Destiny: House of Wolves

 Xbox One
User Score
4.0

Generally unfavorable reviews- based on 60 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 60
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 60
  3. Negative: 32 out of 60

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  1. Vyrotix
    Jun 6, 2015
    8
    Definitely better than The Dark Below. Story is fun, the new strike is hard, and Prison of Elders is a great challenge. The new Legendary weapons and armor look awesome, and it seems like there was detail put into this DLC, unlike The Dark Below, where it felt more like a last minute revive.

    Apart from that, House of Wolves really deserves an 8.5. It would be higher if there was a new    Definitely better than The Dark Below. Story is fun, the new strike is hard, and Prison of Elders is a great challenge. The new Legendary weapons and armor look awesome, and it seems like there was detail put into this DLC, unlike The Dark Below, where it felt more like a last minute revive.

    Apart from that, House of Wolves really deserves an 8.5. It would be higher if there was a new raid, but we are supposed to get one in the huge content update this fall.    … Expand
  2. Artomoz
    May 21, 2015
    3
    This DLC does not warrant the $19.99 price tag.

    The lack of story line, repetitive game play, and pathetic attempt on horde mode leave much to be desired. House of Wolves feels old and does not bring much to the table in the terms of new areas to explore. From recycling old areas to enemies, it does not add unto the Destiny universe other what every other game would call a side quest.    This DLC does not warrant the $19.99 price tag.

    The lack of story line, repetitive game play, and pathetic attempt on horde mode leave much to be desired. House of Wolves feels old and does not bring much to the table in the terms of new areas to explore. From recycling old areas to enemies, it does not add unto the Destiny universe other what every other game would call a side quest. Go kill x amount of enemies, kill x amount of enemies in an area, and kill x amount of enemies in another area but this time in a large amount.

    One thing I noticed, the main narrator for this story is a Queen's emissary named Petra, along with an annoying Fallen which name I could careless for. Peter Dinklage's ghost is non existent in this DLC.

    Prison of Elders is broken into 4 levels, level 28, 32, 33, and 34. All exactly the same, for one exception, boss battles and little tasks here and there in the same four arenas that you played at lvl 28.

    Trails of Osiris in a nutshell 3 v 3 hand cannon and shotgun fest of hide and go seek.

    On the positive side there are a great amount of new armor, weapons, 2 new spaceships that don't look recycled, and 2 new sparrows that looked very recycled, that have been added to the game.

    Once again, Activision and Bungie offering lack luster content. Expect Destiny 2 or what ever they call it to be announced at E3. This cow ain't going no where, still good for milking.    … Expand
  3. scalan15
    May 20, 2015
    1
    WHAT A SCAM!!!!! Pay $30 for DLC that is the same stuff, same stage except you go backwards through it. This DLC should have been a free update. It's because of Bungie you should never purchase a season pass
  4. chadzors
    May 22, 2015
    0
    First off, the few positive reviews are way too positive to be real. They must be Bungie employees in fear of losing their jobs because they know how lazily they put Destiny and its DLC together.

    This is definitely a scam. I quit playing when crucible became a lagfest and the rest of the content was clearly never going to get fixed. So many raids having to start over, bosses not dying    First off, the few positive reviews are way too positive to be real. They must be Bungie employees in fear of losing their jobs because they know how lazily they put Destiny and its DLC together.

    This is definitely a scam. I quit playing when crucible became a lagfest and the rest of the content was clearly never going to get fixed. So many raids having to start over, bosses not dying at the end so you have to redo the whole mission, etc.

    I came back to check out HoW because I already paid to get access to it. Since I was foolish enough to preorder the digital limited edition (which happens to be the only one you can't return). I lowered my expectations drastically, but it wasn't enough.

    Not only did they not include a new raid, they had the nerve to recycle part of Vault of Glass raid and even doing the oracles part. This was one of the "new" missions. Other missions had you running from the original finish to start from previous missions. The story is even worse. The gameplay is artificially padded to make the game seem longer than it is. The ways to get better guns and armor are even more tedious than the raids were. Bottom line, Bungie is getting very cocky with how dumb they think we are. This whole DLC was a slap to the consumers face.

    Stay away. This is not worth $20. Maybe $5, but it still would be about as much fun as rolling in a pile of rusty nails.
    Bungie, and I believe I speak for many people, you ripped us off for the last time. You can take Destiny 2 and cram it back down the gutter from where it came. I am never buying another product from you again.    … Expand
  5. Neelyry
    May 24, 2015
    8
    In this DLC bungie proves they have learned from their mistakes. I would have given this a ten if it had a raid. Prison of elders basically is one tho. trials of Osiris is pvp on crack, not for noobs
  6. ImaPotato
    May 26, 2015
    8
    This update is pretty good and adds a lot of content to play with friends that is challenging for a nice change. Also, the trials in crucible are pretty fun and remind me a bit of CS:GO, overall pretty good but I would have rather had a raid.
  7. jyoustin
    May 26, 2015
    0
    I got suckered in to purchasing this DLC prior to the drop of TDB (package deal). I will probably never pre-order any video games again. I also will be trying my best to stay away from any Bungie or Activision purchases. TDB and House of Wolves do not really contain any new locations or even a new planet. I thought the DLC would contain new locations, new enemies and maybe some goodI got suckered in to purchasing this DLC prior to the drop of TDB (package deal). I will probably never pre-order any video games again. I also will be trying my best to stay away from any Bungie or Activision purchases. TDB and House of Wolves do not really contain any new locations or even a new planet. I thought the DLC would contain new locations, new enemies and maybe some good story. A complete rip off, none of those things happened. It really is the same areas in reverse...they are basically patrol missions. Not worth buying for two more light levels and some new weapons...get the Witcher 3! I am having a blast playing that.… Expand
  8. Brickthegrim
    May 22, 2015
    1
    Theyve made several good changes but everything the fans have been complaining about all the major issues in this game have been amplified HUGE in this expansion.
  9. SchroederRock
    May 24, 2015
    7
    Bungie is almost learning how to publish good DLC content. House of Wolves unlocks a new social area and brings Fallen enemies into focus this time around. The story missions are a bit more interesting and the new strike mission is actually quite a workout given how short it seems compared to other strikes. The bread and butter here is the Trials of Osiris and the Prison of Elders forBungie is almost learning how to publish good DLC content. House of Wolves unlocks a new social area and brings Fallen enemies into focus this time around. The story missions are a bit more interesting and the new strike mission is actually quite a workout given how short it seems compared to other strikes. The bread and butter here is the Trials of Osiris and the Prison of Elders for new gear and weapons. The Trials are basically PvP but with more meaning and reason to perform well as a team. The Prison is a nice 3-man coop that will challenge you in your abilities to survive crazy and variable situations (random modifiers generate throughout the rounds, giving players some fairly unique experiences during the instance). The problem, again, is the length of content being offered for a sizable $20. House of Wolves technically isn't worth the price of admission, but people are still buying it anyway. Destiny is good enough to make you spend your money and hate that you did (World of Warcraft had that same pull for years). If Bungie can find a way to create a bigger universe that gives players more variety, this will be a game that fights for your game time day in & day out. Wolves will survive most of the summer, but with a holiday lineup that is intense for Xbox, Destiny's major update due this fall will have to be a real whopper to keep players around. House of Wolves is better than The Dark Below, but not by a whole lot.… Expand
  10. aidanpscott
    Jun 11, 2015
    5
    This DLC finally gives Destiny a story! Was it that hard to let Bungie add a story Activision! And it's a good story. The new missions give Destiny a new meaning that breathes some fresh air into the game! This is so much better than the Dark Below and I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed this new DLC. However, if you haven't notice regardless of everything House of Wolves does right, IThis DLC finally gives Destiny a story! Was it that hard to let Bungie add a story Activision! And it's a good story. The new missions give Destiny a new meaning that breathes some fresh air into the game! This is so much better than the Dark Below and I have to say I have thoroughly enjoyed this new DLC. However, if you haven't notice regardless of everything House of Wolves does right, I still give it a 5/10. Can you guess why?

    That's because it takes at least 2 hours to beat! For a story, it's great, but doesn't come close to matching the failure of a story that Destiny was! Yes, it's a great DLC, and if it gave us at least 8 hours of gameplay, it might have been an 8 or even a 9! The price is not worth the lack of content this gives you! Wait until it goes down or don't get it at all. It's good, but too short to be worth your hard-earned money!    … Expand
  11. andik
    Jun 26, 2015
    0
    Greetings to the 4 Bungie / Activision employees who gives this crap a positive score. This DLC should be free, there are only a few minimal maps and not really a story and NO Achievements. Where are the cutscenes, oh wait, cutscenes are only for trailers and merchandising .... Great Work, if the programmers are 15 or less years old. THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME, I WILL NEVER EVER BUY A BUNGIE orGreetings to the 4 Bungie / Activision employees who gives this crap a positive score. This DLC should be free, there are only a few minimal maps and not really a story and NO Achievements. Where are the cutscenes, oh wait, cutscenes are only for trailers and merchandising .... Great Work, if the programmers are 15 or less years old. THAT'S ENOUGH FOR ME, I WILL NEVER EVER BUY A BUNGIE or ACTIVISION GAME! Quote from Movie Avatar - Dr Grace Augustine "They're just pissing on us without even giving us the courtesy of calling it rain."… Expand
  12. Legendb2015
    Aug 13, 2015
    1
    def. cut content from the main game...if you cant tell that by now you're delusional for sure. no new maps included...no new enemies...just a very few new story missions, NO new raid...lame new multiplayer 3 vs 3 mode...and new skins...and like I said on SAME maps you've already paid for facing SAME enemies you've already beaten a 100-1000 times before. Terrible business ethics...def. wontdef. cut content from the main game...if you cant tell that by now you're delusional for sure. no new maps included...no new enemies...just a very few new story missions, NO new raid...lame new multiplayer 3 vs 3 mode...and new skins...and like I said on SAME maps you've already paid for facing SAME enemies you've already beaten a 100-1000 times before. Terrible business ethics...def. wont be picking up another bungie game until a HUGE bargain bin sale and def. not another "season pass"...this whole "DLC" should of been included in the main game, both "House of Wolves" and "Dark Below". Not worth the $30..especially since the main games story was absent except if you want to break immersion and get online and read about it..that and all it was...a)deploy dinkle bot, b) defend dinkle bot across 3 planets and a moon vs. 3 alien races that ALL behaved the same A.I wise (play ring a round the rosie until shields regen)...very lame repetitive game overall...wannabe "DLC" matches that...stay clear of this terrible developer and publisher...buy only on sale from bargain bin or used copies from other gamers to cut out dev./publisher and let them feel the burn they need to feel from trying to get away from these kind of practices… Expand
  13. marr75
    Jun 1, 2015
    8
    I get a consistent 4 hours of quality, social gaming out of Destiny every week since it launched. This expansion perfectly extended that experience. Good but not great add on to a game that has been a huge source of entertainment.
  14. Atomic_Flopper
    Jun 22, 2015
    8
    Bungie has definitely gotten their hands full with their newest series, Destiny, specifically with the House of Wolves DLC. As Destiny being their first attempt at not just an an MMO, but also an RPG style game, consumers needed to have approached cautiously. However, frequent patches have fixed many problems with the game and it's accompanying DLC. Although there is room for improvement,Bungie has definitely gotten their hands full with their newest series, Destiny, specifically with the House of Wolves DLC. As Destiny being their first attempt at not just an an MMO, but also an RPG style game, consumers needed to have approached cautiously. However, frequent patches have fixed many problems with the game and it's accompanying DLC. Although there is room for improvement, the House of Wolves brings new enemies and content to Destiny's bland storyline.… Expand
  15. McGillotine
    Jul 2, 2015
    1
    Now in this review i ain't even going to bother with criticizing destiny that has been done enough and the propose of this review is to look up the recently released DLC for destiny, house of wolves and what an unforgiving failure it is, with the most gratifying part of the DLC's release giving me the opportunity to uninstall destiny of my console now that my expansion pass included in myNow in this review i ain't even going to bother with criticizing destiny that has been done enough and the propose of this review is to look up the recently released DLC for destiny, house of wolves and what an unforgiving failure it is, with the most gratifying part of the DLC's release giving me the opportunity to uninstall destiny of my console now that my expansion pass included in my day one limited edition of Destiny, However uninstalling the game game me no such pleasure as it was a game that cost me $120 with House of wolves standing alone at the $20 price, it is yet another forgettable prologue for an otherwise stretched and redundant franchise offering little new to do other than jump around in a small scale hub and grindfest in a new wave based game. It is safe to say that not even James Cameron can raise the bar this time from the depths of Cthulhu's layer as its dropped into Activisions hands who have turned house of wolves into a few new quests taking place in the same locations with minimal accomplishment for players who finish $20 worth of content in 1 hour making me think that Destinys next DLC the Taken King will be groundbreaking at a $40 price tag, because it will be 2 hours long. Honestly Bungie what the hell happened to you, you made Halo for God's sake the game that reinvented FPS and you drop the bomb faster than the US on Hiroshimo… Expand
  16. AverageMan
    Jul 19, 2015
    1
    This game is the biggest rip off of all time where do I start? First off all they had the nerve to cut content off the disc and sell it back as DLC now they are putting out their first piece of real DLC and are charging near enough a full game for you to play screwing over everyone who was dumb enough to pay for the limited edition in the first place but it gets better one of the devs hadThis game is the biggest rip off of all time where do I start? First off all they had the nerve to cut content off the disc and sell it back as DLC now they are putting out their first piece of real DLC and are charging near enough a full game for you to play screwing over everyone who was dumb enough to pay for the limited edition in the first place but it gets better one of the devs had the audacity to brag how we would throw money at the screen for this joke of a game.
    Please gamers have some dignity and don't buy the sequel this is up there with worst games ever made complete dog poop.    … Expand
  17. Termin8ter
    Mar 18, 2016
    5
    This is clearly Activision trying to milk Destiny for all it's worth by slicing up the story and giving it to us as DLC! NO!! Don't buy this, please. Every copy sold of this DLC encourages other companies to do the same thing. Vote with your wallets by not buying this.
  18. Nakkax
    Jul 5, 2015
    7
    This was definitely the better of the two DLCs for Destiny. The new social area, The Reef, is well detailed and is where I now go to for engrams, bounties, my vault, and postmaster. The new Prison of Elders game mode is fun and a lot different than anything else in the game, with an arena type layout. Trials of Osiris is a beefed up PvP mode, much like the Skirmish mode in the base game,This was definitely the better of the two DLCs for Destiny. The new social area, The Reef, is well detailed and is where I now go to for engrams, bounties, my vault, and postmaster. The new Prison of Elders game mode is fun and a lot different than anything else in the game, with an arena type layout. Trials of Osiris is a beefed up PvP mode, much like the Skirmish mode in the base game, except that there is no respawning, only being able to revive. The story missions were more fun than I thought they would be. The new strike is great, too. Now, my main problem is the fact that to do some of the things, you need friends that are also high levels. My friends aren't all high levels, with me having a level 33 and 32 while they have level 26 and 27s. Considering that for Trials of Osiris is level based, meaning that better weapons and gear are a factor, you need people in the higher levels to do this. Also, the later levels of the Prison of Elders that let you get a lot of the gear included in the DLC and Etheric Light to upgrade your armor so you can get to the max level, 34, and reputation to get things like ships and shaders for your Guardian, have no matchmaking, meaning you need friends or find some to do the level 32, 34, or 35 modes. Also, Peter Dinklebot is COMPLETELY silent in any of the missions, new strikes, and Prison of Elders. Overall, it is fun with friends, but not solo.… Expand
  19. Mtnman95
    Jul 10, 2015
    9
    Taking steps in the right direction towards one of the best gaming experiences.

    there's a lot of reviews saying its not worth your money or "SCAM" but, They're ironing out a few kinks along the road but trying to make this an interactive social gaming experience where you level up and collect exotic items to customize your "guardian of the light". I've played a lot of **** in my time    Taking steps in the right direction towards one of the best gaming experiences.

    there's a lot of reviews saying its not worth your money or "SCAM" but,
    They're ironing out a few kinks along the road but trying to make this an interactive social gaming experience where you level up and collect exotic items to customize your "guardian of the light". I've played a lot of **** in my time from donkey kong on the Nintendo 64 to world of Warcraft and Bungie is taking it to the next level with destiny. its worth the investment and exploration.    … Expand
  20. gameguardian21
    Nov 11, 2016
    6
    The house of wolves is a huge improvement over the failure below. Even though it does not offer a good story, it has some memorable characters and some good mission design, and the raids are still awesome.
  21. DestinyDoer
    Jul 4, 2020
    4
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Why is the price too high? This DLC does not have a lot of new things. This is everything I will type.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 4 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 4
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 4
  3. Negative: 0 out of 4
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Jul 16, 2015
    80
    A generous expansion in both content and spirit. [Aug 2015, p.96]
  2. Dealspwn
    May 26, 2015
    50
    Sadly, House Of Wolves presents horrible value at £19.99 or as part of a season pass that costs as much as a retail game. Once again Destiny sells the illusion of meaningful content for a Queen's ransom.
    Read full review
  3. COGconnected
    May 26, 2015
    69
    An improvement over The Dark Below DLC, but it could have been so much more.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »