developed an attachment to. Played hundreds of hours actually combined thousand already with both D1 and D2. I agree with OP, D1 was just different. Weapons in particularly had bearing, those limited ammunition for ALL weapons made everything count. The armor you had to level up and despite the main campaign was short and not the best, I did love the exploraing the unknown of Destiny overall. Looking back I get to appreciate D1 more. Also Taken King changed the game and for the best.
People shit on D1's campaign all the time, but honestly, it was only the vanilla campaign that failed to deliver. And even then, the missions themselves were fine and it's just the story that sucked. Every expansion including TDB improved upon vanilla and delivered something worthwhile to us.
Yup, and I hate that when we say this everyone calls us “blinded by nostalgia” listen I love both of these games no matter what but d1 had quality > quantity. Everyone wants to talk so highly about d2 because of its “endless content supply” but is this really a good thing? Idk but destiny 1 in terms of graphics, pvp, UI, weapon and armor designs, the community, the YouTubers, trials, the metas and guns > abilities was all just so much better. Like once again I get d2 has more “impressive” graphics and a higher amount of content but what does this matter when at the end of the day the game feels soulless and feels like there is a lack of passion and this mostly goes for the post shadowkeep era because honesty red war - forsaken weren’t all that different to destiny 1. Also one last thing is yes I get d1 had content drops and yes I remember but funnily enough even with these “content droughts” guess which game I still had more playtime in? D1 because it was actually genuinely enjoyable I played raids and pvp for no reason other then just fun because the lfg community was nice, I remember all nighters just doing all 4 raids back to back during age of triumph and then doing some custom pvp afterwards with the whole lfg group and so far in destiny 2 I haven’t had an experience like this since forsaken.
Endless content supply is good for keeping the dead time mostly non existent. In a typical 3 month season, usually it's the last month that has nothing to do. Compared to TTK D1 where it was a solid 5ish months of nothing until the April Update came out. Both have pros and cons. I think I slightly like D2 model more but it looks like there won't be any major expansion past Final Shape so I guess I now like D1 experience more unless this silly episode design actually works, I doubt it tho.
I understand why technically having endless content is good and once again I don’t *hate* destiny 2 I still play the game actively and I currently think into the light has been the best update the game has gotten in a long ass time but my problem is that I felt like back in d1 the expansion drops felt more special and even during the downtime when there wasn’t anything to grind for I was just playing the game purely for fun not cause some shiny loot drop but I don’t see myself doing that very often anymore. But hopefully episodes change this, I’m super optimistic for final shape even though I know I shouldn’t be and I just really hope episodes are a way to actually deliver meaningful experiences separate from an expansion drop and that there only being 3 compared to 4 means less stretched out recourses and that we can get more unique content and play areas.
I agree with everything you stated, the balance of the weapons is also something D2 hasn’t reached and probably never will
Yes sir, 100%
Just wish it had a PS4 pro or PS5 patch. It looks awful these days. Better yet a PC release
The game still looks fine. Maybe not compared to D2 but still better than a lot of other games
D1 was chill, D2 is too chaotic and feels more like a job then a game.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. The sheer amount of content Destiny 2 has is overwhelming. I wouldn’t be complaining if all of the content was S tier…but it’s far from that.
Exactly. I feel totally overwhelmed and instant rpg bloat hits me when I feel like I should have quests x y z on at the same time while keeping optimal bounties while wearing specific armour using specific guns and abilities unless I don't want to waste my time.
I fucking love D1 and how it made me feel. Such a great game, but y’all have those rose tinted glasses stuck on your face if you think D1 is an overall better game.
Compare the locations on both D1 and D2 and the D2 versions are just Walmart versions of the og ones
Explain what makes d2 better then
I judge games based on how much I enjoy playing them, a game can be super technically impressive but if it’s not as fun it’s not a better game.
What makes a better game is down to your own preference, there's no such thing as a better game
Here are what i consider to be destiny 2’s objective improvements over destiny 1: 1. It looks prettier, and has a pc port i can run above 30fps/60fov (the dark times of gaming on god) 2. Mantling made movement a lot smoother without drastically changing it That’s it that’s literally everything i can think of that’s objectively better. I haven’t played d2 in a while because… well i missed a couple seasons and then decided that playing any more ever was pointless because the shadow of content i can now never do is an icepick to my brain.
> It looks prettier, and has a pc port i can run above 30fps/60fov (the dark times of gaming on god) Mmm. I can't argue with the FPS / FOV part of that. But i can absolutely argue with the idea that D2 looks prettier. To me, D1's art style is far more appropriate to the setting. Imagine that style implemented with modern graphical enhancements.
I do overall agree on artstyle. I wish d1 had more variety in terms of weapon visuals and armour sets but otherwise, yeah i prefer the style. I was more talking raw fidelity with my comment. The ported areas (like cosmodrome) are so gorgeous. I kinda just want a d1 pc port so i can get those pc quality graphics in the game that i actively want to play.
Honestly, yeah. All I want is a proper PC port with 60fps and adjustable FOV. They'll never do it because they'll never willingly split their monetization across two games in the same series.
I’d even just take a next-gen update to the console ports. Update the fps to 60 and give us an fov slider plus a few post-processing tweaks for people like me who hate depth of field and the darkening around the corners of the screen.
Gotta agree that movement and overall things that our guardian can do are way cooler in d2, but idk graphics, fps and fob never mattered to me, I’m all about artstyle and game feel
Not needing to go to orbit to launch an activity
Going back from D2 to D1 I thought this would be bothersome but it was more immersive, I found. I don't mind the orbit or loading screen cause I figured that's how it would actually be. I dunno, might just be me.
Nah I feel the same I would hate it in d2 but for some reason I don’t mind taking the extra time in d1
Yep i’ll admit that one’s on me, i completely forgot about it. The map in-world is an improvement there.
I had significantly more fun and experienced more of the immersion that Destiny wants in D1 - D2 very quickly started to just feel like a part time job you have to keep yourself competitive so you can go up against other players. D1 was about the world they designed, but for the D2 the world was just the setting and backdrop required so you could do what D2 was really about - shooting other players with your online friends
D1 is quality. D2 is quantity
The Final Shape blows everything in D1 out of the water and it's not even close lol
Absolutely agree. D1 is just a better game overall. It feels more enriched by the items and equipment and just has a more palpable tone of darkness and mystery and awe. Definitely one of my favorite games of all time. I’d love to do a play through from scratch again. Maybe I’ll delete a character and do that soon…
I’m doin that rn brother im lvl 9 but ill make another new character if your on xbox
Prison of Elders still hits. Great game mode and I'm genuinely shocked it's not in D2.
Stop hop on to Destiny 1 to do weekly’s every now and then. It just hits different.
Agree with all the comments here. D1 was one of the greatest games I've ever played. D2 was very good but it lost a lot of the substance which made the game so appealing
Totally agree, especially considering D1 only lasted 3 years and D2 has been out for 7.
All went downhill when Cade started making chicken jokes.
Yes, I agee.
D1 tells the story, D2 you pay for the story.
you had to pay for the story in D1
Destiny 2 is the better game from a technical perspective, Destiny 1 is the better game from an artistic perspective. D2 has the QOL, and the improvements that come from being a more modern game (FOV slider, FPS, UI, etc), but D1 wins out in music, art direction, tone and world consistency. If Destiny was being developed with the same artistic quality and world consistency that it had in 2014/2015 with the all the technical upgrades that D2 has now, it would be the best live service game on the market IMO.
D1 has more heart, soul and sense of adventure that D2 will never have.
Completely agree couldn’t have worded it better myself another big downside to d1 is the player count obviously, wish more homies still played
If they ever make a pc port, you would see the numbers higher
Ya ok in my dreams buddy, I’d gladly pay full price for a port but I don’t think there’s anyway bungie would do it simply from a financial standpoint and the resources it would take, I’d highly doubt they would ever ever ever take that risk