Well, it's totally a troll topic, but I'll take the bait. See the thing is, AW is building directly on the CoD legacy. Other than new scenery and new weapons, does it really change the game much? It's a refinement of a well-developed system, sort of like the fourth or fifth generation of a really popular car. People like it and know why they like it, because they know exactly what to expect. Destiny is a little different. It was clearly a project too ambitious for its launch date, as evinced by the anemic storyline and lack of connective tissue between the Grimoire and the game on disc. But its mechanics, its bones, are rock solid. We're kind of back to the car analogy, but now it's like you took a really familiar engine, chassis, and suspension and put a totally new body kit and options on. It drives great and takes the turns like a champ, but what's this spinny thing on my dashboard? And hey, this cup holder is right where I usually rest my elbow, what's up with that? I'm not saying Destiny doesn't have problems, and definitely not saying the storyline shortfalls aren't a disappointment. I am saying Destiny tried hard to do something very different from what AW tried to do, and while it failed, it didn't fail utterly or irredeemably. There's a lot to like about Destiny, and a strong foundation to build future greatness. Sure it's disappointing as hell that the greatness wasn't waiting when we peeled the plastic off the jewel case, but some of us are willing to invest in the product we currently have on the basis of what we think the future product will become. Faith is hard, but it can be rewarding. I'm willing to have faith for now. So I would expect AW to review better. It trod familiar ground and did it well. Destiny tried to break new ground and didn't do so well. But even the least favorable reviews usually talk about how solid the basic engine is. That, and knowledge of Bungie's past history, is enough to keep the die-hards rolling until dawn breaks. The other thing it's really important to note here is that AW and Destiny play very differently. AW is super twitchy, wickedly fast and brutally unforgiving. Anyone who's seen the havok a Paladin wreaks knows this. Destiny is slower paced, more thoughtful, and less prone to 1-2 hit kills (in PvP) than AW. The differences might seem small to someone who doesn't play shooters, but they're huge to older players like myself (who don't really like CoD's breakneck pace and chain deaths for newcomers). The two games are really for different audiences. I would expect CoD fans not to like Destiny too much, and probably vice versa. TL;DR version, AW wins reviews because it was more a retread (if a good one) than breaking new ground. Which is fine but doesn't tell the whole story.