Destiny 2: Lightfall review: Bungie is still obsessed with the past

During the first mission of Bungie’s newest Destiny 2 expansion, LightfallAfter hijacking an enemy spaceship, and setting it to self-destruct on its own, I came upon a familiar-looking bay in a hangar bay as I was making my way home. In its two-tiered layout, its gaggle of room-filling purple ships and its wall-length energy shields leading out to space, it resembled nothing so much as the Covenant hangars Master Chief invaded in one of Bungie’s earliest games: Halo, Combat Evolved.

This visual double-take, whether deliberate or not reminds me of that Destiny 2It is a game that has a long and rich history. Leaving aside Bungie’s earlier games, LightfallThe tail end of the 20-year stretch that has elapsed since 2000 is now. Halo originated. WhileDestiny 2 today may be mostly unrecognizable in its polish and mechanical complexity compared to Bungie’s 2001 megahit, if you know where to look, it’s easy to see; in the level design, the monsters, and the guns (homages of which made their way into Destiny 2’s 30th Anniversary update), you can see the layers and layers of history.

There are many options. Destiny 2This is for people who may notice this history and might spend at least two paragraphs. LightfallThis review is about an entirely different Bungie game. After all, it’s always been a game with one foot stuck in the past. Deep in its menus are pages dedicated to “Moments of Triumph” and “Seals” commemorating all you’ve achieved in the six years since the game’s original release. Destiny 2It celebrates and continues to erase its past while it does so continuously.

Image: Bungie

The vast majority Destiny 2’s moments are no longer accessible. The old campaigns have been retired and new ones released. Experience the game means to feel the eternal present, a present constructed from narratives and mechanical raw materials of the past. Lightfall This recursive trend is best illustrated by the example of.

The expansion’s story reaches all the way back to the very first moments of the original Destiny, back when we all looked up in wonder at that giant white ball called the Traveler hovering Damocles-like over humanity’s Last City. Lightfall begins to answer the question of “What is The Traveler’s deal, anyway?” At the campaign’s outset, it leaps dramatically into action — as much as a moon-sized sphere possibly can — launching itself into Earth’s orbit and challenging its old enemy, the Witness. The once mysterious and passive entity has evolved into an active participant of the unfolding events. We have seen changes in the world of Traveler, which is still somewhat a mystery.

The mechanical act and art of playing Lightfall It feels like an amalgamation of both the old and new. Aside from an armory of new weapons with a wide variety of perks (as is the norm in any of Bungie’s expansions), the campaign also grants players a new super ability called Strand. Strand allows players to grab onto enemy characters and smash into them, allowing them to grapple through air. In Strand’s extreme mobility and its reuse of Destiny’s familiar action of grabbing and dunking orbs, you can see the shapes and behaviors of previous mechanics. Strand doesn’t reinvent as much as it reconfigures how the game used to function. It also, helpfully, makes old content feel refreshing again, particularly for players who’ve gone through it all before ad nauseam. New life is breathed into old Strikes and Gambit sessions, which can now be approached from a new airborne perspective, unburdened by gravity or — judging by how easy it is to fling yourself off a ledge — common sense.

Image: Bungie

Lightfall’s setting is where it takes its biggest departure from Destiny’s past. You may start the campaign in the throes of battle around Earth’s orbit, but you’re almost immediately shuttled across the solar system to the planet Neptune, a wholly new addition to Destiny’s locales. Neomuna serves as its capital. Lightfall’s primary location, is a slick futurescape draped in colorful, cartoon neon and soundtracked by synths and playful drum riffs. This cyberpunk-inspired aesthetic is a refreshing addition, as well as the sci-fi panache that seems inspired by Marvel comics like Guardians of the Galaxy or Silver Surfer. Destiny 2’s already broad visual patchwork. Your main point of contact is memorably goofy: Nimbus, an 8-foot-tall nonbinary humanoid clad in a chrome, Hajime Sorayama-esque outfit complete with a bitchin’ codpiece.

Neomuna, though it is new in the world, Calus ex-emperor of the Cabal, who is the antagonist, is very old. Calus in a hosted version Destiny 2’s very first raid. I still remember struggling through those late-night sessions, attempting to beat it with my original, now defunct, clan: bashing our heads against the raid’s seemingly impossible puzzles, Calus’ growling reptilian laughter echoing through our sleep-deprived skulls. Calus’s lowly position is a shame. Lightfall, We were there to witness his height and make him a pawn for the Witness.

What about players who have only passing knowledge? Destiny 2’s extensive lore and backstory? The game is easy to access. After playing through the tutorial missions introduced back in the New Light update, it’s possible to jump directly into the Lightfall campaign. And the cinematic that introduces’ Lightfall’s story does an admirable job of catching us up on the relevant story beats leading up to the current moment. While the gameplay remains thrilling, encounters are generally very well planned, although they may not be as exciting or as exhilarating, as in previous expansions. The Witch Queen. For many players and on a functional basis, it should suffice.

Image: Bungie

I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure. Destiny 2The sense of history that its players have embraced and reacted to is the key to its survival. It is important to remember how the campaign used to feel and to be able to recognize how it has changed.

Take into account that Lightfall’s story ends with many open-ended questions and is just the beginning of a year’s worth of narrative and gameplay content, which demands a level of time investment that many new players might balk at, it’s difficult to know whether the gameplay and the artwork — polished as they are — will be enough to draw in the uninitiated. Are they willing, once the campaign wraps up, to begin grinding, to devote themselves to this world that mostly ignores them, choosing to commemorate its “Veterans” (the title awarded to players who started playing six years ago) instead? There’s certainly something impressive about a game like Destiny 2The history and legacy of, as well as past franchises, is also a part of the company’s. But it leaves one wondering if there’s space at all for those who have no relationship with that history — who approach the game as visitors, witnessing just a sliver of what must feel like a lifetime of memories.

Destiny 2: Lightfall On February 28, the game was available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 (Windows PC), Xbox One (Xbox One) and Xbox Series X. Bungie sent a code to review the game on PS5 with a pre-release downloading code. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. They do not affect editorial content. However, Vox Media might earn commissions when products are purchased through affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.