Beyond Light oozes potential and I can’t wait to see how Bungie develops the narrative it has began. But, by chopping a lot legacy content material out directly and failing to interchange it, the endgame feels shallow and quickly turns into repetitive after you have completed the brand new Raid.
Pros
Fixes points with the sport’s narrative
Gunplay is as satisfying as ever
The new Raid is among the most difficult thus far
Cons
Doesn’t add numerous new options
Cuts numerous content material from the sport
Key Specifications
Review Price: £49.99
Developer: Bungie
Genre: FPS
Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Stadia
Destiny 2: Beyond Light is the most important growth, and discount, to Bungie’s reside service shooter in current reminiscence. It goals to streamline the sport and take its narrative in a daring new path.
But, in doing so, the brand new chapter takes a hatchet to a lot of the sport’s older content material and loot, leaving some players justifiably questioning whether or not it’s definitely worth the hefty price of the season cross.
Having spent a good period of time finishing the marketing campaign, grinding the put up sport and making an attempt – and failing – to complete the brand new Raid on day one, I can affirm that it’s, in probably the most half, however there are caveats.
For the newbies to the collection, Beyond Light is the latest chapter/DLC replace to Bungie’s long-running open-world sci-fi shooter, which reworks quite than rethinks the core Destiny expertise.
You’ll as soon as once more encounter a loot shooter, with an unlimited choice of open planets to discover. Upon them you’ll take part in quite a lot of customary missions, strikes and patrols – both in your lonesome or with a fireteam of different Guardians. In the method, you’ll earn gear for enhancing your character’s total energy and light-weight degree.
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So far, so acquainted? Generally, I’d agree. But having accomplished the principle marketing campaign, I’m happy to report the replace reveals that Bungie is lastly getting severe about fixing one of many franchise’s largest flaws: its lacklustre and oftentimes nonsensical method to narrative.
Since the primary Destiny rolled out, a typical criticism by way of the years has been its nonsense story. To assist newbies to the franchise, the Cliffs Notes model of the story to this point is that you just tackle the position of a Guardian, historic warriors who defend the final remnants of humanity after a cataclysmic occasion that almost rendered it extinct.
Guardians can blast by way of enemies with an arsenal of futuristic weapons, whereas additionally utilizing particular powers granted to them by a mysterious entity often known as The Traveller. This unusual being sacrificed itself in the course of the nice battle to save lots of what was left of the human race. Beyond this preliminary basis and some standalone tales with every new growth, the core narrative of Destiny stays featherlight.
Narrative highlights have included dropping hints concerning the Guardians not being pretty much as good as first thought, expertly tugging at our heartstrings with one of many collection most-beloved characters biting the mud in spectacular trend.
Beyond this, the story has remained enraptured by its personal mythology, sacrificing cohesion as a consequence. Each new growth follows the identical drained cycle. A brand new massive unhealthy enemy seems and threatens to destroy the galaxy, and it’s your job to take him down earlier than restoring Destiny’s world to the established order.
What’s stored the collection going has been its satisfying taking pictures and looting mechanics, which provide a real incentive to proceed enjoying frequently – and followers have definitely caught round. Beyond Light goals to repair these shortcomings by providing a story that expands on the general lore and has a tangible affect on its world. It appears Destiny is lastly going to begin taking its universe extra severely.
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Beyond Light units off after the Season of Arrival’s conclusion. We’ll be mild on spoilers the place potential, however it hints on the arrival of a brand new hostile pressure often known as The Darkness. Details are nonetheless hazy, however it appears to be an evil type of The Traveller, able to imbuing Guardians with powers which might be much more sinister than something we’ve seen earlier than.
The marketing campaign missions see quite a few returning faces take the stage, and revolves round how the Guardians and numerous different factions react to the brand new participant on the scene. Specifically, it sees you group up with Variks, an alien villain from earlier within the story, as he tries to cease Eris from “destroying his people” in her makes an attempt to harness The Darkness. This means the vast majority of Beyond Light pans out on Europa, one in all Jupiter’s frozen moons.
Upon first look the story follows the identical format as previous expansions, however all through the missions it appears like there’s extra weight to the proceedings. Each story interplay with the characters provides considerably extra backstory than previous campaigns, and each character is extra rounded, that includes an ethical compass that’s refreshingly ambiguous.
Even Eris, the principle villain, feels partially justified given the occasions of her previous. This depth implies that, for the primary time since I reviewed the unique Destiny, I felt a tinge of emotional reference to the principle story. Segments with The Darkness, the place the primary sport’s mysterious Exo Stranger, Eris Morn and The Drifter assist train you learn how to harness its energy are notably entertaining, particularly as the ultimate skills you unlock are a lot enjoyable to make use of in the course of the marketing campaign.
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Beyond Light introduces Destiny’s first Darkness subclasses. Specifically, it unlocks new “Stasis” skills. These are new ice-themed particular assaults that target freezing and breaking enemies. On a Warlock, for instance, it enables you to summon a Stasis workers that shoots orbs of frozen vitality at enemies after which enacts assaults to crack them, inflicting enormous injury within the course of. The grenade means is superior, too, permitting you to throw a snowball to freeze enemies or create wall obstacles.
The affect of the story isn’t simply mirrored in the principle marketing campaign; it trickles by way of to the endgame and multiplayer components, too, with Destiny having minimize entry to a number of earlier areas and quests from different seasons. This makes it the primary new chapter to really feel like the beginning of one thing epic, and a brand new basis for Destiny to construct upon.
Sadly, there are some severe points to deal with within the marketing campaign. The largest is the sheer quantity of content material Bungie has minimize. Numerous raids, strikes, bits of equipment and missions have all disappeared from the sandbox. Other key hubs and shops are gone, too, together with the Black Armory Forges.
The culling can be advantageous if there was sufficient new content material to interchange them – however, because it stands, this feels very very similar to a reset that shall be constructed on with the following two content material drops in Beyond Light’s roadmap.
This makes the grind of the endgame all of the tougher. Gear and weapons on supply have diminished to the purpose that the choice feels extremely restricted. The missions on supply have some cool post-campaign implications concerning the origins of one of many sport’s races, the Exo. However, they observe the identical format, merely tasking you to repeat earlier areas and blast or scan no matter is there.
The similar is true of public occasions and patrols, which by no means evolve previous “follow this waypoint” after which “shoot this thing” mechanics. Given the funds and inventive powers behind Destiny, I’d hoped for extra selection and modern mechanics at this level.
The new Deep Stone Crypt Raid is a welcome exception on this regard, and early on acts as the one actual incentive to grind the put up sport.
Raids are Destiny’s final challenges. They’re gruelling dungeons stuffed with advanced puzzles, difficult bosses and Deathtrap Dungeon-level surprises that require a fireteam of six high-level Guardians working collectively to finish. The new Raid takes place in a forgotten R&D facility, beforehand occupied and run by a mad scientist.
To even entry the Raid you want a light-weight degree of 1220 – though, be warned: should you go in with a group at that degree you’re going to die pretty rapidly.
I went in with a fireteam of pals on voice chat with a mean degree of 1230 and was despatched working with my tail between my legs at warp pace. I’ve since returned twice and nonetheless haven’t accomplished it. Make no mistake, the Deep Stone Crypt is an superior endgame problem that’s effectively definitely worth the wait.
Sadly, outdoors of this multiplayer all the pieces feels just a little too acquainted. Crucible has sufficient maps to maintain you entertained, however the brand new Stasis skills really feel overpowered, as do a number of the new exotics and normal gear, making it quite a bit much less enjoyable to play.
A scarcity of any important new modes additionally feels just a little harsh. You’ll be caught with Rumble, Control, Clash and Elimination choices, identical to the final season. Gambit – my earlier favorite mode – has additionally been left untouched, making it really feel like an afterthought. Such adjustments makes unlocking “legacy” gear and new modifiers for the Stasis lessons, two of a choose few endgame goals value pursuing, really feel like a chore as effectively.
Legacy exotics from earlier seasons can nonetheless be cast at a terminal within the Tower hub, when you have the required elements – which, sadly, should be collected by grinding the few missions and strikes nonetheless on supply repeatedly.
What’s extra, the outdated weapons have been severely nerfed, with Bungie limiting what number of occasions you may improve them in a bid to make the brand new weapons extra related. This is a pleasant contact that makes searching for new loot and altering your loadout really feel like a brand new problem. But once more, because it stands there merely isn’t sufficient new {hardware} to maintain issues thrilling long-term, though this may change pretty rapidly if Bungie’s growth/launch roadmap is something to go by.
Should I purchase Destiny 2: Beyond Light?
Destiny 2: Beyond Light is a key launch for Bungie’s reside service shooter that takes it in an necessary new path narratively. It delivers a way more concerned and interesting story than any earlier Destiny launch and I can’t wait to see how Bungie grows the seeds it has planted right here. The change additionally makes it a perfect time for newbies to the sport to leap on board.
However, the endgame grind feels far too acquainted, and there haven’t been sufficient adjustments to the sport’s core fight, mission and multiplayer mechanics to make it really feel like a real step ahead. This means established gamers will burn by way of the content material pretty rapidly.