Destiny 2’s newest annual flagship expansion is just a couple of months away. While there has been no shortage of news, especially regarding the latestStasis subclass blog series, Bungie may need a bit more to captivate new Guardians to pick the game up when this rolls out.
This year, Bungie has a lot to prove more than any other time. Not only is the company self publishingDestinynow, it has outlined a 3 year plan to show its commitment toDestiny 2, beginning withBeyond Light. If the studio cannot launch this new era ofDestinywith a strong release, it will be harder to turn heads with subsequent releases. In fact, there are a couple of things missing that would go a long way in drawing new players in, which means Bungie needs to work harder in other areas.
RELATED:Destiny 2 Developer Bungie Shoots Down Rumors of Acquisition Talks With Microsoft
No New Enemy Race
This will be the second year ofDestinywithout a new enemy race. Technically, the FallenHouse of Darkness lead by Eramis on Europais a new faction, but from what has been shown, it is indistinguishable from the existing Fallen faction aside from a unit or two and a fresh coat of paint.
Europa will also house the new Raid, which takes place in the Clovis Bray facility where Exos (Destiny’s sentient robots) have been created. This is significant because, in the lore, Clovis Bray is a mysterious and shady organization on top of being a tech giant. Thus, the Raid may contain surprises regarding new robotic enemy units. Perhaps not a fully fledged robotic race but new enemy types.
Season of the Worthyhad added novel AI characters in the form of Warmind heavy frames, and those were available for only a season. Thus, it isn’t out of the question to have unique NPC types solely in the Raid. Interestingly, those Warmind AIs fromSeason of the Worthywere also tied to Clovis Bray, and if something new can be added in terms of this, it may draw in interested parties.
No Traditional Gambit
Gambit was a massive shift inDestinynot simply because it lead to tons of triumphs, gear, and pursuits, but because it changed the classicDestinyformula. The game had always had two core playlist activities (Strikes and Crucible) up to that point and Gambit became the first post-launch core activity.
There has been no mention of a new activity type inBeyond Light, even something like a destination-specific horde mode similar to Blind Well,Escalation Protocol, or Altars of Sorrow. It is possible that Europa will house its version of an overworld public activity, but Bungie could be forgoing that trend too considering how big a shift year 4 is supposed to be. Whether that’s good or bad for inviting in new players remains to be seen.
Lacking Refresh to Existing Content
Once again, fans don’t know the totality of what the developer has in store for year 4/Beyond Light. However, as things stand, there are no plans to rejuvenate an old activity as Nightfall: The Ordeal did inShadowkeep. Gambit will be shrunken down to one activity,a compromise between normal Gambit and Gambit Prime, but this won’t necessarily breathe new life into that play mode since it takes away as much as it adds. Furthermore, there is only one brand new Strike planned for launch and no new Crucible maps, on top of the massive reduction of the game’s Strike and map pool.
The rewards for the game’s core activities are getting a refresh, but the announcement last week did’t go so well with the community. Essentially, the entirety ofStrikes, Crucible, and Gambit are getting one armor setadded to their loot pool, alongside a reskinned sniper rifle as a seasonal pursuit weapon. It is better than nothing because last year didn’t see even this treatment, but the consensus at the moment is that this isn’t going to be enough loot incentive for most players, even new ones.
No New Progression System
Forsakensaw the return of Triumphs and added the Collections among other pursuits like weapon quests from various vendors.Shadowkeepre-invented the artifactfromDestiny 1and made it a proper way to influence character builds. While there will most likely be small tweaks to these systems inBeyond Light, it seems like the expansion will not be introducing a new way for players to engage with the entirety of the game as the mentioned additions did.
Not All Doom and Gloom
None of these mean that the expansion isn’t anxiously awaited by existing fans. Dedicated players have been pleased with what has been shown so far, but the items listed above are what’s missing to reinvigorate the game and to draw in newcomers or those who have taken a long break fromDestiny.
Europa itself looks great for exploration, and the Raid will definitely be a major event as it will be inside the Deep Stone Crypt, an infamous and largely unknown location from the lore that is sure the shake things up in the universe going forward. Not to mention the fabled Darkness subclasses in the form ofa new element called Stasis. This is arguably the best feature ofBeyond Lightas it has been 6 years since players have gotten their hands on a new element in-game, but that draw may not be enough for those who haven’t been playing this entire time.
Destiny 2: Beyond Lightis available on November 10 for PC, PS4, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X. The PS5 version should be available November 12 for PS5.
MORE:Destiny 2 Player Recreates Last Wish Riven Encounter in Warframe Dojo
