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I wasn't a huge fan of any of the guns in the Destiny 2 Beta, although I'm usually picky and stick with the ones I really like, but they do seem different and cater to different needs. You're also given a lot of options in the Beta which is nice, including the ability to test out all of the different kinds of guns. They've changed the organization of guns as well, and I'm not too much of a fan, although I could see it working once you have a whole host of guns to choose from. Instead of Primary, Secondary, and Heavy, it's Kinetic, Energy, review and Power. Heavy and Power are synonymous, while Kinetic means regular weapons with no energy ability attached and Energy simply means that they do. Energies, remember, are the Solar, Void and Arc powers that a weapon might come with. So now, if one is Kinetic and one is Energy, you could have two assault rifles, two hand cannons or any mix of what we think of now as Primary and Secondary weapons in those slots. What I ended up using, though, was a sidearm in the Kinetic slot and an assault rifle in the Energy slot, which meant I spawned with the sidearm, which was weird. It's different, but I think that when I actually start using it it will make more sense.

With the Destiny 2 Beta in full swing now, there's a lot to unpack. Many changes have been made from the first game, but much will be recognizable. While the Beta shouldn't be taken as a done deal -- they could still change things -- it's good to talk about the balance the team at Bungie has struck between the new and the old. And with many people unable to play the Beta, as access is limited to those with a pre-order, hopefully this preview will give you a good feel for where the game is at right now. The Beta comes with the first story mission, a strike, and two multiplayer game modes, and all have changes that we'll get into right now.

That's Protheon's big mechanic. Once you get him down to a certain damage point, he drops out the floor beneath you and lands you in a new arena. He does this three times throughout the fight. The difficult part about Protheon is that he plays floor's lava with you. When he gets pissed enough, he'll slam his fist on the ground and burn the entirety of the floor, which forces you to jump up on some small platforms. All this does, however, is put you in the line of sight of Protheon, who has two different weapons with which to take you down. It's a tough fight, but it's interesting and different, and that's what we want. I will say, however, that the rest of the strike is pretty mundane. Save for the couple of interesting set pieces I mentioned earlier, it's kind of simple. It doesn't have many interesting mechanics, but it is short, so running it over and over as you grind will at least be quick. So again, if all of the strikes in Destiny 2 are short and simple but also take you through a new and interesting setting with a neat boss at the end, then sign me up for more.

Hardcore Gamer was invited out to Bellevue, Washington to check out Earth’s new open area, the European Dead Zone (EDZ). Replacing the Cosmodrome, the EDZ may look fantastic, but does it provide enough meaningful content to keep players invested?

"Outside of the Prismatic Matrix, players may continue to earn Bright Engrams each time they level up, and they can still purchase these engrams if they want a chance to get everything from the Season 3 catalog. Additionally, we’re increasing the number of items available from Tess each week with Bright Dust, from 14 to 18 items.

Oh, patrols return in Destiny 2. The blinking green beacons are littered throughout the EDZ, and the missions they dole out haven’t changed from the first game. Kill a certain amount of enemies to collect materials, kill a captain, scan an area, etc. Patrols are still meaningless busy work, but you do get some rewards for completing them.

Taking place on Nessus, one of the two new planets coming to Destiny 2, the strike in the Beta is called The Inverted Spire and focuses on a Vex mind that has been awoken by the Cabal. Nessus is a neat world that kind of combines the aesthetics of the Vex and the Cabal since it was originally a machine world of the Vex's that has been invaded by the Cabal. The planet itself also has a new look to it, with a muted gray landscape, but one with lush red trees everywhere. It's a really cool look that brings a new feel to the game.

Destiny nailed its gameplay mechanics perfectly out of the gate and those carry beautifully into Destiny 2. Aiming and shooting feel fantastic, while platforming has been tightened up with Guardians now able to clamber over ledges. Jumping is still a little floaty, but the clambering should help players avoid some unnecessary deaths.

With these sorts of compromises becoming commonplace, it’s no wonder that there are many gamers out there who’ve become afraid of the casual audience. More and more often they’re seeing niche series they enjoy getting compromised and simplified for the sake of attracting the casual player. Are they right to vilify the casual audience? No, absolutely not . Like it or not, the casual audience is vital to gaming’s survival and it’s not the their fault that publishers are trying to get their attention. Instead of insulting and ridiculing casual players, hardcore fans should be trying to bring them into the fold. In fact, publishers and developers should be trying to do the same thing. Major departures like Fallout 4 and Dead Space 3 would better serve their creators and IP as side-games rather than mainline series entries. If a given publisher’s goal really is to expand a series’ player base, then use these sorts of games to attract people that can actually be converted into fans rather than simply going for the easy sale. They should be trying to create long-term customers rather than simply attract short-term guests. There is still great value to be found and lots of money to be made in the various genre niches. Their fans are passionate and are willing to support honest effort if it means getting more of what they love. It’s just a matter of respecting them and the series they love when trying to increase their ranks.