With the Destiny launch just around the corner, you might be eager to read the first reviews as soon as they’re published, but Bungie warns that these might not serve as the best appraisals of its “shared-world” first-person shooter.

According to Bungie community manager David “Deej” Dague, Destiny isn’t a typical shooter. You could play through the story and some competitive multiplayer matches without too much interaction, but the best way to experience it is when the world is fully populated, with many players roaming about. Dague said that Bungie considered populating the game somehow for reviewers before the game’s release, but decided that nothing was a suitable substitute to the live, public version of the game.

“We fully anticipate seeing day one reviews from folks who decide to kick the tires, but don’t have the time or patience to take our ride for a nice, long road trip,” Dague said in the most recent Bungie Weekly Update. “Some of you might wait to pick up a copy until you read the final verdict from your most trusted review house. We’re okay with that. We’ve created something we’re proud of.”

Dague also said that Destiny “really begins” at the level cap of 20, which is something you often hear about massively multiplayer online games like World of Warcraft. At that point, you can keep improving your Guardian by getting better gear and taking on the endgame raids with your friends. In fact, Dague recently said that you’re not likely to “finish” the game anytime soon, if you ever do.

You can pre-load Destiny now before it launches on Tuesday, September 9 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4.