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Top 12 best games like Destiny 2 that respect your time
Destiny 2 is a solid game most of the time, but I do not blame you in the slightest if you're interested in jumping off that particular hamster wheel every so often. Heck, I did precisely that, and Destiny used to be a massive obsession of mine for five years. The thing about Destiny 2, though, is that its astonishingly good combat gameplay and loot grind coddles you. There's much to complain about when it comes to Destiny, for sure, but it's a unique live-service experience with the kind of quality level you don't take for granted in other games. What if you're not keen on the live service bits, though? Or do you dread missing out on something great? Well, I might have just the thing for you. I've assembled a list of a dozen games that are surprisingly similar to Destiny 2's gameplay loop in various ways. Crucially, these titles are mostly not live-service at all, or at least don't over-rely on teasing you with events you may miss to keep you coming back for more, so you can play them at your own pace no matter what. The best games like Destiny 2 that actually respect your time Image via Counterplay #12: Godfall Godfall isn't a great game, but it sure as heck is a decent game, and that's a hill I'm willing to die on. It's the kind of low-brow loot-grabbing, goblin-slaying gameplay you get out of Destiny 2's grindier sections, and I'm all for it. The obvious caveat here is that there's not much else to Godfall other than grind, but I find that the game lends itself phenomenally well to playing on the go if you have a Steam Deck of ROG Ally. There's not much in the way of guns here, either, but the combat is fast, chunky, and satisfying, and that's plenty good enough. Image via Obsidian Entertainment #11: Avowed Surprised? I was, too, but Avowed leans heavily into a kind of combat and exploration fantasy that you usually get from exploring Destiny 2's new patrol zones for the first time. Crucially, the loot is usually bespoke and genuinely interesting, which cannot be said about Destiny 2's random-gen chests and whatnot. Just spec for Avowed's ranged weapons and spellcasting, and you'll be a non-Guardian Guardian in basically no time at all. Screenshot by Destructoid #10: Starfield Say what you will, but Starfield's combat gameplay is rather excellent in its own right. On that front, it could provide the kind of FPS kick you might be looking for after ditching Destiny 2. However, the arguably more important element of similarity between the two games is the sense of exploration and discovery. Destiny and Starfield handle the idea of space magic with guns and grenades very similarly, and if this fantasy is what you're most keen on, here's your ticket. Throw some mods in, and you've got a real winner at hand. Oh, and don't forget about Starfield's satisfying movement mechanics, either: with sliding, mantling, dashing, and a general penchant for verticality, the game rhymes with Destiny in more ways than not. Screenshot via Destructoid #9: Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk 2077's baseline combat and RPG systems are those of a veritable looter-shooter. Though I'm not sure who decided this was a good approach to what is essentially a story-heavy FPS/RPG, the fact of the matter is that the result is an experience that's rather similar to that of Destiny 2. Crucially, a lot of time and attention was spent on Cyberpunk 2077's weapon design. The guns are hefty, chunky, and satisfying, and the melee is about as snappy as it gets. Invest in the right perks and get the right loot drops, and things quickly start to feel properly Destiny-alike, even though these two games couldn't be further apart in practically every other sense. Image via RyseUp #8: Roboquest If it's the actual Destiny combat loop you're yearning for, I cannot recommend Roboquest enough. This incredibly satisfying roguelite FPS takes some obvious cues from Bungie's seminal live-service hit and applies them to a fully offline experience. And what do you know: it works. Seriously though, Roboquest is easily one of the best finished FPS roguelites on the market right now. There's a ridiculous number of wildly different guns and perks to choose from, and they all feel appropriately snappy to use. Since the runs are finished in about 20 minutes or so, too, you'll always be rotating your loadouts, keeping things interesting no matter how much you play. Image via Airship Games #7: Wayfinder Wayfinder wasn't a good game on day one, but its revised and reformed non-live-service version actually fixes most of the problems players had with it. This is obviously a more fantasy-focused kind of experience, but the vibes are absolutely on point, and it'll keep you busy for dozens of hours. A great fit for Destiny fans looking for dungeon-crawling, puzzle-solving, and generally satisfying exploration. Image via Digital Extremes #6: Warframe Everyone recommends Warframe to reformed Destiny 2 players for a reason, though th
Destiny 2 is a solid game most of the time, but I do not blame you in the slightest if you're interested in jumping off that particular hamster wheel every so often. Heck, I did precisely that, and Destiny used to be a massive obsession of mine for five years.
The thing about Destiny 2, though, is that its astonishingly good combat gameplay and loot grind coddles you. There's much to complain about when it comes to Destiny, for sure, but it's a unique live-service experience with the kind of quality level you don't take for granted in other games. What if you're not keen on the live service bits, though? Or do you dread missing out on something great? Well, I might have just the thing for you.
I've assembled a list of a dozen games that are surprisingly similar to Destiny 2's gameplay loop in various ways. Crucially, these titles are mostly not live-service at all, or at least don't over-rely on teasing you with events you may miss to keep you coming back for more, so you can play them at your own pace no matter what.
The best games like Destiny 2 that actually respect your time
#12: Godfall
Godfall isn't a great game, but it sure as heck is a decent game, and that's a hill I'm willing to die on. It's the kind of low-brow loot-grabbing, goblin-slaying gameplay you get out of Destiny 2's grindier sections, and I'm all for it. The obvious caveat here is that there's not much else to Godfall other than grind, but I find that the game lends itself phenomenally well to playing on the go if you have a Steam Deck of ROG Ally. There's not much in the way of guns here, either, but the combat is fast, chunky, and satisfying, and that's plenty good enough.
#11: Avowed
Surprised? I was, too, but Avowed leans heavily into a kind of combat and exploration fantasy that you usually get from exploring Destiny 2's new patrol zones for the first time. Crucially, the loot is usually bespoke and genuinely interesting, which cannot be said about Destiny 2's random-gen chests and whatnot. Just spec for Avowed's ranged weapons and spellcasting, and you'll be a non-Guardian Guardian in basically no time at all.
#10: Starfield
Say what you will, but Starfield's combat gameplay is rather excellent in its own right. On that front, it could provide the kind of FPS kick you might be looking for after ditching Destiny 2. However, the arguably more important element of similarity between the two games is the sense of exploration and discovery. Destiny and Starfield handle the idea of space magic with guns and grenades very similarly, and if this fantasy is what you're most keen on, here's your ticket. Throw some mods in, and you've got a real winner at hand.
Oh, and don't forget about Starfield's satisfying movement mechanics, either: with sliding, mantling, dashing, and a general penchant for verticality, the game rhymes with Destiny in more ways than not.
#9: Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077's baseline combat and RPG systems are those of a veritable looter-shooter. Though I'm not sure who decided this was a good approach to what is essentially a story-heavy FPS/RPG, the fact of the matter is that the result is an experience that's rather similar to that of Destiny 2.
Crucially, a lot of time and attention was spent on Cyberpunk 2077's weapon design. The guns are hefty, chunky, and satisfying, and the melee is about as snappy as it gets. Invest in the right perks and get the right loot drops, and things quickly start to feel properly Destiny-alike, even though these two games couldn't be further apart in practically every other sense.
#8: Roboquest
If it's the actual Destiny combat loop you're yearning for, I cannot recommend Roboquest enough. This incredibly satisfying roguelite FPS takes some obvious cues from Bungie's seminal live-service hit and applies them to a fully offline experience. And what do you know: it works.
Seriously though, Roboquest is easily one of the best finished FPS roguelites on the market right now. There's a ridiculous number of wildly different guns and perks to choose from, and they all feel appropriately snappy to use. Since the runs are finished in about 20 minutes or so, too, you'll always be rotating your loadouts, keeping things interesting no matter how much you play.
#7: Wayfinder
Wayfinder wasn't a good game on day one, but its revised and reformed non-live-service version actually fixes most of the problems players had with it. This is obviously a more fantasy-focused kind of experience, but the vibes are absolutely on point, and it'll keep you busy for dozens of hours. A great fit for Destiny fans looking for dungeon-crawling, puzzle-solving, and generally satisfying exploration.
#6: Warframe
Everyone recommends Warframe to reformed Destiny 2 players for a reason, though there are some big caveats to keep in mind about it. Warframe is a live-service experience as well, though one that's far less keen on players missing out on content than Destiny's ever been. The biggest downside, however, lies in the fact that Warframe's simply not as polished, neat, or contained as Destiny 2, and this is going to be a no-go for some players.
These issues aside, Warframe is extremely content-rich and loaded with stuff to do. It will keep you busy for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours on end if that's what you're looking for, and most things are indeed earnable without resorting to real-world money purchases.
#5: The Division 2: Warlords of New York
Though it's been overlooked recently, The Division 2, with its excellent Warlords of New York DLC, is a phenomenal substitute for Destiny 2. Unlike most other games on this list, The Division 2 specifically apes some of Destiny 2's design choices and features, which makes the two experiences extremely comparable in all the ways that matter. If this scratches your itch, The Division 2 is also about to receive a new Battle for Brooklyn DLC at some point, so there's lots of support and content coming yet. This is a live-service title, of course, but it never made me feel l like I was missing out on anything if I didn't play, which means it qualified for this list.
#4: Remnant 2
For those who enjoy Destiny's puzzle and mystery elements the most, there's nothing quite like Remnant 2 on the market right now. In a broader sense, Remnant 2 is an astonishingly good game that stands on its own two feet. For Destiny expatriates, though, it offers excellent gameplay and progression substitutes and a constant sense of discovery wherever you look.
Seriously, the sheer number of puzzles and secrets found in Remnant 2 is astonishing. Crucially, many of them have bespoke loot as the final reward, which makes exploration the kind of thing you'll keep coming back to over and over again.
#3: Borderlands 3
Let's be honest here: Borderlands 3's story and dialogue are unpalatable, but there's a hell of a game to be played here in regards to how it actually handles. If you can stomach skipping through Borderlands 3's cutscenes whenever they crop up, and if you don't mind occasionally truly crummy dialogue, this is a phenomenal FPS that does not let up.
Borderlands 3's guns and abilities feel extremely similar to what you get out of Destiny 2, and the upgraded movement tech (i.e., sliding, mantling, and so on) helps elevate this particular FPS beyond most anything else in the niche.
#2: Outriders: Worldslayer
Outriders and its Worldslayer DLC tried and failed to deliver a sensible alternative to Destiny 2, but not without giving us a reasonable substitute in the end. Outriders has no live-service experience, and it doesn't have the kind of longevity you might be looking for, but it's a satisfying magi-tek shooter regardless.
#1: Witchfire
Upon playing Witchfire for the first time, I was awestruck by how similar it felt to Destiny 2 in movement, combat, and exploration. This is no mistake: the CEO himself outlined just how much Bungie's work has affected Witchfire in a practical sense, and you genuinely feel the similarities as you run and gun.
As a roguelite extraction shooter kind of experience, Witchfire's core gameplay loop is basically what you get out of Destiny 2's patrol zones, with a bit of Dungeon exploration and puzzling thrown in for good measure. Honestly, though, if you need a game that feels most similar to Destiny and even outpaces in some key ways, like progression and weapon balancing, Witchfire needs to be at the top of your list. No two ways about it.
The post Top 12 best games like Destiny 2 that respect your time appeared first on Destructoid.
