By GameSpot Staff on Sep 15, 2017 11:12 pm
Destiny 2 has been out for over a week now, and while many players have run through everything it has to offer so far--including the Raid--it's something that we'll be playing for months, if not years. It makes numerous improvements over its predecessor, and yet there are still a variety of areas where it could be even better. We know Bungie is in this for the long haul, with multiple DLC expansions and other free updates on the way--Activision has even enlisted additional studios to help ensure new content arrives on a more routine basis than in Destiny 1. That's good news, because in addition to more content, there are other tweaks, adjustments, and refinements we want to see. In the gallery above, we run through 16 such items on our wishlist. Destiny is out now on PS4 and Xbox One, with a PC version slated for release on October 24. You can read our thoughts on the game in our Destiny 2 review diary, with our full review coming soon. To get the most out of the game, check out our roundup of Destiny 2 guides, tips, and tricks.
Fix the Challenge Display
Challenges are a welcome change over the first Destiny's Bounty system. It's nice to have specific goals to complete in any given map or location every day without first having to manually pick up those tasks, but the way in which they are displayed could use some work. For starters, I would love to see my Challenges in the Director without first loading into a map or mode. This is particularly important for Crucible ones, where I can't equip the right weapons or subclass to complete Challenges until I'm actually in my first match of the day. It would also be helpful in cases where you forget that you've already completed the Challenges in a specific place for the day, sparing you the trouble of loading in only to discover you've wasted the last minute of your time. Just as importantly, please, Bungie, I'm begging you: allow Challenges to display without delay. Pulling out your Ghost can lead to an indefinite wait before Challenges show up, because they refuse to pop up if there's anything in the UI being displayed on the right side of the screen. If you're playing in a Fireteam, the notification showing the Glimmer you're earning from your teammates' kills can mean a maddening wait before you're allowed to check on your progress. -- Chris Pereira
Let Me Dismantle in the Vault
Inventory management is such a huge part of Destiny 2, but it's not like it's something we actually want to spend our time on. It's just a part of the game that's necessary to play. So it should, in theory, be as streamlined as possible. In Destiny 2, that's mostly the case, but there's one exception: I'd like to be able to dismantle gear while I'm looking in my vault. It's a small thing, but it's irksome having to exit the vault and re-enter the menu just to hold the button and dismantle. -- Mike Rougeau
Show Fireteam Members on the Map
If you spend any time playing with friends in a Patrol zone, you'll likely drift apart eventually. Maybe you need to track down a Servitor to kill, while your friend wants to seek out one of Cayde's chests, or one one of you takes part in a Scan or Survey quest that takes you far away. Whatever the reason, actually meeting up again without fast traveling to the same point can be something of a hassle. Beyond your Fireteam members' names being shown on the screen, there's no easy way to see how far away you are from each other. This forces you to rely on vague descriptions by bringing up the map, which can be difficult if one player needs help and is under attack. Why not just allow players to see an icon on the map to save players the trouble of playing this obnoxious game? -- Chris Pereira
Tell Me Where My Shaders Came From
Some players have made a big deal out of Destiny 2's new shader system, which lets you apply shaders to individual guns, armor pieces, and even ships and sparrows. The issue is that shaders are now one-time-use items, so you have to keep finding more if you want to change your gear up now and then. My issue is having to turn to Google to find out where I can get more of that frabjous fuschia Dawn and Dusk (or whatever my favorite shader of the moment happens to be). Simply adding a word or two to each shader's description when you hover over it ("Nessus," "Eververse," "Crucible") would solve the problem. -- Mike Rougeau
Fix NPC Notifications
There are few things more satisfying than flying into a Destiny 2 social space and seeing a ton of notifications indicating that various characters want to talk to you. Thanks to this game's new rewarding economy, that usually means you're about to get a bunch of engrams or gear. There's only one hiccup, and it relates to Destiny 2's interface. The problem is that the icon that indicates when a character wants your attention is the same one that pops up when you simply get near them, or when you take your ghost out. So if you're standing next to a vendor, there's no way to tell if they actually have something for you, or if you're simply positioned too near them. -- Mike Rougeau
Add A Photo Mode
Destiny 2 has a bigger, more beautiful, and fully realised world than the first game. I have stopped on numerous occasions to stand by and admire the scenery, including once during a Crucible match where doing so led to my swift and embarrassing death. I very much hope that Bungie introduces some kind of official photo mode for Destiny 2. I am playing on PS4, and the Share functionality is fine to quickly share images of fun things I saw or did, but it would be nice if Bungie added a more involved camera system that lets you select different angles and use filters, as well as a more easily accessible option to remove the HUD. -- Eddie Makuch
Add Optional Waypoints to the Mini-Map
As someone who finds himself staring at the mini-map constantly in games like Grand Theft Auto V, I'm actually glad that Destiny 2's is fairly limited. While I don't want it to become filled with every Patrol, resource, player, and other landmark that it could show, I would like slightly more information. Specifically, being able to set a waypoint on the map that shows up on the mini-map would be much appreciated. Bringing up the full map repeatedly as you inch your way toward a Cayde chest just isn't fun, and being able to mark a Fireteam member to more easily track them down would cut down on what can otherwise be a tedious process. Even something as simple as an indicator as to which direction is north would be a major improvement. -- Chris Pereira
Remember My Equipped Gun After Supers
Gunplay is crucial to Destiny 2, and choosing which of your three weapons to equip at any given second is one of the great thrills of playing. You always want to have the right tool for the job, whether it's a scout rifle for distant snipers or an SMG for those pesky Cabal. As a player, my brain is constantly making these tiny calculations to decide which gun to hold in my hands, including when I pop my super. I case the room, check out where I'm going to land when I'm done going nuts, and ask myself what I want to have equipped when I do. That's why it's so irritating when Destiny 2 resets me to my primary gun after my super runs out, instead of leaving me in shotgun town. Hopefully it's an easy fix? -- Mike Rougeau
Fast Travel in the Social Space
Slight spoilers with post-game details below. The second social space in Destiny is cavernous! You get to explore an industrial, well-detailed representation of the reclaimed city, but getting from one end to the other is an unnecessary hassle. Especially since most of what you need to do in the city post-game is just turn in quests and claim rewards. The space loses its luster after dozens of trips back and forth from Cayde-6 on one end of The Tower to Ikora Rey on the other. I'd appreciate either grouping everyone you need to talk to in one place, letting you fast travel between the three small areas, or putting all of the content in a single menu you can quickly sort through. -- Justin Haywald
Let Me Equip More Emotes
It's great that Destiny 2 so readily hands out new emotes to players through Bright Engrams without asking them to fork over real-world money. And some of the new ones are especially terrific. But why are we limited to only using one at a time? I want to be able to remap all of my emotes to ones I would actually use--I just don't care about being able to take a knee when the Down button could instead be another emote for mocking my friends. At the very least, allow dance emotes to be remapped to the default dance button. People should be able to express themselves through the magic of dance however they wish. -- Chris Pereira
Provide More Vault Space (Yes, Already)
Any original Destiny vets know the familiar struggle of having too much gear and not enough space in which to store it, even as Bungie kept increasing our vault space over and over again. It may feel OK in Destiny 2 now, but with only 200 spots for all the weapons and armor across as many as three separate characters, I'm already dreading the day I once again run out of space. Why not nip this one in the bud, Bungie? -- Mike Rougeau
Tell Me How the Power Level of My Drops Is Calculated
Many Destiny 2 players are hitting a wall once they reach around 265 power level, which is normal for Destiny--there always comes a time when leveling up and increasing your power becomes more difficult. The problem is that drops in Destiny 2 don't appear to make much sense. Part of that may be down to the way Legendary mods that add +5 to your gear's power level are artificially inflating your overall power number. So well I appear to be at 279 thanks to all my mods, the loot I get from most sources drops at just 269. Is that because of my mods, though? Or does loot from some sources simply drop 10 levels below your current one (which kind of sucks)? Is Destiny 2's loot system really working as intended, or is there something here that needs fixing? If nothing else, Bungie could at least explain what's going on. -- Mike Rougeau
Add a Firing Range to the Social Space
Destiny 2 offers an even wider array of weapons than the first game, but there's still no easy way to test them out. If the inhabitants of The Farm could be bothered to set up a soccer field, they should find the time to set up a firing range where you can try out each of your weapons. Sure, you could jump into a Patrol zone and rely on the mobile app to move items from your Vault, but there's always the chance that you could be attacked or that another player comes along and kills the enemies you're targeting. Having a spot in the social space where you can cycle through weapons in your Vault on consistent targets would make it a lot less painful to keep your weapon stockpile a manageable size. -- Chris Pereira
Fix Infusion and +5 Mods
Infusion is a crucial aspect of leveling up in Destiny 2 while continuing to use your favorite gear, as it lets you feed higher-powered stuff into your lowered-powered armor and weapons to bring the latter up to the former's level. But there's one new system in Destiny 2 that has caused a lot of confusion because of how it affects infusion: mods. Legendary weapon and armor mods can add +5 to your gear's power level, which is great for getting an extra boost in combat. But that number isn't taken into account for infusion. For example, if you infuse a 250 gun with a 265 that has a +5 mod on it, the gun will only go up to 260, because that's the actual power level without the mod factored in. To solve this Bungie needs to show the gear's actual power level, not its mod-increased level, in the infusion menu. -- Mike Rougeau
Swap Clan and Roster Locations
With the current menu layout, your Roster (letting you see friends online) and your Clan screen are in two separate locations: one is on the same set of screens as your inventory, while the other is next to the Director. I constantly find myself either opening the wrong screen (old Destiny 1 habits die hard) or being forced to close the one I'm currently in to jump over to the other to check on my friends' status. Ideally, the Roster would also be accessible from the main options screen, or the Roster and Clan screens would simply be switched. It's a small complaint, but one that would go a long way in making things smoother for players. -- Chris Pereira
Center the Map on Me
I'm thrilled that Destiny 2 actually has functional maps for its various exotic locales, but I'd love it even more if the map would actually center on me instead of defaulting to the middle when I open it. It's a small gripe, but I'm reminded of it every time I waste a second or two hunting for my icon while taking fire from pesky Psions or Hobgoblins. -- Mike Rougeau
By Jimmy Thang on Sep 15, 2017 08:30 pm
What Would The Perfect Smartphone Look Like?
While Apple's recently-released iPhone X looks really promising on paper, it's not quite perfect. As of yet, there's really no perfect smartphone on the market. With that said, we thought it would be fun to imagine what a perfect smartphone might entail. We're not going to focus on tech specs in this gallery, since processor technology is always changing. We're also not going to get into a debate between Android versus iOS, since that's largely a matter of personal preference. Instead, we're going to come up with a wish list that's largely centered around the quintessential smartphone design.
A gorgeous, advanced display
The display would use an OLED panel that supports HDR. That's something that iPhone X does offer. OLED offer the darkest blacks, and HDR provides the widest color gamut. The phone should also feature small bezels so you can get a big screen without a big body. In terms of resolution, the phone should have a high pixel per inch (PPI) density. Something around 500 PPI would suffice. We don't want it unnecessarily high, as anything higher will produce diminishing returns on a small screen and would strain battery life. Another wishlist feature we'd like to see is a panel with a high refresh rate. Most phones are locked at 60Hz, but one with a 120Hz screen would look smoother.
Dual camera with optical image stabilization
Using two high-resolution cameras, like two 13 megapixel sensors or higher, with different apertures could allow you to shoot gorgeous photos with beautiful bokeh effects. The optical image stabilization could also make videos look less jittery. It would also be amazing if the camera could shoot 4K videos at 60FPS--like the iPhone X can-- or higher. This will allow you to produce high-resolution slow motion footage.
Dust and waterproof
The highest waterproof rating there is on the market right now for a smartphone is IP68, so our ideal phone would at least have that. This would allow our phone to be submerged to a depth of 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) for up to 30 minutes. This will ensure that rainy or dusty days won't make our smartphone break a sweat.
Swappable Battery
Most smartphones don't allow you to swap out batteries, but having a removable battery is nice since it allows you to pop in a new battery to get a fully charged phone in an instant. We do have to admit that it is challenging to couple a swappable battery with a waterproof design, however.
Two front-facing speakers
While one front-facing speaker beats a bottom-firing speaker, it can't hold a candle against two front-facing speakers. That's why our perfect smartphone should have two that can offer loud, crisp stereo audio with good bass.
Great battery life
While smartphones have made great strides in processing power, battery performance has remained relatively flat over the years. As a result, the quintessential smartphone would have a big battery. Something like the 5,000mAh solution found in Asus' ZenFone 3 Zoom would help it last all day under heavy use.
Nearly indestructible screen
The perfect phone would have a nearly indestructible screen (because who hasn't dropped their phone?). As a result, a Sapphire crystal lens cover would be a good choice. While they are expensive to produce, they are scratch-resistant and offer arguably the best screen protection on the market.
Expandable storage
When you've got a camera that can shoot high-resolution photos and videos, it would be nice to have a phone with a lot of storage. The ideal phone should offer 256GB or more and offer expandable storage through a Micro SD card slot.
Robust charging options
Suffice it to say, the perfect smartphone should offer rapid charging. A USB-C port is a good, emerging option for this. In addition, it should also support rapid wireless charging.
Unlocked
The perfect phone would be unlocked, free to use on any phone carrier. This can be a godsend if you're traveling for long periods of time and want to pop in an international SIM card.
3.5mm audio jack
Many new smartphones are ditching the 3.5mm audio jack, but it's still really convenient to have in the event that you forget to charge your wireless earbuds or accidentally leave them home. Many people also use aux cables in addition to their phone's 3.5mm audio jack to listen to music in their cars.
By Dan Auty on Sep 15, 2017 02:01 am
Superhero shows have never been more popular. With Iron Fist and The Defenders now on Netflix and the likes of Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and The Inhumans all set to premiere over the next few weeks, it's a great time for superheroes on TV. There have of course been a variety of iconic and much-loved shows over the decades too, but for every Smallville or Wonder Woman, there are many more that are long forgotten. Here 11 of the least remembered superhero shows--most of them forgotten for good reason...
Black Scorpion
Legendary producer Roger Corman, best known for his exploitation and horror movies, dabbled briefly in the world of superheroes. Most notoriously, he produced 1992's never-released Fantastic Four movie, but he was also responsible for the Sci-Fi Channel's Black Scorpion. The show lasted one season in 2001, and focused on a police detective called Darcy Walker, who by night dons a leather outfit to fight such amusingly-named villains as Aerobicide, Professor Prophet, and Gangster Prankster. Like Batman, Black Scorpion has no superpowers, just gadgets and skills. Unlike Batman, no one remembers her.
Super Force
Another powerless hero was Zachary Stone, the main character of 1990's Super Force. Unlike many shows on this list, this one ran for two seasons and had a sister show that is even less-remembered (Lightning Force). Stone is an astronaut who returns from a mission to Mars to avenge his brother's death with the help of high-tech fighting suit. Confusingly, Super Force is the name of the suit, not a team, but in the tradition of Knight Rider's KITT, our hero has a computer that chats to him while wearing the suit. Curiously, one of the bad guys was played by G. Gordon Liddy, the former lawyer and key player in the Watergate burglary that led to President Richard Nixon's downfall.
Night Man
Glen A. Larson was the king of high concept, popular TV in the 1980s--from Battlestar Galactica and Knight Rider to Magnum PI and The Fall Guy, Larson's shows put an indelible mark on pop culture. Less successful however was Night Man, Larson's attempt to get into the superhero game. Based on a little-remembered Marvel character, the show hit screens in 1997 and ran for two seasons. It starred Malcolm McColm as Johnny Domino (aka Night Man), a supernatural hero who can fly and fire lasers from his eyes. While he's not fighting crime, Domino plays smooth jazz saxophone, something I think the superhero genre needs more of.
Superboy
This 1988 show was produced by the Salkind brothers, who were the men behind the first three Superman movies and 1984's Supergirl film. The series ran for 100 episodes and was popular throughout its run, but a successful legal challenge by Warner to reclaim full ownership of the entire Superman property meant that the show came to a sudden stop in 1992. Superboy saw a lot of cast changes throughout its run, including two different actors in the lead role, plus a wildly varying tone that lurched from light and fun to dark and moody. And with the subsequent small screen success of The New Adventures of Superman, Smallville, and Supergirl, this one has drifted into the mists of time.
Isis
On the face of it, the plot of Isis sounds like a blatant attempt to cash in on the success of the Wonder Woman TV show, but in fact, this 1975 series premiered a year earlier. Also known as Secrets of Isis, it has the honor of being TV's first female-led superhero show, and focused on a schoolteacher who can transform into the titular Egyptian goddess via the power of an ancient amulet. The show wasn't exactly ambitious with its plot; most of the 22 episodes involved Isis using her powers to rescue her students from a series of not particularly dangerous mishaps. But our heroine's habit of smiling straight at the camera shows that no one was supposed to take it very seriously. Interestingly, the character to set to resurface next month in the CW's DC show Legends of Tomorrow under the name Zari Adrianna Tomaz. Let's hope they give her something more interesting to do.
Blade
Everyone remembers the Blade movie and its sequels, but it's safe to say the TV spinoff is less familiar. The 2006 show followed directly on from the events of Blade: Trinity; it was produced by David Goyer, who wrote all three movies, with rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones replacing Wesley Snipes as the leather-clad vampire hunter of the title. Unfortunately, despite strong initial viewing figures and decent reviews, it only lasted one season on Spike, with the cost of the production leading to its cancellation. Bye bye Blade.
Birds of Prey
Last year, it was rumored that DC were working on Gotham City Sirens, a movie that was to focus on some of the female characters of the DC universe. The movie is no longer happening, but disappointed fans can relax--a TV version already exists! Bird of Prey premiered in 2002 to impressive viewing figures, but these quickly plummeted and the show was cancelled 13 episodes later. The series was set in a post-Batman Gotham, and it teamed Huntress (the daughter of Batman and Catwoman) with Oracle, the new identity of former Batgirl, Barbara Gordon. Other familiar characters include Harley Quinn and Alfred, with Mark Hamill lending his voice to the Joker in the pilot episode.
Sheena
Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, was the first ever female comic book character to get her own title, with her 1939 comic being introduced four years before the first issue of Wonder Woman. In 2000, the character was briefly revived for modern audiences, with former Baywatch star Gena Lee Nolin as the super-fast, shape-shifting heroine, who also goes by the mysterious alias of Darak'na. Unfortunately, the producers couldn't let Sheena deal with the dangerous of the jungle alone, so they gave her a useless male companion, a grizzled ex-CIA agent called Matt Cutter. Sheena ran for two seasons and reappeared on DVD last month in a six-disc box set.
Swamp Thing: The Series
Swamp Thing: The Series actually had a better run than many of the shows on this list. Based on DC's comic books about a scientist turned gloopy marsh monster, the 1990 series saw stuntman Dick Durock reprise the lead role from the two terrible movies in the 1980s and was shot on an entirely studio-bound--but reasonably convincing--swamp set. The critics hated it, and many of the episodes were confusingly broadcast out-of-sequence, but it must have done something right. It ran for three years, 72 episodes and for a time, was the highest rated original show on the USA Network.
The Cape
The most recent show on this list, 2011's The Cape was NBC's attempt to follow the success of its earlier hit Heroes. While Heroes went quickly downhill, The Cape never got started--mediocre reviews and poor ratings ensured that it was cancelled after one season. The show followed the adventures of an ex-cop named Farraday who was trained by a gang of circus performers and given a mystical superpowered cape. Farraday had been framed for a crime he did not commit by the corrupt police force and fought to clear his name. Unfortunately for Farraday, no one cared, and 10 episodes later, The Cape was no more.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Before Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, there was Nicholas Hammond. Hammond was the star of this short-lived live-action Spider-Man show, which was produced after Stan Lee sold the Spidey TV right to CBS in the mid-70s. While a generation of Marvel-loving kids finally got to see Spidey on screen, budgetary constraints meant that very little of the expected web swinging could be realized; much of the action consisted of Spidey climbing up the occasional wall and getting in some unthrilling punch-ups. CBS cancelled the show in 1979 because it was worried about being identified too heavily with the superhero genre, which is certainly not something that worries studios these days.
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