i have played this game (and the original) probably more than any other in my life, and looking back i could have probably spent a quarter of that time and i would still have the same level of satisfaction today.

and you know, visiting these worlds is really fucking cool. and the story is really fucking cool. but the only way you can interact with any of it is by shooting, jumping, running or scanning some shit so you can read something or hear a voice line. it doesn't matter if you have 50 different things to do if you can really only do 5 things.

the gameplay loop rewards you for playing more until it just doesn't, at which point you have spent some ungodly amount of time playing so you just keep playing. i don't envy bungie for having to figure out how to balance the needs of novice and hardcore players, but it all just feels so crude.

side tangent: they never should have brought back random rolls. you dont listen to a gambling addict when they start yelling at you to let them gamble!! we're not meant to compulsively, joylessly play the same shit over and over for eLiTe GoD rOlLs!! that is not what 'replayability' means and also its fucking boring. it's boringgggggg

double tangent: whoever is responsible for the lore in this series just smashed it out of the park. light years beyond what it needed to be. i would like to shake their hand