Destiny 2's been out for a couple of months now, and while it's still arguably one of the more popular shooters around, it's still hard to justify making that initial purchase. $60 might be a little steep for those looking for just a few entertaining hours after work, or maybe your trusted reviewer left a less-than-flattering summary of their impressions with the game. Perhaps the initial controversy regarding waves of unjust bans were enough to kill your interest, as it was for many.
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Either way, it hardly matters now. Bungie's recently announced free trial begins today, meaning that even those with a passing curiosity in the studio's biggest franchise can download and experience Destiny 2 for free - if only for a few short hours.
The trial starts the player off with access to the same content as everyone else. They can create a character, level up (to level 7), and begin making progress on the main story. Two regions - the European Dead Zone and Saturn's moon, Titan - are available for the player to explore, complete with their own adventures to undergo and loot to obtain.
Also included is a surprising amount of access to online features. Those playing Destiny 2 via the free trial can still engage in cooperative activities and even join clans with other players. Similarly, competitive multiplayer is available in the Crucible for those seeking a more challenging environment.
As is the standard policy with these types of demos, those who purchase Destiny 2 following the free trial will carry over what progress they made to the full game.
Unfortunately, even limited free access to Destiny 2 might not be enough to salvage Bungie's community relations. Controversy has dogged the sci-fi RPG since its launch, with little chance of reprieve for the seemingly hapless studio; Bungie's recent decision to scale back the XP grind in Destiny 2 following the discovery on Reddit that it was deliberately throttled against players would have been met with at least some satisfaction by the community, for example, had the studio not quietly doubled the amount of XP required to level up immediately afterward.
Still, there's a chance Bungie could make up for its recent mistakes in the coming weeks. Destiny 2's first major expansion, Curse of Osiris, is set to arrive in the Spring, while the studio's Game Director Luke Smith is hosting a Q&A next week to address some of the community's more dire concerns.
