Destiny: The Taken King

 Xbox One
User Score
5.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 425 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 181 out of 425
  2. Mixed: 65 out of 425
  3. Negative: 179 out of 425

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  1. DarCbrGr
    Jun 26, 2021
    6
    It's a fun game for the first third or so of its playtime, but then it gets extremely stale really fast.
  2. gameguardian21
    Nov 10, 2016
    7
    While the taken king still can't offer a good campaign as promised, the taken king still improves over somethings like the new mission design and levels, cool new add-ons to the gameplay, and the fact that they actually try to have a story here is a plus for this expansion.
  3. matthiasgames
    Nov 7, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This was an interesting set of DLC, investigating and fighting against the Taken in an eventually successful attempt to take down Oryx.

    I was a fan of the invisible platform mechanics seen in this DLC, as well as enemy variance and general story. However, the final boss, Oryx himself, was a laughable joke and incredibly unchallenging in that I was under-levelled for the fight, yet still managed to defeat Oryx without taking any red health damage. It was possibly one of the most predictable boss fight patterns Destiny has ever given us, and it kind of left a sour taste in my mouth.

    Sorry, Bungie. Your great DLC was tarnished by an incredibly underwhelming final challenge that left me delaying my purchase of Rise of Iron until the hour before launch.    … Expand
  4. LordExarus
    Feb 18, 2016
    7
    I am going to be brutally honest even though I love bungie and i'm a huge fan.This game really caught my attention and I at first loved it,the story while lacking in actual story being more of a set of missions then a real campaign were fun.Then I reached level 20,oh god.The game completely turned,I spent the last 20 levels making my character look as boss as possible then all that isI am going to be brutally honest even though I love bungie and i'm a huge fan.This game really caught my attention and I at first loved it,the story while lacking in actual story being more of a set of missions then a real campaign were fun.Then I reached level 20,oh god.The game completely turned,I spent the last 20 levels making my character look as boss as possible then all that is thrown out of the window as I have to get these stat points to level up my character.
    There aren't enough strikes to do,there's literally 4-6 in total and they're level based.So really you only have 2 realistically available at one time and they're repetitive,a trend throughout the game.
    Raids are extremely long and I only ever managed once to assemble a team,in my opinion they need a matchmaker for raids.
    PVP is where I had the most fun,its actually fairly balanced and works.
    The RNG in this game is terrible,from the ingrams to the loot you get after strikes is dependent on a number generator,Why?Reasons.

    Overall this game just leaves a lot to be desired,which will probably be filled with stripped DLC that activision demanded.    … Expand
  5. Domlol
    Jan 18, 2016
    6
    Dont Kid yourself, the game is a mess. I've been playing for 2 months now on and off and still have zero clue what the game is about or whats going on. But that seems to be the case for everyone.
    However compared to year one this has
    Much more memorable Characters with actual funny lines (Shoutout Cayde-6) , SOME sort of Idiot plot (massive improvement over the frankenstein set piece    Dont Kid yourself, the game is a mess. I've been playing for 2 months now on and off and still have zero clue what the game is about or whats going on. But that seems to be the case for everyone.
    However compared to year one this has
    Much more memorable Characters with actual funny lines (Shoutout Cayde-6) , SOME sort of Idiot plot (massive improvement over the frankenstein set piece story nonsense from before.)

    Fun PVP, Some fun missions, Extremely Challenging with no friends (you REALLY need 2 people playing with you to really get the most out of the game.. and yeah good luck with gathering your friends to get to level 40 first with you, coordinating strikes and working out your schedules. Unless you're on a holiday or unemployed? Don't bother)
    Loot system was designed by a depressed monkey. Made worse by the Cryptarch which in reality doesnt make looting "Exciting" it just ups the chance of you not getting the things you want.
    For a Hybrid MMO this game has zero features such as Chat, a Good Group Finder (like in wow) and its a shame with enough money to boost the economy of a small african nation that Bungie Cocked up so bad and missed out so many features that a Half-bake probably wouldnt.

    Still it doesnt take away from the fact that the game is addictive as hell and can have its fun moments.
    Play it and draw your own conclusions. This game can be compared to a romance with a Girl who's neither here nor there emotionally for you, and you seem more invested into it that her.    … Expand
  6. Lumio_Draco
    Jan 13, 2016
    5
    So I decided to give Destiny another chance and bought this expansion. I regret paying $40 for this game. At most this game is worth half the retail price due to the lack of cinematic content. Relatively speaking the story is more coherent and their is much more humor then in the first very disappointing game in the series. Unfortunately I've lost interest after playing through the story campaign.
  7. Reviewist
    Dec 5, 2015
    6
    With a fixed loot system and an unfair level system still alive, Destiny is going from bad to worse. This was a game with a 500 Million$ budget that was known for having repetitive content and having the biggest budget of any game ever, effectively surpassing At World's End's 295 Million Dollars in advertising, props, animation and etc. etc. Everything in this game that is actuallyWith a fixed loot system and an unfair level system still alive, Destiny is going from bad to worse. This was a game with a 500 Million$ budget that was known for having repetitive content and having the biggest budget of any game ever, effectively surpassing At World's End's 295 Million Dollars in advertising, props, animation and etc. etc. Everything in this game that is actually worthwhile doing besides the Vault of Glass are all DLC exclusive content. Players who haven't purchased the Taken King DLC can't lol up from 34, and therefor missing out on the new subclasses introduced in the trailers, as you unlock them when you reach level 35. Trials of Osiris, raids, weekly night falls, DLC bounties and the crucible are all the activities actually worthwhile doing compared to farming strikes over and over, hoping to receive a legendary, or even an exotic. The flaws of the game are that it gives you all the basic content on the spot and asks you for more pocket money in exchange for more content. Having activision as a sales representative wasn't a good idea after all. All that's left in between are the patrols, campaign and farming for either Xur or the factions. The graphics stayed the same in style, with beautiful architecture and originality. The plot line feels like an unfinished book, with DLC being used as the replacement pages. The main story typically consists of either boss battles or horde mode missions. Emotes are friggin useless and literally just take 5$ extra out of your bank account to buy the remaining silver required to buy a legendary emote. Stuff from Xur is mostly for DLC players, as the weapons are for lvl 40's. Overall, a game that never reached it's full potential and instead had to now scramble for farming, grinding, random events, horde mode, repetitive activities and when it is not doing that, gives you **** like raids that require at least two friends since you have no matchmaking, night falls, which are normal strikes on steroids and farming crucible for lord shaxx so that he can give you that fatebringer that you always wanted. Thoroughly disappointed for this being a Bungie game.… Expand
  8. EmX
    Nov 15, 2015
    6
    A game that is fun at first, but grows tired due to the mismanagement of the game's developer. In the right hands, Destiny could be an amazing game. There are a lot of outstanding elements that make up this game.
    The mechanics are superb, and the map designs are simply incredible. Plus the community, overall is outstanding. You can find a lot of tips on the Reddit thread and on you Tube    A game that is fun at first, but grows tired due to the mismanagement of the game's developer. In the right hands, Destiny could be an amazing game. There are a lot of outstanding elements that make up this game.
    The mechanics are superb, and the map designs are simply incredible. Plus the community, overall is outstanding. You can find a lot of tips on the Reddit thread and on you Tube that are very helpful. And when you first play this game it is a lot of fun. There are some cool weapons, and a lot of thoughtful utilities that make the game enjoyable. However, as a Day One player, the game environment of Destiny post-TTK is pretty much a time suck and not worth your while. This is due to the mismanagement of Bungie. It is pretty apparent they don't understand that the customer(gamer) should come first. They make a lot of bad decisions, getting rid of elemental primaries, not addressing the latency in PvP(that is still around after 2 years) Changing the Nightfall quest-to name a few, that really make the game not only unworthy your time in the present, but also negate your investment in it for the future. The bottom line is ,it is evident that the guys running Bungie don't have the marketing aptitude to add value to the game consistently. In its current form, this game is a vicious cycle of wasting your time with very few moments of fun the further you get into it. For anyone considering buying it, the PvP part of the game has the most potential, but honestly, it's just not worth it due to the disingenuous of Bungie's game management.    … Expand
  9. PhonicCanine
    Nov 1, 2015
    5
    Destiny: The Taken King is just bad, like the original Destiny. It is an excuse for more future DLC, it is forced upon consumers, and it brings nothing of note to the game. Not gonna spoil anything, but the canonical boss fight is literally just a target, who spawns minions. So underwhelming. The crucible remains unbalanced, and the games only saving grace is that now, dinkelbot isDestiny: The Taken King is just bad, like the original Destiny. It is an excuse for more future DLC, it is forced upon consumers, and it brings nothing of note to the game. Not gonna spoil anything, but the canonical boss fight is literally just a target, who spawns minions. So underwhelming. The crucible remains unbalanced, and the games only saving grace is that now, dinkelbot is replaced with another ghost who at least feels like is trying. But overall - this isn't worth it.… Expand
  10. Doktor_Vehicl3
    Oct 30, 2015
    6
    Destiny: The Taken King is a great piece of content. Now reading that and looking at the score might have you scratching your head, but the quality of the content on offer isn't the main problem with The Taken King. Rather, it is the precedent that has been established in the modern gaming industry that it's okay to release an incomplete title and slowly build on it over a period of time,Destiny: The Taken King is a great piece of content. Now reading that and looking at the score might have you scratching your head, but the quality of the content on offer isn't the main problem with The Taken King. Rather, it is the precedent that has been established in the modern gaming industry that it's okay to release an incomplete title and slowly build on it over a period of time, charging fares all the way.

    That feeling of knowing you've purchased a complete game that you can play and revisit whenever you like has been diminished as the age of digital preorders has dawned over the industry. Pardon the cynicism, but it's hard to get excited for any well marketed AAA release when the fear of an incoming swindle is always present.

    While The Taken King improves the base game significantly while adding content of its own, it's hard to see these changes as reactive more than pre-ordained from the start - the presence of the Dreadnought environment which was seen briefly in pre-release videos from Destiny before its release justifies the existence of both Crota and Oryx in the base game. Given the recent illumination of some of Bungie's in-house politics regarding Destiny, it's hard to see Bungie with more than a feeling of disdain since they entered a partnership with Activision.

    Deadlines are just a necessary evil in the games industry, especially while under the scrutiny of a megapublisher like Activision. While I'm glad Bungie is on the right track with Destiny, it's clear that even The Taken King wasn't quite ready to be shipped, with a number of problems and bugs still present in many aspects of the base game, and within the expansion content. What's more is that The Taken King is a measure of planned obsolescence for base game materials. For those without the expansion, some of the base game content is actually locked out. While you can argue that this signifies that the game has evolved from its base form, and players should adapt, it seems unfair to take content away from players who consider this downloadable content optional.

    And that's the thing: The Taken King is not an optional expansion. In order to continue enjoying Destiny, even if it means doing only everything you did before, you need to buy in. All of these problems could have been rectified with a unified release of the game from the beginning, instead of now. Players new to Destiny will have a wealth of content to get through, but there's no denying what a slap in the face Destiny year one was to day one players, punctuated by the release of The Taken King.    … Expand
  11. Mando44646
    Oct 27, 2015
    7
    This is Destiny, pure and simple. Its actually what Destiny *should have been* at launch. But this is a complete and utter ripoff for $40 if you already spent $100 on the base game and 2 DLC add-ons, none of which were worth the money either. Only with this DLC, does the full package even approach being worth a $60 price tag. Its gotta be the most overhyped and underwhelming game of theThis is Destiny, pure and simple. Its actually what Destiny *should have been* at launch. But this is a complete and utter ripoff for $40 if you already spent $100 on the base game and 2 DLC add-ons, none of which were worth the money either. Only with this DLC, does the full package even approach being worth a $60 price tag. Its gotta be the most overhyped and underwhelming game of the year, if not the generation, so far.

    I cant figure out why critical scores are so high on this, maybe because the base game set expectations so low?    … Expand
  12. Jweezy25
    Oct 19, 2015
    7
    This game is addicting and that's all there is to this title.

    Story: It's amazing but to actually know the story you have to go online and read it on the website. The game doesn't do it any justice at all what so ever. Which is extremely disappointing. Multiplayer: This gets its own category because the game is centered around it. The multiplayer makes me revisit the game every    This game is addicting and that's all there is to this title.

    Story:
    It's amazing but to actually know the story you have to go online and read it on the website. The game doesn't do it any justice at all what so ever. Which is extremely disappointing.

    Multiplayer:
    This gets its own category because the game is centered around it. The multiplayer makes me revisit the game every week for more. What destiny does in this regard is bring people together by forcing them to play online with each other and force people to actually communicate. The only other game that can accomplish this much of a player interaction is WOW and other MMOs of the sort. This is a beauty, I have had the best team experiences in this game than any other. This only should be a reason why you consider the game at all.

    Graphics:
    It looks amazing the set pieces feel other worldly. The enemy designs are really cool and it feels different to fight each one.

    Game play:
    Guns feel good the controls are flawless. all good here.

    Level Design:
    This is another area where the game falls short and prevents it from being a 9. The levels such as the raids are beautifully crafted. Other than that all the other levels are missing key elements. The new taken strikes have a little more volume and content but not enough to keep it interesting for the hours one would have to grind to get the armor and weapons you would need to actually do the raid.

    Is taken king worth 60? It honestly depends on your interests. If your looking for a game to distract you and kill time with it is worth is it has no depth but it is really fun to shoot things. Also if your in the mood its amazing to work with a team and come together. If your in for an experience then don't buy it, like I said there is no depth to it.    … Expand
  13. gunnrs
    Oct 1, 2015
    6
    Destiny: The Taken King is still a very flawed game and far from the 2013 hype leading up to Destiny's original launch. While there is a decent amount of content it still falls short for its price point. One additional patrol space really isn't that much when you consider the base game's four locations added up to a game that many players felt was void of content after a short time. BungieDestiny: The Taken King is still a very flawed game and far from the 2013 hype leading up to Destiny's original launch. While there is a decent amount of content it still falls short for its price point. One additional patrol space really isn't that much when you consider the base game's four locations added up to a game that many players felt was void of content after a short time. Bungie admitted (or lied) that the original game was suppose to have game spaces 5-10x the size of Cosmodrome and possibly multiple locations on each planet. This new space might be better designed and have more to do in it, but the game still has you backtracking and treading through the same hallways over and over.

    The story campaign and cutscenes are executed well enough, but completely ignore the base game's story with the stranger. I am sure that will be continued in a future DLC, but it just doesn't flow that well. The decision to replace Peter Dinklage with Nolan North was also something I do not think worked. I never thought Peter was the problem (at least not always), but the fact that the writing was poor. Even people who support the voice acting change admit this fact. Right now Nolan North's Ghost just feels like a 343 Guilty Spark impersonation while Peter Dinklage made the Ghost feel like a unique character aka Dinklebot.

    The strikes play to Destiny's strengths, but do not solve the problems of the game. It's very easy to skip past enemies in the campaign and strikes and the only real threats come inside very small circular rooms where the AI can not be easily exploited. The AI at its core is still very limited at range and easily exploitable in larger locations however. The new enemies and strike mechanics are welcome additions, but nothing mind blowing or dynamic. The King's Fall raid is where game play best shines as it both plays to Destiny's strengths as well as introduces many unique and thoughtful challenges.

    The journey to level 40 isn't anything special and the hyped change in light design was misrepresented. You get from 34 to 40 in just a few hours max. You are still going to have to grind gear and bounties to progress to end game content (because light level still matters) and play the same strikes over and over again to raid. The new subclasses are fun, but they also nerfed some previous subclasses and abilities. Blink for example was nerfed very hard and isn't even fun for me anymore. This was probably to make the new subclasses more attractive, but it doesn't feel right. It's a stab to established game mechanics and progress that players made during Year 1.

    Destiny brings a new heavy weapon class with Swords which can be used offensively and to block. They mostly play like Crota's sword even drawing you to third person (personally I would have liked first person swords). I also don't understand why it took this long for ONE additional weapon class. In the 2014 beta, I thought where are the melee weapons, elemental flamethrowers, bows, launchers, dual weapons, and anything unique like we saw in Halo? Bungie still has a ton of room to grow here which so far has been painfully slow.

    The truth is a lot of Destiny weapons blend because each weapon class only has a couple different variants because damage (impact) and rate of fire are streamlined. This could be argued it was designed this way for balance, but I tend to suspect 30 fps plays a role as well. The new scopes and weapon designs do help alleviate this problem. However, the problem then reemerges because old weapons are not brought into the Taken King. You can not infuse old weapons and are forced to grind new gear. This is a decision I do not agree with. Every DLC has taken away weapons while adding some and it just seems like a backwards decision. I understand a lot of the guns now have nerfed impact and old guns would be better, but they could at least make the light level comparable instead of the drastic year 1 drop. Right now old gear is just irrelevant in most of the taken king. Also, a lot of the armor seems to be copy pasted from year 1.

    Then there's PVP which is still broken with horrible lag compensation and networking. Autoaim and instant kills are still a staple and matchmaking lacks real choice and variety. The new maps are all forgettable and blend rather than introducing anything unique or dynamic. At this point it's clear that Bungie just wants the COD crowd to like their game as vehicles have been ignored completely. At 30 fps w/ horrible lag compensation, instant kills, and crutch autoaim Destiny PVP remains a joke.

    Overall, Destiny's The Taken King still lacks content and if you found Destiny boring you will find this equally boring. It was still arguably a cut portion of the original game before Activision reworked it with glimpses of Taken King content at 0:37 + 1:52 from June 10, 2013's "Official Destiny E3 Gameplay Trailer"

    6/10 is generous if you consider I dropped this game in just a few days.    … Expand
  14. cod4isthebest
    Oct 1, 2015
    5
    I do not like how this game nerfs your past progress. You should be able to use your old guns. In fact, I think that adding all the new iron sights and scopes gave incentive to try new things. They did a lot right adding in new guns. Unfortunately every DLC with Destiny just makes you a noob and ruins all your progress. This is something I will continue to criticize the game for. We shouldI do not like how this game nerfs your past progress. You should be able to use your old guns. In fact, I think that adding all the new iron sights and scopes gave incentive to try new things. They did a lot right adding in new guns. Unfortunately every DLC with Destiny just makes you a noob and ruins all your progress. This is something I will continue to criticize the game for. We should at least be able to infuse all our old weapons. I do not agree with the nerfs to Black Hammer either. The exotic version of Black hammer still has the nerfed White Nail perk rather than the original where you had infinite ammo. I do not like the delay on the Ice Breaker and fact it's basically dead in end game along with Gjallahorn. This type of thing is not okay and makes the game worse not better. I will always try new guns and even if I don't I will still enjoy the base content. However, losing our progress and forcing us into things is not the way to go. I don't want more reasons to grind. I just want to play Destiny and I would rather enjoy your content in a natural progression at our own pace instead of forcing us to earn new gear to enjoy content.… Expand
  15. scarysquirel2
    Sep 27, 2015
    5
    Love all the new updates and missions, strikes etc, but the fact that my whole first year is basically now worthless seems a bit like a slap in the face to the hours I put in!
  16. savionen
    Sep 27, 2015
    6
    While a much more solid game than Destiny's original release, it's still a heavily flawed game. Story is very much lacking and they expect you to read content outside of the game. The expansion has more re-used assets than I've seen in any MMO, aside from one new area, you're taken to old planets once again to fight the same enemies you already have.

    Nightfalls and Raids still force you    While a much more solid game than Destiny's original release, it's still a heavily flawed game. Story is very much lacking and they expect you to read content outside of the game. The expansion has more re-used assets than I've seen in any MMO, aside from one new area, you're taken to old planets once again to fight the same enemies you already have.

    Nightfalls and Raids still force you to find parties outside of the game, as Bungie can't be bothered to make a rudimentary LFG system. Raids also feel really awkward in Destiny, as up until that point it's a loot-driven game like Borderlands or Diablo. Suddenly you're stepping on panels, never moving, never using your cool weapons you found, simply not having fun. I'm not new to raiding, I've done it for years, it just doesn't seem to fit in a game like Destiny.

    The game has very little replayability. You're mostly playing old content, farming the same bosses, and doing the same old things. It gets stale pretty quickly.

    PvP is just as bad as it's ever been. You might as well not even try unless you've already got nice Legendaries or Exotics. It's still a laggy mess where people camp with shotguns or wait for their supers to be up to get free kills and then hide again.

    Overall it's an okay game if you're looking to kill time for a week or two, but I wouldn't recommend it for anything longterm.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Xbox One Game of 2015
19
#19 Most Discussed Xbox One Game of 2015
14
#14 Most Shared Xbox One Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 16, 2015
    70
    After the third expansion Destiny is the same “random loot generator” it has always been, just with some more story in between. [12/2015, p.62]
  2. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Nov 9, 2015
    90
    Always troubled but brilliant, now simply brilliant, Destiny has undergone an extraordinary change. It still demands your time, but the reward is one of Xbox's most well-rounded games. [Dec 2015, p.67]
  3. The Daily Dot
    Nov 2, 2015
    90
    If you’re willing to do the social networking and accept the time commitment that Destiny requires to reach its endgame content, you’ll be treated to the first massively multiplayer online game built around the core of first-person shooter gameplay, a unique entry in the world of video games, and a growing universe where you and your fellow Guardians are all that stand between the Light, humanity’s last hope, and the Darkness that threatens to wipe us out forever.
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