Is this game a big free trial?

[Discoink]

Seems like all journeys lead to the game asking me to buy a dlc to keep playing.
Am I missing something or the game is just a free trial with mandatory dlcs instead of a proper f2p with optional dlcs?

[Hi Im Swat]

The DLC fees are there to help fund the game and future development, however they are not mandatory to play the game. You only need them if you wish to advance further into the game.

The free-to-play mode is there to give you a free taster of what Destiny 2 has to offer.

[Fulcrum]

there are plenty f2p content but yeah it is more like free to TRY but you can get the Legacy Collection on a discount

[redk]

This isn't a F2P game if your goal is going through all the content. Some content is paid for, including large swaths of the story.

[N33MA]

You can progress and reach the endgame without DLC, but most content in the game is behind DLC. So if you want to play it you gotta buy it.