Destiny 2

Nothing shoots like Destiny. Bungie's inheritance from Halo, refined across a decade, produces weapon feel with a physicality nobody has matched — the weight of a hand cannon, the recoil pattern of a pulse rifle, the specific satisfaction of a precision kill. Add three classes of space wizard with movement and ability kits that layer on top, and the moment-to-moment is the best in this genre by a clear margin.

The raids are the other reason people stay. Six players, no instructions, an encounter that must be reverse-engineered as a group — Destiny's raid design invented a category and still owns it. Vault of Glass, Last Wish, Deep Stone Crypt: these are among the best co-operative experiences the medium has produced, and the world-first race each launch is a genuine event.

The business problem

Destiny 2's commercial structure has been criticised for eight years and it has not improved. Expansions, annual passes, episodic content, dungeon keys, an Eververse cosmetics store with silver currency — a new player cannot easily determine what to buy. The content vaulting decision, which removed campaigns players had purchased in order to manage install size, remains one of the more remarkable things a publisher has done to paying customers.

And the studio itself is unsettled. Layoffs, absorption further into Sony, and departures of long-tenured leads have left the roadmap harder to trust than at any point in the game's life. The free entry point is generous and the shooting is worth experiencing regardless. Treat any larger investment as speculative.