My Destiny experience so far has been nothing short of awesome. From the initial cinematics and music score to actually jumping into the game. I just can't believe the polish on the game at this stage for a Beta version.
It's the little things that make a difference in a game of this cope and they have done this down to a tee. From the individual looking gear (even at this early stage) to the actual sound mechanics. Seriously, join a fireteam with somebody, but don't go into party chat, then talk to each other in game. You'll notice when in an enclosed room your voice will actually echo! Also, if one of the other people has chosen their race as the Exo (robot), then their voice will be warped to sound slightly robotic.
I said in my earlier post that it seems more like a MMORPGFPS and I stand by that comment. The social area reminds me alot of previous MMO's i've played and is something that reminds you of the scope of people playing and involved in this game.
I like the difference between the levelling and the gear. As the level cap is 20 in game (afaik), it will be reached pretty quickly by alot of people. However getting that all important gear will take a hell of a lot longer. Which is a great way to (sudo) raise the levelling cap, but without actually doing so.
PvP has been a steep learning curve. It's not a FPS like any other that you've played before and will take some time to get used to. It's a lot more vertically based than many of the mainstream games. But once you have the knack of it, it becomes very rewarding. The class centric specials have a big part to play in this environment, but I couldn't pick one out that was better than the other. The Hunter's golden gun, could give multiple one shot kills, you just need a decent aim! The Warlock's Nova is very effective and has a wider aoe (area of effect) but you need to be up in the air first to make it more likely to hit where you want it. Lastly the Titan's smash, is just as powerful as the Nova, with a smaller aoe but can be started up whilst on the ground with the same effectiveness.
They've introduced (so far) 2 different types of PvP. One where gear doesn't make a difference and one where it does. So if you're a min/maxer looking for the best challenge, then there's a spot for you. But if you like it a bit more casual, then that's been catered for also.
The open world is vibrant, vast and heavily populated. It really does give you a sense of the world that they're trying to create. And from what we've seen, this is only one area of the Earth "realms". There's plenty to explore just within this and there are endless missions which can be picked up from the raido beacons, so you could level up and enjoy the area without ever having to touch the storyline. There are also lots of secrets hidden away in the area, so exploring can feel rewarding if you manage to get your hands on that shiney you wanted!
Lastly the storyline has been pretty immense so far and has been a great introduction to the way of life as a Guardian. The storyline missions have been paced very well and are viable as a solo operator just as much as a team. They can also be ran at 2 levels of difficulty at present which again adds to the replayability. The Strike Force mission in the Beta is great fun and adds a real layer of excitement to the game when you get a boss that just won't seem to go down, no matter what you throw at it. Forced match making in this area means even solo operators will be able to play these missions at a moments notice should they wish to.
All in all, I've enjoyed the hell out of this Beta and the game has exceeded my already high expectations. I can't wait for the Beta to re-open in a few days time and Septemeber can't come soon enough. If you haven't tried it yet, give it a go, it's the real AAA title for next-gen we've been waiting for.