Delayed Respawnse
  • About
  • Articles
  • Games
  • Franchises
  • Respawnses
  • Tier Lists
What Game Should I Play?
  • Home
  • About
  • Articles
  • Games
  • Xbox
  • Playstation
  • Nintendo
  • PC
  • Franchises
  • Respawnses
  • How We Score Games
  • Tier Lists
  • Take Our Quiz
  • Join the Community
  1. Home
  2. /
  3. Games
  4. /
  5. Destiny

Destiny

Overall Rating: 3.68 • 1062 reviews
The Investment Gamer The Resilient Player

Destiny is built around tight, floaty gunplay and short bursts of progress, whether you are running a strike, clearing a patrol zone, or chasing a better roll on familiar gear. Its mix of MMO routine and shooter immediacy gives even small sessions a clear rhythm, while raids and seasonal grinds reward patience without demanding constant daily play.

Get It Now Join the Community

Details

Some of the particulars and information about Destiny.
Developer: Bungie
Release Date: September 9, 2014
How Long to Beat: 73 hrs

Great for:

The Investment Gamer The Resilient Player

Ratings

Some of the ratings and scores for Destiny.
76 Metacritic
7.8 IGN
-- Our Score

Genres

Action
First-Person Shooter
Role-Playing Game

Systems

Here's where you can find Destiny and play.

ESRB: Teen

Animated Blood
Violence
Overview
Why Play?
How Much Time?
Overview

Destiny plays through patrol zones, strike playlists, and loot-driven progression, sending you between social hubs and firefights to upgrade gear and steadily raise power

Why Play?

Destiny rewards short sessions with excellent gunplay, steady loot progress, and longer goals that still feel meaningful when you return after time away

How Much Time?

Destiny splits time between short patrols, longer strikes, social hub stops, and a steady gear grind that stretches naturally into repeat runs and endgame goals

Gunplay With Constant Motion

Destiny feels best when you stay in motion, snapping between cover, short jumps, melee bursts, and weapon swaps as enemies flood arenas from several angles. Guns have a light, responsive feel that makes even routine fights satisfying, and class abilities add small tactical choices without slowing the pace into menu-heavy planning.

Most encounters are built around quick reads rather than strict precision, so a short session can still feel productive and fun. Whether you are clearing a public event or pushing through a strike room, the combat loop keeps feeding you targets, ammo, and ability recharges at a steady clip.

Loot That Fits Sessions

Progress comes from repeating activities that are easy to read at a glance: patrol tasks for fast rewards, strikes for dependable drops, and tougher modes when you want a longer goal. Gear upgrades are frequent enough that even a brief run can move your power upward or hand you a weapon worth testing right away.

The chase is less about one dramatic unlock and more about improving familiar tools over time through better rolls and stronger loadouts. That makes Destiny easy to return to after a break, since the game regularly gives you a clear next step instead of demanding perfect continuity.

Flexible Solo And Team Play

A lot of the game works well in short, self-contained bursts, but it also leaves room for bigger cooperative commitments. Matchmade activities let you drop in without organizing a group, while raids and higher-end challenges ask for coordination, repetition, and some patience as mechanics become clearer through failed attempts.

That structure gives Destiny a useful rhythm. You can spend one night knocking out a few reliable objectives, then come back later for a longer session built around tougher teamwork and a more meaningful reward chase.

Immediate Action, Easy Momentum

Destiny is easy to drop into because the basic loop feels good right away. You can load into a patrol zone, a strike, or a public event and get a satisfying burst of action without needing a long setup or a full evening free.

That matters because the game rarely makes small sessions feel wasted. Even when you are not tackling the biggest activities, you are still collecting gear, finishing objectives, and moving one step closer to whatever build or weapon roll you want next.

Loot Worth Chasing

The strongest reason to stick with Destiny is how often it gives you a clear next target. A better version of a favorite gun, a missing armor piece, or a power bump can turn a routine run into progress that feels concrete rather than abstract.

Its gear chase works well for players who like returning to familiar systems and slowly improving them over time. You do not need to master everything at once, and coming back after a break usually means picking up one or two goals instead of relearning the whole game.

Big Goals On Your Terms

Destiny also works because it leaves room for ambition without making every night feel like an obligation. You can spend weeks casually building toward harder nightfalls, dungeons, or raids, then decide when you are ready to take that next step.

That balance gives the game unusual staying power. The everyday activities are comfortable and repeatable, while the tougher content gives your routine a purpose, so patience pays off and setbacks usually feel like part of the climb rather than a reason to quit.

Main Story Playtime

The main campaign in Destiny usually lands around 12 to 15 hours if you stay focused on story missions and the required level bumps between them. Progress moves through a mix of combat missions, travel back to the Tower, and short detours into patrol areas or strikes when you need better gear.

That structure makes it fairly manageable in pieces. A single story mission or strike often fits into 20 to 40 minutes, while an hour-long session is enough to clear a mission, visit vendors, sort loot, and set up the next step without losing momentum.

Completion and Replay Time

If you want to dig into everything, Destiny can stretch from 70 hours into several hundred, with true completion running well past 500 hours. Most of that time comes from raising power, chasing specific weapon rolls, finishing side quests, clearing harder strikes, and learning raids that demand longer, more coordinated sessions.

Replay is built into the game’s rhythm rather than a fresh New Game Plus run. You revisit patrol zones, weekly activities, and endgame playlists for better drops and class builds, so the loop works best if you enjoy steady improvement and do not mind repeating familiar content for stronger rewards.

Trailer

A Quick Look at Destiny

Curious what Destiny is all about? The trailer gives you a great first look at the world, the vibe, and the kind of story you're stepping into.

Destiny Trailer
Videos

Related videos for Destiny

These videos give some tips and pointers on getting started with Destiny

Destiny 2 - Before You Buy

gameranx

Destiny: Rise of Iron - Before You Buy

gameranx

Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - 15 Things YOU NEED TO KNOW Before You Buy

GamingBolt

Destiny 2 Lightfall - Before You Buy

gameranx
Backbone One

Competing For the TV at Home? No Problem! Here's How You Can Play Destiny on your phone.

You don't have to compete with the family for the TV to play console games anymore. With the Backbone One, your phone becomes your Xbox or PS5 controller, giving you the freedom to pick up and play when life gives you a spare moment. It's how we get most of our playtime in.
Backbone Backbone
Get Yours Today
Screenshots

Screenshots of Destiny

Want to see what Destiny actually looks like in-game? These screenshots will hopefully give you a feel for what the world of Destiny is like.

Destiny
Destiny
Destiny
Destiny
Destiny
Extras

Downloadable Content for Destiny

DLC just means more of a good thing. Here are some for Destiny

Destiny: Rise of Iron
Destiny: Rise of Iron
Destiny - The Collection
Destiny - The Collection
Destiny: The Taken King - Legendary Edition
Destiny: The Taken King - Legendary Edition
Destiny: The Taken King
Destiny: The Taken King
Destiny: House of Wolves
Destiny: House of Wolves
Destiny: The Dark Below
Destiny: The Dark Below

Destiny: Rise of Iron

What’s Included

Destiny: Rise of Iron is a full expansion, not a small add-on. It introduces a new campaign focused on the Fallen and the Iron Lords, set in the Plaguelands social and patrol space. It also adds a new raid, Wrath of the Machine, along with new strikes, gear, weapons, and a higher level cap.

It also brought a fresh social hub in Felwinter Peak and expanded the endgame with more reasons to keep playing after the story. The setting has a colder, rougher feel than earlier expansions, which helps it stand apart.

Is It Worth It

If you want more structured PvE content from Destiny, Rise of Iron is one of the more worthwhile expansions. The campaign is not huge, but the raid is well regarded and the Plaguelands give the game a distinct new zone to explore.

It feels like a natural extension of the base game rather than a side activity. If you mainly play for story and co-op missions, it is a solid pickup. If you only care about casual play and do not plan to raid or grind new gear, its value is more limited.

Destiny - The Collection

What’s Included

Destiny – The Collection is not a single expansion. It is a bundle release that packages the base game with its major Year One and Year Two content, including The Dark Below, House of Wolves, The Taken King, and Rise of Iron. It was released in 2016 as an easy way to get the full console version up to that point.

That means access to the main story campaigns, strikes, raids, new locations, gear progression, and the system updates tied to those expansions, rather than one separate add-on with its own standalone content.

Is It Worth It

If you do not already own most of Destiny‘s expansions, this is a meaningful purchase because it folds the game’s best and most important content into one package. The Taken King and Rise of Iron especially do a lot to make the overall experience feel fuller and more coherent.

If you already have the base game plus the larger expansions, though, The Collection is mostly redundant. Its value comes from convenience and completeness, not from offering something new on top of what existing players already had.

Destiny: The Taken King - Legendary Edition

What’s Included

Destiny: The Taken King – Legendary Edition bundles the original game with its first three major expansions: The Dark Below, House of Wolves, and The Taken King. The big addition is The Taken King itself, which adds a new story focused on Oryx, new missions, a new destination with the Dreadnaught, additional strikes, raids, subclasses, and a broader gear progression update.

Because this is the Legendary Edition, it is less a small add-on and more a complete version of early Destiny. It packages the most important Year One and Year Two content into one release.

Is It Worth It

Yes, if you want the original Destiny to feel complete. The Taken King was the expansion that significantly improved the game’s structure, story presentation, and progression, and the bundled earlier expansions help fill out the overall experience.

If you only have time for the base game, this edition is the better way to play rather than something extra to tack on later. It fits naturally into the main experience and is one of the most meaningful releases tied to Destiny.

Destiny: The Taken King

What’s Included

Destiny: The Taken King is a major expansion, not a small add-on. It introduces a new campaign focused on Oryx, new missions and enemies, a new destination with the Dreadnaught, and new gear to chase. It also brought substantial changes to progression and subclass options, which reshaped how the game played in 2015.

It was designed as a full refresh for the base game, with a raid and endgame activities that gave players a much clearer path after the campaign.

Is It Worth It

Yes, this was one of the most important pieces of Destiny content. It did not just extend the game. It fixed pacing, improved structure, and made the overall experience feel more complete. If you want a version of Destiny that feels closer to what people hoped the original would be, this is a key part of that.

For anyone revisiting the first game, this is close to essential rather than optional.

Destiny: House of Wolves

What’s Included

Destiny: House of Wolves is the second expansion for the original game. It shifts the story toward the Fallen and the Awoken, with new story missions centered on tracking Skolas. It also adds the social space The Reef, new gear and weapons, and a higher level cap.

The expansion is also known for introducing the Prison of Elders arena mode and the Trials of Osiris multiplayer event. Those gave players new reasons to keep playing beyond the main campaign, whether they preferred co-op combat or competitive matches.

Is It Worth It

House of Wolves was a meaningful update for Destiny, especially at the time of release. The story content is fairly short, but Prison of Elders and Trials of Osiris gave it a stronger long-term hook than a simple mission pack.

If you only want a bigger campaign, this is not essential. If you want one of the more important early expansions that broadened the base game with new activities and progression, it fits in well and feels worthwhile.

Destiny: The Dark Below

What’s Included

Destiny: The Dark Below is the first expansion for the base game, released in December 2014. It adds a short story focused on Crota, new story missions and quests, a new Strike, new gear and weapons, and raised progression targets for players who wanted to keep building their characters.

It also introduced the Crota’s End raid and new multiplayer maps, making it more relevant if you played both PvE and PvP. The content fits directly into the original structure of Destiny, so it feels like an extension of the base game rather than a separate side mode.

Is It Worth It

If you liked the loop of running Strikes, chasing better loot, and grouping up for raids, this was a meaningful early expansion. The raid is the main reason to care, and the higher level cap mattered at the time.

That said, it is a fairly small add-on by expansion standards, and the campaign content is brief. Worth it for players invested in original Destiny, but not essential on its own unless you specifically want Crota’s End and the extra endgame path.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have Questions About Destiny?

Does Destiny include a full story campaign, or is it mostly endgame content?

Destiny does have a campaign structure, but a lot of its long-term appeal sits outside the main story. After the campaign, most of your time goes into repeatable activities, gear chasing, weekly objectives, and harder group content. If you want a game that keeps giving you reasons to come back, that is where it leans most heavily.

Can you play Destiny solo, or do you need a group?

You can play a large part of Destiny solo, including many story missions, patrol activities, and some matchmade content. That said, the most demanding activities are designed for coordinated groups and are much smoother with friends or an active clan. Solo players can still get plenty from the game, but some highlights are harder to access alone.

How does multiplayer work in Destiny?

Destiny mixes co-op and competitive play in the same overall progression loop. Co-op activities usually focus on fighting AI enemies for loot, while the Crucible handles player versus player matches. Your character and gear progression carry across modes, so time spent in one part of the game still feeds the rest.

Is Destiny hard to get back into after a break?

It can take a little adjustment because Destiny adds systems, quests, and currencies over time. The good news is that the core combat is easy to pick back up, and you can ignore a lot of optional tasks until you find your footing again. Returning players often do best by choosing one goal, such as a questline or gear upgrade, instead of trying to sort everything at once.

What makes classes feel different in Destiny?

The three classes are not locked into completely separate playstyles, but they do shape how you move, survive, and use abilities. Each one has its own jump style, class ability, and subclass options, which can make one feel more comfortable than another even if you use similar weapons. Picking a class is more about preferred rhythm than committing to a strict role.

It's Never Too Late to Start Playing.

Not What You're Looking For?

Great games dont have an expiration date. Take our quiz and we will find you the perfect game.

Take the Quiz
Related Games

Other Games You Might Enjoy

If you like Destiny, then you may like these ones as well.

Delayed Respawnse

Some of the links on this site are Amazon affiliate links, which means if you click through and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission—at no extra cost to you. It’s a simple way to help support the site and keep the game recommendations coming. Thanks for your support!

Copyright © 2026 Delayed Respawnse. All Rights Reserved.

Platforms

  • Xbox
  • Playstation
  • Nintendo
  • PC

About

  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Sitemap

Find Your Next Game

  • Take Our Quiz
  • Quiz Results
  • How We Score Games