Destiny: Rising Review - A New Voyage in a Familiar Universe

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I’m no stranger to gacha games. I have almost a dozen of them installed, follow at least three of them closely, and try to rarely miss my dailes on any of them. And yes, Destiny: Rising is now part of that group. However, something strange happened when I donned the Wolf’s mantle: it never felt like one of these games. Destiny: Rising might have the banners, the currency, the pulls, and the grindy activities, but its gameplay is so solid and engaging that I forgot I was playing a gacha throughout most of my time, and even made me feel that Destiny 2 could use many of the things its mobile counterpart has brought to the table.

Enter the Wolf

Most of the time, I begin a review by discussing the story or my complaints, and oddly, both of those things fit here. Destiny: Rising takes place in an alternate timeline of the well-known Destiny universe, but this time, the not-so-engaging plot takes place just after the Collapse. We take the role of the Wolf, a resurrected Lightbearer, as they try to fight against the Fallen.

Initially, I was a bit invested in the narrative. Seeing the Dark Ages of the Destiny universe seemed quite intriguing, and the lore surrounding these turbulent times was indeed fascinating. However, the plot failed to capture my attention, and by the time I was halfway through, I had shut my brain off and focused on the gameplay, which is pretty addictive.

Credit where it’s due, however. Destiny: Rising definitely offers the most approachable Destiny story to date, as much of the Destiny 2 narrative is now inaccessible and not easily accessible for new players. I’m not saying it is the best Destiny narrative. For better or worse, Destiny 2 still holds that crown, but if you really want to dip your feet into this rich universe, Rising could be a good way to start without feeling overwhelmed, at least for a bit. Just don’t expect the plot to deliver a high-stakes narrative full of shocking moments.

On the other hand, this might be a “launch version” issue, which is common in several gacha games. The first patch is always an introductory one and can feel like a slog, especially since there’s a lot of time-gating or level-gating to unlock the next bit of gameplay. If history has taught me anything, it is that updates after 1.0, especially in gacha games, tend to deliver a better story, so I hope that’s the case here. However, when it comes to first impressions, the narrative is certainly underwhelming.

Still, there are many things Destiny: Rising does right that Destiny 2 could learn from, and vice versa. This applies not only to the story but also to other aspects, which I will discuss later. For starters, I love the fact that our Wolf is voiced. If you want to win me over in any game that has some character customization, give my hero a voice and a bit of personality, and I’m yours. Furthermore, while not visually stunning, the cutscenes and conversations are much more dynamic than in the multi-platform counterpart, so I’d love to see a bit of that in Destiny 2 one day.

Never-ending Gameplay Options

If Destiny: Rising drops the ball on the story front, it picks it up and dunks it on the gameplay part, which is what hooked me faster than in any other gacha out there, and made me want to return to it constantly.

As a live service game with gacha mechanics, there are a lot of things to do, but even then, Destiny: Rising eclipses many other games of this genre in the market, even those that top the charts monthly.

If you’re a gacha veteran, you might find some of the genre’s DNA here in some activities, such as Haven Ops, which are your usual material-farming activities. There’s the Realm of the IX, which lets you fight another team to get artifacts, the iconic Raids from the same series, which I’ve yet to try, but by the looks of it, are just as engaging, and even some more casual game modes, such as Sparrow Racing and a TCG mode. There’s a never-ending stream of game modes that cater to all players, and something I wish other gacha games would take note of.

Speaking of gacha, it’s time to address the whole pulls situation. I could write an essay on the pity system, comparing it to numerous games out there, and even discuss the best first characters to acquire. Instead, I’ll just tell you that Destiny: Rising‘s gacha system is one of the most generous out there. My editor, who probably stole my luck, has gotten duplicates in almost every pull. I, even in my worst pulls, have gotten some 5-star Lightbearers, which is way more generous than any other game I’ve seen so far. Destiny: Rising actually makes me want to farm that currency because I know I’ll get rewarded by it.

I know these mechanics might not sit well with some players, as some run away at the sight of a gacha, but the truth is that even with it, I never felt that FOMO part that other games have. Characters are useful, even those of the 4-star rarity, and I rarely felt the need for that goth Lightbearer. I still recommend her, though, as she’s excellent, but Destiny: Rising doesn’t have that feel of “I must invest some money to improve my roster.” You can do that, but it never feels mandatory.

Superb Mobile Shooting

One of my biggest fears, before even stepping into Destiny: Rising, was about how well the shooting part would be. Say what you want about Destiny 2 right now, but its gunplay is still top-notch. I didn’t think Rising could hit that level of quality, but it did, and in a few ways, it even surpasses it.

Controls are highly intuitive, and every gun feels fantastic to use, even the new ones that aren’t in the main series. You have two weapons at all times, with each one having interesting perks as you get rarer guns. I preferred this, as it made building characters much easier with weapon categories and more streamlined functions, and also without the perk bloat that is sometimes overwhelming in Destiny 2, especially for newcomers.

Another aspect that elevates the general gameplay and character-building experience is the UI, which is one of the best in any mobile game. If you’re playing on MuMu, it is just as excellent. I played on my tablet and on MuMu, and both ways felt great. I lean more toward the emulator part, simply because I love gaming on a bigger screen. However, I still switch between the two versions depending on what I’m doing that day.

Ultimately, it is rare to see a mobile shooter of such high quality when it comes to its gunplay. There’s no other game on the market that does what Destiny: Rising is doing, and the blueprints it has from Destiny 2 help it a lot. However, it is Rising itself that raises the bar with many features and gameplay additions that I wish we could see one day in Destiny 2.

An Impressive Destiny Experience

As a seasoned gacha veteran, I was expecting yet another experience with the same staples and just a Destiny coat of paint on top of it. However, I got one of the best mobile shooters with a plethora of content to do for all types of players, a friendly gacha system, and most importantly, the most approachable Destiny game for new players right now.

While I’m sad that the story didn’t hook me as much as the other systems did, I’m hopeful for the upcoming updates, as they tend to improve upon many of the aspects that didn’t land well with the initial release patch. Furthermore, it is great that Destiny 2 finally has some internal competition, so to speak. The best way to improve a franchise is to see how other works born from it do things differently, and Destiny: Rising could be the push that Destiny 2 needs. And if not, I’m glad to live in a time where I can pick between two Destiny experiences.

Destiny: Rising (Mobile Reviewed)

8 Great

Destiny: Rising is the best mobile shooter right now that features a plethora of content for all players. While its initial story isn't the best, it is an excellent way to bring new players into the rich Destiny universe.