Destiny 2’s first year was filled with setbacks, tremendous criticism, and the loss of many dedicatedDestinyfans. However, the Warmind expansion was a step in the right direction on several fronts. With the launch ofDestiny 2’s second year on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at the second expansion forDestiny 2and highlight some of the biggest improvements that Bungie brought to the game.
5Better Leveling and Power Grind
When Bungie announced that the power leveling inDestiny 2would be slower, the announcement was met with skeptical excitement.Destiny 2needed a power leveling system that flowed better than what the game currently had. Power was too easy to come by, and many players ran out of things to do quickly. End game content was virtually meaningless since powerful gear was so plentiful.
But with Warmind, Bungie scaled back the power progression so players didn’t reach max power in the first week. With therecent changes to Heroic Strikesas well, the power curve is much more accessible and rewarding over a long period of time. It also encourages participation in a diversity of activity.
4Better Patrol Design
The Mars patrol area is certainly a cut above the other areas inDestiny 2, especially when compared to its predecessor, Mercury. Hellas Basin, while not quite as large as Io or Nessus, is packed with enough content to make it feel massive. From the plethora ofmemory fragments to collectto the Escalation Protocol pillars, Hellas Basin is what a patrol area should be: dense with content. At the time of writing, Mars is typically full of people running Escalation Protocol or exploring everything that Hellas Basin has to offer.
3Harder and More Challenging Content
The difficulty delta changed with the launch of Warmind, which changed how damage is both dealt and received throughout the various activities inDestiny 2. Tie this in with the leveling changes and that creates a more challenging endgame environment. The Spire of Stars raid lair was an incredibly difficult encounter at launch, even for the most skilledDestiny 2players.Heroic strikesprovide a challenging, but fun, experience. The lethality of enemies in Escalation Protocol, even after the nerf, still makes patrolling Mars a hazard until players reach higher power levels. It’s refreshing to have a challenge to face off against inDestiny 2.
2More Faction Rewards
One of the more surprising and welcome additions that came with Warmind was the introduction of more vendor rewards. Previously, the only real faction rewards were some armor and ornaments. Now there is a reason to keep grinding strikes for Zavala. There’s a reason to chaseGlory and Valor in the Cruciblefor Shaxx. Even Trials got an exclusive ghost shell to quest after.Destiny 2desperately needed more items to chase, more reasons to keep coming back to the game. There is still work to be done in this category, but Bungie has made a step in the right direction.
1Better Quality of Life Changes
Destiny 2fans have long awaited the glorious multi-emote wheel. Such a small addition can make a huge impact on the game. It feels good to be able to equip four different exotic emotes and use them on-the-fly, instead of digging through menus to equip the one you want at that moment. The addition of more vault space, and dismantling from the postmaster and vault may seem insignificant, bu makes a world of difference when dealing with the large amount of drops thatDestiny 2throws at the player. It’s the little things that make the game more enjoyable. Hopefully, Bungie will show off more upcoming quality-of-life changesduring their Year 2 reveal livestreamon June 5.
Destiny 2had a rough launch for many fans, but Warmind seems to be the step in the right direction that the game needed.Destinyhad a very similar launch dilemma during year one, but by the time Taken King arrived, the game made a complete 180. Hopefully, with the launch of theupcoming September expansion,Destiny 2will be the game many fans want it to be.
