I have been involved in the game since 2021. I have purchased all expansions, joined various clans from time to time to experience raids, and even managed to convince some of my friends to start playing as well. Having now gained a more comprehensive perspective, I felt compelled to share my own comments (and I emphasise “my own” because I am certain I am not the first to reach the point of quitting the game). My feedback is as follows:
1) Poor Guidance for Beginners
As a new player in 2021 (and I still consider myself a new player, as will become evident), I never felt that the game provided adequate guidance regarding the sequence of its storylines or the available weapons. Even the cinematics shown to me upon logging in were often out of order, which led to confusion about the game’s narrative. As a result, I found myself having to seek external sources to piece together the storyline more effectively than the game itself does.
Regarding side quests, while it is enjoyable to have a variety of quests to complete, the lack of direction combined with chaotic, overly descriptive quest instructions—often containing information that a beginner could not possibly know—led me to abandon many of them, ultimately hindering my progress.
2) Unfriendly PvP Environment for Beginners
Despite repeated attempts, I played Trials of Osiris and Competitive modes and consistently felt as though I was the only beginner in my teams. I am unsure whether there is a matchmaking system that pairs players with those of similar experience, but if such a system exists, I certainly did not experience its benefits.
3) Purchasing Expansions Without Campaign Access
From what I have read, a considerable number of players have complained about this issue, and I fully understand why. I purchased certain expansions that once included quests, only to find that they had been removed. This left me feeling as though I had simply donated money to the company in exchange for a few exotic weapons, rather than receiving the full content that was originally available.
4) Raids and Playing with Random Teams
Due to the structure of raids, I had some of the worst experiences when playing with random players, with whom communication was virtually impossible—whether due to language barriers, technical issues, or toxic behaviours. The way raids are designed essentially forces players to form teams with friends or reliable teammates in order to succeed; otherwise, they will never have the opportunity to obtain raid rewards.
In my case, I was unable to collaborate effectively with a team, and my friends eventually quit the game due to the aforementioned reasons, as well as their inability to participate meaningfully in raids. As beginner players, they found it extremely difficult to grasp what was required of them.
Final Thoughts
As a game, both in terms of story and gameplay mechanics, it is highly enjoyable—one of the most engaging games we have played. However, the aforementioned issues are significant enough to discourage us from continuing. I sincerely hope that solutions will be found in the future. However, as things stand, [b]Bungie does not currently have our trust[/b] when it comes to investing further money into future expansions or new releases.
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Also: 1) Bungie creates a discord between players that main the different classes. This may be more prevalent among the PvP community but I tell you what, I hate the other classes. I have one of each but I despise the other classes in PvP games. And then during events like guardian games that rift just grows. 2) Community on the whole is pretty toxic and not beginner friendly. 3) FOMO and over-monetization of recycled content. 4) And lastly the forums. Bungie biggest problem is, always has been and always will be the community and the fact that they opened this franchise/game up to public forum. When they created halo they just did what they did and released it and said “here’s our game, play it or don’t.” And it was one of the greatest games ever, but this game is always being nerfed, twisted, bent to make someone happy(usually casuals). Not saying either game was in a great place on launch, but if bungie would have just been left to their own devices, one thing is for sure: the game would of either been better than it is, or worse than it is, but it wouldn’t be what it is right now. And since everyone seems to have a problem with what it is right now, would you take a 50/50 shot at it being either better or worse? Honestly I think it’d be worth it, if it’s better, then great we have a better game, if it’s worse, it would have died any number of times and we wouldn’t even have to be having this discussion. LOOOOOLLLLLLLL