Bungie warns off day one Destiny reviews

Reviews of Destiny on day one are not likely to reflect the real gameplay experience, according to Bungie.

"We fully anticipate seeing day one reviews from folks who decide to kick the tires, but don’t have the time or patience to take our ride for a nice, long road trip."

Writing on the official Bungie site, the developer said that as Destiny is a live MMO, reviewers will have only been playing the final game for less than 24 hours.

"For us, this is a first – a new experience," wrote Deej. "It’s a bit of a risk, too. We fully anticipate seeing day one reviews from folks who decide to kick the tires, but don’t have the time or patience to take our ride for a nice, long road trip.

"Some of you might wait to pick up a copy until you read the final verdict from your most trusted review house. We’re okay with that. We’ve created something we’re proud of."

He added that the game is designed for thousands of players to explore, and without high player numbers it's not the real Destiny experience the team has been working towards.

"From the beginning, we set out to make Destiny feel like more than bits on a drive. We wanted to build a place for players to visit – a place filled with luminous life. Without a vibrant population for the last safe city on Earth, and Guardians roaming the wild frontiers, Destiny is a shadow of what it should be. That’s not how we wanted to submit for review.

"We explored several options to populate the world for reviewers. Our team estimates it would take thousands of gamers to ensure each potential public space in Destiny would be populated – that every activity would be accessible at all hours of the day and night. Where on Earth would we be able to find thousands of gamers?

"The answer, again, is you.

"So, reviews of Destiny will wait for your arrival. On day one, you’ll be rubbing elbows with the pageant judges, so look sharp. Who knows, you may end up on one of their live streams. They may end up on one of yours, too!"

Destiny goes live for reviewers and those with early copies of the game today, with the embargo on reviews lifting tomorrow morning UK time.