Destiny 2: The Witch Queen review: Bungie finally perfects the formula

Bungie’s sci-fi shooter series Destiny has always been good, but loving it hasn’t always been easy.

Games have experienced a lot more turmoil than they expected. There was a bumpy launch in 2014, followed by a disappointing sequel in 2017 and numerous design issues. There have also been glowing periods, but they’ve all been in service of fixing past mistakes, rather than building something better down the line. Destiny was always about the potential and loyal players who aspired to find something truly great in every corner.

Fast eight years later, with two complete games and six additional expansions. Destiny 2 Finally, he is living up to his potential.

The Witch QueenThe story opens with a mysterious and new mystery. A longtime villain — Savathun, sister of Oryx, the villain from the original Destiny’s beloved Taken King expansion — has somehow acquired the Light, the force that gives Guardians their power. The Hive, enemies I’ve been battling for nearly a decade, suddenly have the same magical space powers that I do, including the most video-gamey of all powers: the ability to respawn. The only way to keep them down is to rush their bodies on the battlefield, crushing their spiky Ghosts — the living machines that supply Guardians with the Light — in my hand.

Image: Bungie

These Guardians are evil and the Hive Ghosts they kill is an essential gameplay mechanic. The Witch QueenBut it also comes with moral dilemmas. Since Destiny’s beginning, the Light has only blessed humanity with Ghosts. There’ve been some bad-egg Guardians in the lore, but we’ve never seen enemies wield the Light against us in game. Bungie is clearly pulling at a classic thread here, asking “What makes the good guys good, and the bad guys bad?”

As trite as and unsensical the Destiny story was in the past, it got me deeply invested in Bungie’s tale. The Witch Queen. Bungie bridged an enormous gap by telling this story. After years of working to establish surrounding lore and make up for the first game’s poor storytelling, it feels like the studio is finally free to tell a compelling narrative. Guardians can now question mysterious entities like the Traveler directly in the game (rather than via Grimoire cards), and there are great characters from both sides.

The story is just one piece of Bungie’s magnum opus — the first link in a chain that connects the entire expansion. The central mystery — how the Hive got the Light — centers around the new Throne World location, letting players dive into the mind of the most interesting villain in the series’ history. New currencies are created by players finding secrets in the game world. These currencies can then be converted into new weapons that play in the weapon-crafting system. I’m constantly using new weapons so I can add them to my crafting repertoire, or leveling up weapons I’ve already crafted to improve them further.

Image: Bungie

The new evidence board found in-game on Mars — one of those classic detective boards with string tying loose ends together — becomes its own metaphor for what the expansion does so well. The additions, from the new glaive weapon type to the Void 3.0 ability overhaul to the weapon-crafting system, don’t exist to fix past problems. Instead, they help breathe new life into activities I’ve been playing with since 2017. It’s Destiny with the baggage stripped away, and every piece flows together beautifully.

Every other major Destiny success — The Taken KingOriginal Destiny And Forsaken For Destiny 2 — was born from catastrophe. The original Destiny Uninspired by boring missions or bad gearing, the campaign was launched. The Taken King showed players the series’ potential. Bungie designed the Dreadnaught and fixed its gearing system. This foreboding locale is crammed with secrets. Bungie’s new mistakes were made. Destiny 2 PvP-focused modifications that have hampered PvE players are an example. Forsaken The series was put back on its feet with an improved weapon system and a great campaign. These expansions were significant steps in the right direction for the franchise. But they also helped to fix the game at a critical moment.

The Witch Queen, on the other hand, follows one of Destiny’s quietest years. The first major expansion was not made in 2021, which marked the end of the original. Destiny’s launch.) These were the seasons that followed. Beyond LightContinued The Witch Queen Each offered players amazing rewards and compelling stories. Which is all to say that Destiny doesn’t need saving in 2022, so Bungie focused on quality and quantity over bandages and salves. The Witch Queen The first major expansion feels more proactive than a reactive step, because it is not a reaction.

Image: Bungie

This isn’t Bungie reinventing the wheel — it’s watching it evolve from spokes and wood to metal and rubber. It still adds a new campaign, new location, and new weapons — but all of its offerings reach series highs, with the campaign being a particularly excellent standout. It’s like if Blizzard dropped a World of WarcraftIt was so successful that expansion could easily blow The Lich King — which many view as the “golden age” of WoW — out of the water. The Witch QueenIt demolishes all quality benchmarks The Taken KingAnd ForsakenI have been even more excited about the future because of it. Lightfall And Final Form expansions.

Being a Destiny veteran, it was an amazing experience. The Witch Queen. I’m feeling something akin to pride. Like watching a toddler taking their first steps, I’ve seen Destiny succeed and stumble for years now. But The Witch QueenIt’s like watching a toddler running for the first-time on their own. Destiny 2Although it is almost certain that Bungie may lose its feet again, my cautious hope has changed to exuberant optimism. I am confident Bungie can pick itself up, dust off itself, and move forward.

Eight years after those first clumsy beginnings, the series isn’t aboutWe have hope for the future anymore. The Destiny I’ve always wanted is here.

Destiny 2 – The Witch QueenFebruary 22, 2002. Google Stadia, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC, Xbox OnePlease see the following: Xbox Series X. This game was played on a PC with a SteamBungie provides a download code. Vox Media is an affiliate partner. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions for products sold via affiliate links. Here are some links to help you find. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.