14 Best Games Like Destiny 2

Destiny 2 is at the top of the shooter-looter genre and the live-service ecosystem. It’s quite a unique game sitting on the leaderboard of every storefront. 

If we want to find games like Destiny 2, we’d better understand what makes it so special: 

• Destiny 2 is a blend of FPS, MMO, and RPG. No other game is currently doing the same, at least not successfully. 
• The gunplay is smooth, and every enemy and weapon feels different. That makes it easy for players to identify and customize their playstyles with hundreds of weapons and armor pieces, and several classes.  
• The co-op and competitive modes are robust, and developers keep adding ways to play with or against others. 
• Destiny 2 has an open-world design. You have a main hub giving you the freedom to choose which questlines and storylines to follow. 
• Lastly, Destiny 2 offers a large amount of content for free. It will cost nothing to try it out and play it as a casual sci-fi shooter. 

Regardless, if your time as a Guardian has run too long, here’re the best alternatives you could play: 

Games Like Destiny 2

Warframe

The most similar and free alternative is Warframe. It’s a sci-fi open-world shooter-looter RPG with multiplayer features. Aside from co-op, there’re also PvP modes, PvPvE, starship combat, a main hub, mission areas, multiple planets, a customizable starship, and more.

Its third-person combat is significantly faster and more acrobatic than Destiny 2. The game’s idea is to make your character feel like a space ninja. You dash, dodge, jump, shoot, attack in melee, block, and mix other maneuvers in battle. 

You play as a “Tenno,” a warrior capable of controlling Warframes, high-tech exo-suits. Each has special skills and passive buffs, and you can mix and max various pieces for different results. That said, the plot follows “Tenno” in a never-ending Galaxy war. 

Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3 is the latest entry of the shooter-looter RPG. The original title brought the genre to mainstream success, while the third delivers its formula multiplied by 11.  

You pick one of the classes for its active and passive skill branches. Then, you level up to increase damage, HP, and skill points. Then, your progress on a mostly linear quest. You shoot, loot, level up, and try out millions of weapons and gear. 

That said, the story is just not as good as it was before, but you can play it in co-op. You’re competing against the Calixto brothers for the treasures you can find in the “Vaults,” ancient treasures scattered on distant planets. 

Back 4 Blood

• Developer: Turtle Rock Studios
• Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
• Release Date: October 2021
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Windows 

Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead, as it comes from developers of the older game. As such, the gameplay uses its pillars to deliver a similar result.

You choose one of the classes (a “Cleaner”) and play through a 4-arc story (plus expansions). You can play solo with the AI or as part of a 4-player party. Each would play in first-person on a frenetic shooter against zombie hordes and bosses.

Lastly, the game uses an AI system (the “Director”) that randomizes game aspects to match your skills. There’re also cards you can collect you can use to add extra challenges and difficulty settings to a playthrough. 

Deep Rock Galactic

What do you get by mixing dwarfs, sci-fi, and shooting? Deep Rock Galactic, the newer FPS dungeon-crawler featuring high-tech weapons, gadgets, tools, and perks. 

We’re introducing you to a 1-4 player fantasy FPS. There’s not much story, but you play through a series of procedurally-generated caves against an endless horde of enemies. You pick a class, loot resources, and craft weapons and gear back at base. 

Every area is rich with loot, enemies, and bosses. Moreover, you can drill through any wall to keep moving forward, as the environment is entirely destructible.

Monster Hunter Rise 

• Developer: Capcom
• Publisher: Capcom
• Release Date: March 2021
• Platform: Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Windows

Hunt legendary monsters for the loot, bounty, materials, and resources they offer. Craft and procure your new gear for better stats and skills, and repeat. There’s not even a deep story: you’re just a monster hunter doing what you’re expected to do. 

Monster Hunter Rise offers a simple gameplay loop you can play in co-op.   Its multiplayer experience is one of the best the industry has to offer. Up to four players can join to explore the open world and take down massive monsters. 

Each player can include over a dozen weapon types, each featuring its defensive and offensive move set. Then, the team has to track down the prey. Finally, third-person combat is tough, skill-based, and highly dependent on maneuvering to avoid damage.

The Division

The Division 2 is an action-shooter RPG with an open world. You can play across New York streets, either alone or part of a 3-player squad. 

The gameplay is a familiar looter shooter that happens across various game modes. The main mode is the campaign, which is about completing objectives in the city. On top of that, there’re raids, co-op PvE, PvPvE, and PvP modes. 

Lastly, the game features cover mechanics. You have to run from cover to cover and approach combat carefully. Enemies come in waves and defeating them rewards tons of loot to progress your character. 

Dying Light 2: Stay Human

• Developer: Techland
• Publisher: Techland
• Release Date: February 2022
• Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, Windows

Dying Light 2 is a story-driven open-world first-person action RPG with looting, crafting, and survival elements. You can play solo or co-op with 3 additional players. Either way, your campaign is yours, and other players can’t influence the outcome. 

The gameplay loop is about defeating zombies on the streets or dungeon-like facilities for loot. You can then use the loot to craft weapon upgrades, ammo, healing items, and more. Bear in mind that all weapons degrade, and every item is scarce. 

You play as Aiden, and the setting is The City, the last remnant of civilization. Your mission is finding your lost sister, and you have a mix of parkour, melee weapons, kicks, and other tools for the task. 

Risk Of Rain 2

• Developer: Hopoo Games 
• Publisher: Gearbox Software
• Release Date: August 2020
• Platform:Windows, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch 

Risk of Rain 2 is the sequel to a famous roguelike shooter looter, and it came back with similar mechanics. It’s a third-person 3D shooter you can play with up to three people in a co-op party.

Pick a class and fight, enter an alien planet, and fight your way to the final boss. You can progress your character by collecting items on each run, but you will lose everything on death. 

Lastly, the classes are the “survivors,” and you can unlock ten of these. Each has a unique combat style, plus alternate skills you can master. Also, there’re run modifiers to add extra challenges to each run.

Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Old Republic is an MMORPG game, all with the old-school combat system of the genre. It comes with a free-to-play option that includes the base game but none of the five expansions. Also, other than the story, though, you can play in co-op, PvP, and more

That said, the title delivers a story-driven original and non-canon Star Wars story in the Old Republic era (pre-prequels). You choose one of the eight roles (like Jedi, Sith, or Bounty Hunter) and follow unique plotlines across the far-away Galaxy.

And like classic Bioware games, there’re choices and consequences. However, the results are small and personal rather than world-reaching because it’s an MMO. That said, the game includes plenty of cinematic cuts with full voiceover. 

Apex Legends

Apex Legends is a free battle-royale game featuring characters from Respawn’s Titanfall universe. The playability feels quite similar to Bungie’s title, but this is a hero shooter: you choose from a roster of powerful characters to fill a role in your squad. 

The gameplay happens in first-person. Each hero has unique skills, gadgets, and weapons. Also, characters have particular traversal abilities to go across the arena faster. 
You also play in a squad of three players against 19 other 3-player teams. However, the tone is very casual, as it has a cartoony visual style, easy-to-understand skills, and minor recoil.

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is an open-world pirate simulator and a massive casual sandbox. You play as a pirate, fighting, exploring, and looting across the seas. Because there’re no set rules, you can approach the world, and other players, as you choose.

So, you can travel solo, or you can travel alongside a party of players. Either way, your ship is your hub, as every player spawns with a basic wooden pirate ship. Along the way, you can team up with other players, and the game will reward you with a bigger ship, akin to a galleon. 

Then, you choose your adventure and sail towards treasures, monsters, cargo, and loot. You play the pirate live in side quests, free-roman, as well as a narrative campaign featuring Disney’s Jack Sparrow.

Phantasy Star Online 2 New Genesis

Phantasy Star Online 2 is another free-to-play action-RPG MMO. Notably, it has gorgeous sights, eccentric character designs, and a fantastic plot featuring all kinds of magic and monsters.

The game also thrives on fast combat. You play in a third-person perspective, in a 3D combat that mixes melee and magical abilities. The controls are rather simple.

PSO2 also focuses on loot and character customization. First, there’s a hefty character creation system. Secondly, as you play, you’ll find lots of loot, progress as a character, and unlock many skills. 

Diablo 3

• Developer: Blizzard Entertainment
• Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
• Release Date: May 2012
• Platform: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Windows, macOS 

If you’re looking for another addictive loot-based action game, Diablo 3 has a lot of what you offer. This is a classic hack & slash action RPG with an easy approach to combat and character progression.

You play with an isometric perspective. Pick a class, level up, and test how many skills you want – you don’t unlock skills, but you can only use a select few at any time. Then, put these skills on your action bar and use them against enemies as you roll, run, and heal.

You can play the story with up to four players, either online or locally. The story happens 20 years after Diablo II. Once again, the player has to defeat the Lord of Terror, Diablo. 

Outriders

• Developer: People Can Fly
• Publisher: Square Enix
• Release Date: April 2021
• Platform: Windows, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series 

Outrider is a shooter-looter RPG with four classes, elemental abilities, and a sci-fi alien world. So, as you imagine, you have a mix of high-tech guns, skills, and traversal abilities for your first-person combat. 

The loot works like action-RPG games, as fighting for better and better gear becomes addictive. Similarly, looking for your next craft, modifier, and skill can take most of your time.

You can play solo or alone. You can play the entire game alone and enjoy a good story about conquering a planet. You’ll play mostly on individualized instances, and dungeons, as you travel across the linear quests you choose.