I will not be influenced by nostalgia and revisionism here. People that tell you this game is better than 2 are blinded by the art and music, which I will admit are pretty good. But to me there is no reason to come back to this game except for Wrath of the Machine. The base game before TTK has the most nothing story and a gameplay loop that is so boring, I’d rather just sit in the tower and reminisce for an hour.
If this was just taking a look at base Destiny 1 I would be so harsh on it, D1 and year 1 in general are the weakest the series has ever been with a poorly written story and boring quest design, but as a full package with Taken King, oh my goodness I haven't played anything like it. The emphasis on teamwork and focus on tight gunplay make this unlike any FPS I have ever played before.