Rehashed Objectives in the Same Areas
Destiny has often been criticized for copious recycling of its environments and levels for its newest content. The concern is understandable but while The Taken King has plenty of re-used levels, it hasn’t necessarily faced that much criticism. Why is that?
Because when you play The Dark Below or House of Wolves, you’re essentially doing many of the same damn things you’ve done in the base game. Sure, there’s a sword here, a Scorch Cannon there, maybe some rehashed mechanics with the disappearing platforms and Oracles, but there was never anything truly unique. Even though The Taken King took us back to the Vault of Glass and Crota’s End, it offered meaningful stories and interesting objectives (note the emphasis) in the process.
Going back to the Vault of Glass to shoot some Oracles and kill some Fallen? Boring. Going back to discover the fate of a member of Kabr’s fireteam while battling Taken enemies, including a Taken Templar that involved exploring the inner depth of the Vault? Count me in. Ditto for the stealth mission in Crota’s End which was fun but didn’t overstay its welcome. Even if the Strikes copiously reuse areas on the Dreadnaught and the Cosmodrome, they offered fresh new objectives and actual cooperative mechanics as opposed to “run through this one place again and shoot everything that moves including the bullet sponge boss, kthanxbai”.
Can we get more of that in the next expansion? It would be appreciated and give more incentive to replaying the same damn mission/Strike for the Daily or Nightfall.
