Destiny 2‘s first major expansion was released this week, and it aimed to deliver a more satisfying and engaging experience to its players. It told a more personal story of revenge, brought back characters we hadn’t seen since Destiny 1, and introduced us to 2 new locations. Then of course, there’s a new set of game modes and activities, new gear, and all of the new features of the 2.0 update. I went over these changes in a previous article, in addition to referencing Forsaken as an important milestone for both Destiny 2 as a game, and Destiny as a franchise.
Forsaken was tasked with reassessing failures to call back a scattered and disheartened player base while confidently pushing the franchise, and the overall world story, forward. So how did it do? This is a question that will most certainly take more than 4 days of play time to answer, but we can at least begin the conversation today.
A Tale of Revenge
I won’t spoil the story, but the campaign was the best presentation of a story Destiny has ever delivered. It tells a gripping and meaningful tale of revenge, and uses that to perfectly set up the scenario for the endgame experience. The writing in particular was stellar. Not once did I cringe or laugh at bad dialogue, something I had done a little too often in the base game.
It also featured the story that I cared about most: Uldren and the Reef. It was amazing seeing characters that were set up 4 years ago be fleshed out to this extent and given actual dimension. The surrounding cast of characters were also a pleasure to interact with; particularly the Fallen mob boss, Spider. If this is the direction and quality of Destiny campaigns moving forward, then fans have nothing to worry about.
Gameplay That Shines
Forsaken doubles down on what players love about the game, and introduces enough new elements to inspire genuine awe. It features more new weapons and armor than the base game, while adding my personal favorite into the mix: the combat bow. I have to stop and gush about this for a moment, because it has helped me fulfill a big fantasy of mine in this game, and that is being a true assassin; perched on high, causing mayhem from afar.
The bow feels incredible, and I suppose to no surprise, it is the best feeling, most satisfying bow and arrow I have used in any game, ever. The new subclass paths are well-designed and each feel over-powered in their own respects. The gameplay of Destiny has always been its most polished feature, and it shines even brighter in this new sandbox of content.
Move over George Miller and Peter Jackson
Now, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the destinations. The two new locations of The Tangled Shore and Dreaming City are unique, intricate, and a blast to play in. The Tangled Shore is the area you will explore through most of the campaign. And for once, they keep you in it. Past Destiny expansions have been all too guilty of introducing a new space, only to rip you back to old destinations for a majority of the experience.
The Tangled Shore is described as a barren lawless frontier. While the description fits, it is far from barren. In fact, it’s one of the most interestingly designed spaces in the game. That combined with the design of the new Scorn enemies took me back to my days of playing Borderlands 2.
The Dreaming City is inspired in its own right. This is a true endgame space, filled with strong enemies and riddled with puzzles, secrets, and lore. It is described as the Awoken home land, and it is the most beautiful space Bungie has ever designed. It’s massive, and without spoiling too much, I’ll just say that it’s my favorite Destiny destination so far.
Forsaken, combined with the improvements presented in the 2.0 update have brought this game back from death’s doorstep. It is superior to what The Taken King did for Destiny 1. Forsaken feels like 4 years of learning, all in one incredibly addicting package. I’m relieved to be able to fully recommend it to any player; new or veteran, causal or hardcore. This game truly has something for everyone, and I’ll dive into more of those things over the coming weeks.
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