Reviewed on Xbox One; Also available on PlayStation 4 and PC.

Breaking up is hard to do. Like many other Xbox fans, when the details of Activision and Bungie’s deal for Destiny 2 on Playstation came to light I swore off the game. But as the release date neared, I decided that it was too hard to quit a good thing, and whether the Xbox fanbase can admit it or not, Bungie has crafted one of the finest multiplayer FPS experiences this generation.

Story

Destiny 2 picks up where it’s predecessor left off, one year after the SIVA Crisis. The Tower that houses the Guardians is attacked by a Cabal faction called the Red Legion. Following their siege, the Red Legion imprison the Traveler and take away the light of the Guardians.

After a chaotic first level, our hero awakens to find themselves stranded in the European Dead Zone, working with a group of refugee humans who feel shunned by the Guardians. Its up to you to reunite with the Zavala, Ikora Rey and Cayde-6 to launch an assault and free the Traveler from the Red Legion.

Those who’ve played the first game will feel a sense of familiarity, as the story progresses the player is reintroduced to the universe of the first world through enemies and comments made by the companion Ghost.

Though the first game was criticized for its lack of narrative, Destiny 2 doubles down and provides a solid entry into a series which is likely to continue well into the future.

Gameplay

Destiny 2 feels like a real refinement of what works from the first game. Players will experience a number of large maps, including Earth’s European Dead Zone, Titan, Io and Nessus, a planetoid on the outskirts of the solar system. Every map has its share of unique areas and missions for players to immerse themselves in.

Once again the game features primarily Player versus Enemy and Player versus Player game modes. Users are encouraged to progress through the main storyline to fully unlock some of the more popular features of Destiny, including Strikes and Vault missions. Those who are new to Destiny will likely find this a good way to acclimatize themselves, but veterans may find this frustrating at times.

Regardless, Bungie has taken what was great about the first Destiny and expanded upon it. And while the game still feels like a grind, it’s an enjoyable one, especially considering Xbox’s clubs feature that help you easily find like-minded players looking for groups. While other games have had their share of problems at launch, Destiny has been running smoothly, incorporating weekly challenges and strikes from launch, and I’m excited to see what Bungie has in store down the line.

Graphics and Sound

While there’s a lot of familiarity, Destiny 2 looks and sounds great. Bungie is known never to release a shoddy product, and while their deal is with Playstation the game runs smoothly on Xbox One. Frame rates stay constant throughout the game, even during large scale battles.

As expected, Destiny 2 boasts a great series of voices, sound effects and music. The soundtrack once again stands out, and helps lend itself to the story which has some excellent voice acting once again.

Summary

It’s been no secret in the Court of Public Opinion that Bungie made a number of missteps with the first game, especially with the narrative and DLC. Destiny 2 feels like an improvement in almost every aspect of the game. For those who’ve enjoyed the first game, this one should be a no brainer.