Destiny 2: 5 Ups & 5 Downs

4. The Tone Is Trying To Please Two Diametrically Opposed Sides

Hey Destiny, are you all about the lore, or the comedy? Are you trying to tell a super-serious tale about factional interstellar warfare, or is it all about gathering loot and laughing like when the dude in the US adverts yells "FOR THE PUPPIES!"?

There's something to be said about an inclusive fanbase that 'gets' their respective franchise's individual quirk (just look at Metal Gear Solid), but when you have two specific thematic tendencies (dark, gritty, "all hope is lost but we must FIGHT!" and "actually, let's play football and breakdance!"), it doesn't really add up.

Across any reasonable play session in Destiny 2 you'll experience everything from droids (Ghosts) talking to one another like awkward high schoolers, only for various military leaders to get their shoe-gaze on and exposit about how "there's nothing left"; the dour tone supposedly meant to inspire you to save the day.

Complete literally one more mission and said character is back to wise-cracking and being lighthearted again, and if you remember the early Destiny 2 ad where the chirpy Cayde-6 was cheering his troops on with promises of loot and treasure - all whilst leader Zavala walked a more serious line - it's that, and it feels very disconnecting.