Hoo boy... with 1k+ hours into this game and counting, I was bound to write a review for it eventually. So, where do I even begin?

The game is plenty of fun for those that are able to get into it and understand the mechanics, but for anyone that's starting off, you're in for a bumpy start. The New Light experience faced a serious downgrade ever since most content from Years 1, 2, and 3 were vaulted, as by the time new players are done with it, they usually become overwhelmed by what the game has on offer at that point.

Some might think there's lots of content when I say that it can be overwhelming for new players, but the truth is that that's not really true, either. Sure, there's several locations to explore, along with strikes, Crucible, Gambit, Dares of Eternity, and even a couple of raids and a dungeon that are free to play (by the time I'm writing this, anyway), but at that point, the game feels less like a free-to-play, and more like a demo, as most of the content is locked behind the DLCs.

The DLCs are a pretty mixed bag. Some are hits (Witch Queen) while others are misses (Shadowkeep), but the truth is that the game practically requires players to own them to make it feel like a full experience. That in mind, for anyone who plans on getting them if you found the free-to-play experience to be interesting enough to keep playing, get the Legacy Collection. It'll get you up to speed with the previous major expansions.

Seasons also tend to fluctuate between hit and miss, but the biggest issue with them is FOMO. If you missed out on a season that might've had an ornament or gear you wanted, such as a Sparrow or ship, you're basically SOL. Granted, seasonal weapons and armor can be sold by certain vendors from time to time, but the chances of getting a good roll from them is even lower.

I really should also discuss another elephant in the room when it comes to this game: the monetization. Oh God, the monetization. If the starting experience wasn't already bad enough, beginners being showered with "buy this" and "buy that" is not only annoying, but predatory, not to mention the absurd amount of content locked behind paywalls, even if most of it is cosmetic. Want to access the seasonal content? Buy the season pass. Want to unlock extra cosmetics from a seasonal event? Buy the event card. Want to access the dungeons that were released throughout an expansion's runtime? Buy the dungeon pass. On a weekly rotation, cosmetics in Eververse become available for Bright Dust, which unlike Silver, can be earned for free, but the odds of it being a cosmetic you want is really low, only shrinking as more cosmetics get shoveled in with every season.

The lore is actually one of the best parts of the Destiny universe, with in-game lorebooks that become available to read for all players in case the content associated with them is no longer available, but the same can't be said for story cutscenes and the like, meaning players that missed out would have to resort to watching YouTube videos to be caught up to speed. If players have to resort to such measures just to understand what's going on, there's clearly something wrong. Too many "you had to be there" moments because of it.

The Destiny Content Vault... it was apparently done so that new players can have an easier time getting into the game by not being too overwhelmed (granted, I was a bit overwhelmed when I started off back in S11), but as I mentioned with the New Light experience, it didn't help much to welcome new players, in fact, it had the opposite effect. Of course, I can't bring up the DCV without mentioning one of the most controversial decisions made with this game: the vaulting of the Forsaken campaign. Yup, if you're wondering why the Forsaken Pack is just that, it's because the campaign no longer exists in the game. I can only hope that it comes back eventually, much as I do with the other vaulted content, but I'm not counting on it making a return, so I'll just say this: yikes.

Don't get me wrong, I love playing this game. I wouldn't have plugged thousands of hours into this game and counting if I didn't. However, with a bad New Light experience, lots of FOMO, and predatory marketing plaguing the game, it's very difficult to recommend it to newcomers. If you still want to play it despite all the issues I listed, I won't stop you. Just remember to get the Legacy Collection so you can actually have more of a full experience with the game.