Many players would agree that live-service games can be quite frustrating when it comes to the way certain content can simply disappear forever. This has been a very big problem for Destiny 2, and even Bungie itself has admitted that removing older content has severely damaged players’ trust. Thankfully, the studio is looking for ways to bring back some of the franchise’s earlier experiences, which include some of the old campaigns, raids, and even destinations, and the Destiny Legacy tease is proof of that.
And although this is great news for longtime fans, there is another opportunity here as well that Bungie is determined not to miss, and it resembles something Blizzard has already done with World of Warcraft Classic. Instead of just bringing back familiar locations, Blizzard recreated the original experience, allowing players to enjoy the game just like they did in 2006. Considering how much Destiny has changed over the years, introducing a Classic-style version of the title might be the smartest direction Bungie could possibly take, and there are several reasons why.
World of Warcraft Classic Sets the Perfect Example for Destiny Legacy
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Image via Blizzard -
World of Warcraft Classic was officially released in 2019, and the idea was not just to modernize the original game or bring back some recognizable features. Instead, the studio recreated the experience players remembered from 2006, which included the character models, the zone layouts, and even the combat mechanics. If the studio had decided to modernize the game, then it would have forced players to become part of an entirely new experience. However, Blizzard gave players an opportunity to return to the roots of the game they fell in love with in the first place, which demonstrates that older versions of live-service games can absolutely coexist with their modern counterparts.
Guess the games from the emojis.
Over 2 million players created characters before the launch in 2019, and subscription plans saw the biggest quarterly increase in World of Warcraft history. This was a huge success, and considering that Destiny‘s situation is similar to WoW‘s in so many ways, a Classic-style Destiny Legacy could actually give the franchise’s earlier years a dedicated place in history without interfering with the general direction of Destiny 2. Of course, when it comes to modernizing original experiences, older content often needs to be adapted in order to work with the modern systems of newer titles, which can involve changes to the gameplay mechanics. This often means that if players want to revisit a familiar location, they still have to experience it from a modern perspective. However, a Classic-style Destiny Legacy could preserve absolutely everything about the original gameplay balance and progression systems, for instance.
If Bungie manages to balance its priorities well, Destiny Legacy has the potential to stand proud alongside the franchise’s modern projects.
This is a great opportunity for the franchise to use nostalgia in its favor. Moreover, this approach isn’t limited to returning players. The original Destiny was never released on PC, so there are entire audiences who never had the chance to experience the beginning of the franchise on their preferred platform. The studio has already discussed how important it is to make the complete experience accessible on other platforms as well, so if the developers managed to bring the original adventure to modern platforms, it could introduce a significant part of the franchise’s history to those who missed it. Also, for most people, experiencing a long-running game from the very beginning is way more satisfying than just playing the newest version.
In other words, Bungie wouldn’t be relying entirely on longtime fans because the project could appeal to entirely new audiences. When it comes to World of Warcraft Classic, it’s important to mention that Blizzard continued experimenting with it long after it was first released, eventually introducing versions such as Hardcore, Season of Discovery, and Classic expansions. This shows that returning to an older version of a game isn’t necessarily a one-time event, and it actually has the potential to become much bigger than it was initially. Bungie has already presented Destiny Legacy as a separate initiative from Destiny 2 Celebration, so there seems to be a lot of long-term potential there.
Destiny Legacy Has the Potential to Become Something Much Bigger
If Bungie decides to follow Blizzard’s example, it would be able to create different experiences around the franchise’s older content while still moving forward with its more modern versions. It goes without saying that many longtime fans are pretty attached to the original Destiny, and giving that part of the franchise a more permanent future seems like the best approach. Of course, there is always the question of whether Bungie has the resources to work on multiple ambitious projects at the same time.
It’s no secret that restoring older content is a complicated task, and with Marathon: Symbiosis coming up in December and the studio also working on Destiny 2 Celebration, there is certainly a lot on its plate. In any case, if Bungie manages to balance its priorities well, Destiny Legacy has the potential to stand proud alongside the franchise’s modern projects.
- Released
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September 9, 2014
- ESRB
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T for Teen
-Animated Blood
-Violence - Engine
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Tiger Engine
