[Discussion] Destiny: Rising Unveils its Depressing "Pay-to-Loot" Gaming Experience

[Uncrowned Guard]

A Sigh of Disbelief for Destiny: Rising’s Stamina System

As the information train for Destiny: Rising hits full steam, it's starkly clear that NetEase and everyone’s beloved underachiever, Bungie, seem hell-bent on giving us more to fester over than anticipated. Our latest gift from their mobile game branch is yet another stamina system: because let’s face it, who doesn’t enjoy being penny-pinched while gaming?

Come in, Spin the Wheel, and Leave Early

With Destiny: Rising’s blend of new and rehashed heroes made to be your personal wardrobe accessories, the game surely harks back to the good ol' days. Remember when gameplay was limited and you had to pay more to play more? Yeah, we thought we'd forgotten, too. With the adrenaline-pumping strikes and raids, we were almost fooled. But alas, the stamina system has endured, ever ready to throttle our daily gaming activities until we wearily dig into our pockets.

The screenshot making the rounds hints at something vaguely resembling an energy meter but without a timer. However, before the jury states the obvious, let’s not be coy: it’s a stamina system, no two ways about it.

Where There’s a Meter, There’s Inevitable Discomfort

The logic NetEase seems to be employing – and stick with us here, it's revolutionary – is to have smaller, less rewarding activities cost less, and larger, financially crippling activities take more. The Destiny players’ reactions to this innovative measure range from 'yeah, we figured' to 'seriously, not cool'. But let’s face it, this isn’t an out-of-the-blue enthusiasm extinguisher aimed at existing Destiny 2 aficionados.

The specter of Genshin Impact, that colossus of gaming, looms large, and Destiny: Rising wistfully replicates its mechanic of recharging stamina - albeit highly localized to individual activities. So much for free roaming in a scenic open world, eh?

So, What’s the Catch?

Deep within Destiny: Rising’s confines, a question lurks: What's with the gacha element? Could the mission screen we're privy to actually be hinting at the hero-based game “pulls” and star ranks? Well, we hope you're sitting down because - *ricochet drum roll* - we don't know yet. But let's face it, when has uncertainty ever stopped speculation?

There's still an early testing phase due in November - surely this Mardi Gras of questions will yield more satisfying answers? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Surely this mobile game won’t reveal all its tantalizing (or terrifying) monetization systems in one go. But rest assured, Destiny 2 players, you won’t necessarily be thrilled.

NetEase Breaks Its Silence, Sort of.

NetEase finally deigned to shed some light on this energy/stamina confusion – apparently, their golden boy icon stands for Pinnacle Energy, used for reaping Pinnacle Rewards. You can still play in the absence of Pinnacle Energy, they say. That’s certainly news to our ears as we thought the otherwise empty energy tank equated to zero gameplay. We can argue about semantics, but the crux remains: to binge or not to binge on the best rewards is hardly the question anymore.

We eagerly await any additional 'clarifications' NetEase plans to toss our way, notably concerning the purchase of Pinnacle Energy. Meanwhile, it seems they’re more pumped about keeping us in suspense than winning our hearts in gameplay.

View full article