Despite flaws, Destiny 2 is the best multiplayer Warhammer 40K game around
30.09.2023 - 15:39
/ destructoid.com
/ Best
Destiny 2 is known for its dynamic action, longstanding narrative, and impressive weaponry, but it’s also one of the best multiplayer Warhammer 40K experiences around. While there are plenty of surface differences between the franchises, Destiny 2 is built from the same stuff that has kept 40K fans loyal since the 80s. Of course, it’s by no means a perfect translation. There are legitimate Warhammer 40K games out there that incorporate actual lore and characters. But if players want to engage in an immersive grimdark future where super-powered protectors of humanity confront galaxy-wide conflict against alien factions and supernatural entities, Destiny is the place to be.
Fans of Warhammer 40K love its dystopian future teeming with warring civilizations and demonic magic. But the whole package seldom culminates in a gaming experience that mirrors the epic scale of the storied franchise. While plenty of licensed Warhammer 40K games detail skirmishes between a couple of factions and a few varied locales, the scope is often meager compared to the franchise as a whole. Further, the 40K games that try to incorporate a more representative slice of the universe tend to be strategy games that strain worldbuilding by burying players in menus. Destiny 2 seamlessly blends an expansive grimdark backdrop against consequential narratives on a scale that rivals Warhammer 40K. The game’s snappy FPS gunplay, ease of playing with friends, and engaging content are just icing on the cake.
Destiny 2’s artistic direction, featuring grandiose architecture, mysterious landscapes, and cosmic anomalies, closely aligns with the aesthetic language of Warhammer 40K. Coupled with the omnipresent juxtaposition of hope and despair, these elements nail the grimdark atmosphere Warhammer 40K thrives alongside. This intertwines with profound lore featuring various species, factions, and even supernatural forces. It all comes together to deliver something akin to 40K‘s complex setting. Sometimes, that’ll mean learning about a space prison and its malfunctioning warden through a Strike with friends; other times, a big bad will reveal itself over the course of a season’s story missions. Either way, Destiny frequently throws players right into its narrative’s most significant moments.
Like the innumerable factions in Warhammer 40K that battle for supremacy, Destiny 2 features various groups vying for control. Each has unique philosophies, goals, aesthetics, and fighting styles. Naturally, this carries the ever-evolving alliances, betrayals, and power struggles found within Destiny 2. Often, these beats reflect corresponding ideological conflicts prevalent in the Warhammer 40K universe. The Fallen, Destiny’s space pirates, turned to a life