Playing Destiny 2’s Countdown at E32017
Guardians! I am back with you to discuss the Crucible gameplay that Bungie hosted at E32017. Thanks to Stack-Up and Bungie at the Activision booth I was able to get some hands-on experience for Destiny 2’s new Crucible mode Countdown. Countdown is the new attack and defend game mode awaiting us in the Crucible. Overall the new Crucible game mode Countdown felt really great. It’s a basic attack or defend mode with two points (A or B). Teams will switch roles after each round allowing a balanced playing field. The Round will end when one of three options has occurred. 1). An entire team has been eliminated prior to the charge being set. 2). Attacking team successfully detonates charge on point A or B. Or 3). Defending team successfully disarms the charge. The first team to reach six round wins will be deemed the winner.
Crucible Gameplay
During my hands-on experience, it felt a little more balanced in PvP. Not only do the matches feel less chaotic, it felt a little easier to communicate with your team. I was a little curious to see how the 4 v 4 matchmaking would translate to the new gun game. Bungie decided to make the Crucible a little bit more manageable and easier to get into in Destiny 2.
They started by scaling PvP modes to 4v4, as it allows the map to be less crowded which means less chaos. It happened way too many times in Destiny 1 where the spawn system would drop my guardian in a poor place due to how crowded the maps were. There are times where the battlefield was just too chaotic to maneuver. New players never really stood a chance to learn from engagements due to how fast the time to kill was. This seemed like a major deterrent that Bungie wanted to correct for Destiny 2.
Going In the Right Direction
When Destiny 2 is available in September, Crucible should be easier to get into and learn from while playing. Granted it still may not be easy, but you will have an opportunity to learn from your encounters. The time to kill with primary weapons took a little bit longer but gave you an ability to disengage if caught off guard. Power (previous Heavy) weapons still were very useful if you are able to get ammunition for them (#3 in the image).
captured from MoreConsole’s video
The User Interface (UI) has been remodeled to also make things easier to decipher in the midst of battle. Up top, there is a list of Guardians, their Subclass, revives left (revive token #1), current Super status, and match score (# 2 & 4). Other changes have been made to in-game text which now announces which player activates a Super ability. In game text additionally, announces when and where Power ammo has been acquired. Radar has also been updated to show nearby enemy activity vs Destiny 1 where it could track movement from much farther. These changes help set up Destiny 2 to be more foundational around teamwork. While at the same time requiring communication and awareness of the battlefield.
Going to 4v4
Another good thing about going down to 4v4 game mode was communication. When you have a full fire team in Destiny 1 you had to communicate with five other guardians. While in Destiny 2 you only have to communicate within a team of 4. This makes it a little easier so you aren’t stepping on each other’s communications in a firefight. I also believe this is a step in the right direction bringing all game modes to 4v4 making it balanced throughout. This allows for the potential of a competitive gameplay forming after Destiny 2’s release. Whether that be within Destiny 2 itself or through an outside league like MLG
After Action Notes
During my matches, I decided to run with a Pulse Rifle in the primary slot, Hand Cannon in energy slot, and Sniper Rifle in Power slot. This gave me the ability to stay at range and play as I normally would with the pulse rifle. With the new weapon changes in play, it gave me the option to run a Hand Cannon for closer range encounters without having to change my full load out. Running a Sniper gave me the ability to lock down a lane while defending a point in Countdown.
While in the match I was able to notice a couple of changes that caught my eyes. Titan lightning grenades will actually light up significantly before its first pulse. Some minor changes to the throwing knife, as it has a detonation after impact option. Sticky grenades attach very well but are no longer a guaranteed kill. Supers still felt very, well super. A teammate of mine dodge a titan slam but didn’t realize the new striker class had the ability to do multiple slams or shoulder charges. Golden Gun still felt the same, but Dawnblade and Arcstrider definitely felt powerful at times. Unfortunately, I didn’t get any playing time with the Striker Titan so I am unable to give an honest opinion on the subclass.
Overall Impressions
As I have only gotten hands on one PvP game mode I can only give an honest opinion about how the new Crucible mode works. When it comes to other possible games modes those will all be speculation based until further information is revealed by Bungie. Overall, the new Countdown game mode was super fun and has challenging potential. How Destiny 2 is set up for PvP makes other potential Crucible modes more tolerable.
I can’t say which PvP modes are making a return or what new types might peak into Destiny 2. With the overhaul of the UI and weapons balance other match types can be a lot easier to get into. My thoughts go directly into the new Trials of the Nine, which will be the new name of Trials of Osiris. Hopefully in Destiny 2 Crucible will be overall easier to learn and make adjustments to help you raise your abilities with practice, persistence, and time.
Standby for a more in-depth breakdown of the Hunter’s new Arcstrider subclass in a future post.
.