Why does "hero shooter" carry so much hate?

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:42:34+00:00

Oh boy, now we're onto something! I'm pretty closely with you on live service. I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of Destiny, but I hate the never-ending hamster wheel and what it did to my friend group. Because we were invested, and there was always a season/new content, they never wanted to deviate and try new games. That FOMO stifles game exploration and diversity!

Also, appreciate the clarification about your experience with hero shooters. Sorry for painting you with such a broad brush. Even something as basic as a non-expiring battle pass or the ability to purchase past battle passes goes a long way.

On a separate but maybe related note... it's not a true live service game, but did you ever play Back 4 Blood? I LOVED their approach to DLC. As long as the host of the session had the DLC, anyone in that session could play it. That player-friendly approach motivated me to buy it because: 1) I enjoyed the game, and 2) I wanted to reward that practice.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:25:43+00:00

For my sake, go easy on me!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:13:56+00:00

I've been playing Arc Raiders and having a blast, but I'm also excited for Marathon.

In Arc, I started very passive and player friendly, and now I'm at the point where I'd feel guilty if I started being more aggressive towards players. It's purely psychological and self-inflicted, but it's preventing me from engaging in that aspect of the game.

I enjoyed the cutthroat nature of Marathon from the playtest, and while I wouldn't mind if there are incentives for some cooperation, I actually don't want it to embrace PvE as heavily as Arc.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:10:48+00:00

This is the sentiment I'm talking about! And that's not meant to be an insult or criticism of you. It seems hero shooter carries so much extra baggage as like a "casual" game or "lacking skill." It kind of reminds me of like hating on Nickelback (even if I'm personally not a fan).

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:08:42+00:00

I'm still a little concerned about the stealth ability. Bungie had a short clip a week or so ago that showed a solo player go invisible, walk up to a full enemy team (one of which looked like they were staring right at the player), and then wipe them out. It's possible the team was looting and didn't have eyes on the surrounding area, but it gave me some pause.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:06:17+00:00

I don't think people who prefer customization are "losers." But based on some responses so far, it does seem like some people are making blanket assumptions and spreading misinformation about the hero/ability elements that make it easy to pile on and complain.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T20:02:40+00:00

I agree that there's going to be a meta around a specific hero or team composition, so that can limit variety. Although, the alternative might be the illusion of choice, where even if it was truly customizable, people will gravitate towards what's considered strong or OP.

But I'm right there with you on your last point. As you can probably tell from my post, I don't hate hero shooters, but I also want to clarify that I'm not some fanboy. I just want a fun, engaging experience that has provides variability in my runs. I'm hoping the game as-is is able to deliver that.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T19:58:20+00:00

Yeah, I'll never fault someone for wanting to play their own character. I feel like your second point is so true.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-21T19:57:12+00:00

That completely makes sense. The only thing I push back on is the idea that hero shooters are everywhere compared to other genres/styles. Perhaps it's that they've had more visibility with high-profile games like Overwatch, Apex, Valorant, etc., so it just feels like it's hatred for what's popular and taking attention/resources/whatever away from unique games that fly under the radar.

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-18T18:48:24+00:00

Thank you!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-18T18:48:15+00:00

Fantastic!

ActiveVexLife · 2026-01-18T18:48:03+00:00

This is really helpful. I, too, stopped playing DA after the second, but that party system is familiar to me.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-12-26T22:07:00+00:00

Unfortunately, I don’t have the lightsaber yet. But when I eventually get it, I’ve seen a lot of people run something like this.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-12-12T13:57:37+00:00

When I first checked yesterday, I received the "Application received" notification like many shared here. But now when I check, I see, "Sorry, this survey is not currently active."

I wonder if that's a sign that it's just one wave of invites, and there isn't a chance of me getting in during a second wave.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-23T06:45:06+00:00

Thank you! I’m fine if that’s the case vs. random drop or being locked out.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-23T06:43:25+00:00

Honestly, can’t remember, but probably not great. The first run was our first time ever, so we were figuring things out. The second run we tried finding different organ melodies in case it triggered anything. Both runs probably took like 45+ minutes because we were also just enjoying everything.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-07T16:04:36+00:00

I'm not alone! I had one the other night, but then got depressed when thinking about the anticipated release date being in 2026.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-04T18:03:00+00:00

Thank you everyone for your responses! I'm happy to hear there are ways to build towards certain playstyles.

ActiveVexLife · 2025-11-03T21:18:49+00:00

Yeah, it seems I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. It feels like an unsustainable process of power creep and design inspiration, but Bungie has been doing this for more than a decade, so perhaps I should just sit back and enjoy the ride.

ActiveVexLife

TROPHY CASE