For the last decade, Destiny and its sequel have played out a battle of good against evil across the cosmos. Finally, this first-person shooter will wrap up its saga with the release of its last expansion. Below, we discuss what you can expect from the hit game and if the title delivers what it has always promised.
The history of Destiny
Destiny arrived way back in September 2014. Players took on the role of a Guardian, an individual charged with protecting the last human city in the universe. They did this using the light, a power gifted to them by an alien race. The game follows the adventures of the Guardian in their efforts to protect the earth. This involves proactively confronting threats before they can destroy Earth and visiting a host of planets to do so. During this time, they also take part in the war against the Darkness, the enemy of the alien who gave them their light-based power.
That all sounds quite simple and it times it has been. Yet at other times, it has been extremely convoluted with many players feeling the plot meandered and was a poor add-on to the game. It also didn’t help that Destiny has been released in numerous expansion packs. The original game had four expansion packs, with Destiny 2 having seven so far. The eighth promises to wrap up this saga neatly.
The title was released on June 11th, with more episodes released over the next year. October and February 2025 are marked for the next two major episodes. They have arrived at a time filled with big releases. These have ranged from blockbuster titles including well known characters like Mario, to new and exciting igaming titles in the live casino sector. But have the developers done enough to keep fans hooked until the end of the saga?
New locations
The expansion adds a new free-to-roam location in the form of the Pale Heart. It is tucked deep within the Traveler, the alien being who the Guardians have been fighting for throughout the game. It is built from areas that are influenced by destinations that have been visited before in the franchise, so it acts as a memory box of patrol zones in a certain way. A new raid was also added to the expansion which takes place in a location named Pale Heart, which has been called Salvations Edge.
New enemies
A new enemy race also enters the fray in the form of the Dread, who are further broken down into different subclasses. The most recognizable are the Tormentors, who were first seen in Lightfall as the personal soldiers of the Witness. In addition, the following can also be found.
Grims – Bat-like creatures that attack from the air.
Husks – Blade-wielding, speedy assailants that release a homing geist.
Attendants and weavers – Cabal-like enemies that use stasis and strand.
Subjugators – These are further split into the Omens and Harbingers. The latter wields stasis while the former uses strands.
New supers
Each of the different player classes also gets three new powers. Sentinel Titans gain the ability to throw three void axes. Known as Twilight Arsenal, they can then be picked up off the ground and used by other Guardians.
Dawnblade Warlocks get the Song of Flame ability. It is similar to the Sunsinger Solar from previous games. The character can take on solar energy and then unleash it as hand-to-hand attacks and explosives.
Arcstride Hunters again the ability of Storms Edge. This allows them to throw an arc dagger at enemies, and then teleport toward it. Once at the destination, they can unleash a spin attack.
A sixth subclass, known as Prismatic, is also added. It is a blend of both dark and light powers and allows the mixing of powers from across the five subclasses. As players fight, they will have two meters that begin to fill up. When complete, they can be used to activate an ability named transcendence. This increases weapon damage, and damage resistance and increases regeneration levels of grenades and melee. When activated, it also gives the ability to unleash combined elemental grenades, aspect and fragment slots will also increase.
Changes to gameplay
There are plenty of changes that have been made to the gameplay in Destiny 2. Many of them are extremely positive and have responded to comments and feedback from the player community.
Power level
One of the biggest changes to gameplay is the power level system. It is now possible to see if a player is power-enabled or disabled. It also tells players if a character is at the power level cap for that given activity.
Players’ power levels are also adjusted to five levels below the fire team leader with the highest power level. This means that players can take part in power-enabled activities whatever their current power level is.
The difficulty modes for power levels were also renamed. These changed to standard, advanced, expert, master, grandmaster, and contest modes.
Weapon crafting
Noncraftable weapons had a three-tier enhancement system added. Many of the weapons that were gained post-season 17 could only be enhanced by visiting the Mars Relic. This is now no longer the case and they can be upgraded with enhanced perks.
Pathfinder system
The new Pathfinder system brings together the weekly vendor challenges, destination patrols, and bounties. It provides 20 objectives which are each divided into tiers. There are currently two pathfinder systems, one for the Pale Heart and one for ritual activities.
Delivering episodes
Developer Bungie has replaced seasons of content with episodes. Now, three large episodes will be released over the year. The first, Echoes, landed a week after the release of the Final Shape. The next one, Revenant, is set for an October release though this could be moved. The final one, Heresy, will be released in February 2025.
Each of these is further broken down into three acts, released over three months. That means that the second act for Echoes will be available in July, followed by an August release to round off the schedule.
Fans have waited a long time to round off the storyline. Only time will tell if they are rewarded for their loyalty. Destiny is a love-it-or-hate-it game, and few people will be jumping on at this point. Let’s hope the fans get exactly what they have been waiting for. The game will be available on all major consoles including PlayStation 5, Xbox and PC.