What does Destiny 2 lack the most at the end of 2019? And what could the game do to bring back wayward veterans and excite more Guardians in 2020? These 5 points would make Bungie’s shooter more attractive to many.
Quo vadis, Destiny 2? The year 2019 is slowly coming to an end. Therefore, we took a moment to reflect on the outgoing Destiny year. How has Destiny 2 developed? What does it still lack? What is most requested by the community?
In this context, the following 5 points have emerged, which would make Destiny 2 significantly more attractive for many active Guardians as well as wayward players.
It is not about any utopian fan fantasies like an endless flow of content or exorbitant, unrealistic demands for Dedicated Servers or 60 FPS on current-gen consoles. Ultimately, these are all things that have either been in the game before or that the predecessor Destiny 1 even implemented better.
This is how Destiny 2 developed in 2019: The Forsaken expansion finally brought Destiny 2 into a state in autumn 2018 that many had wished or hoped for at the release of the game. With the help of Seasons, Destiny 2 was then supplied with new content until autumn 2019 through the Forsaken Annual Pass. There followed thematically inspired Seasons around the Black Armory, the Wanderers, and the Caball Emperor Calus.
Then came the launch of Shadowkeep, which brought improvements to Destiny 2 in addition to fresh content at several critical points – for example, in the form of the new Armor 2.0 system, the universal ornaments, or the seasonal artifacts.
There is still additional content available through Seasons, but since the split from Activision, they are now smaller than in the second year of Destiny 2.
Moreover, the basic version of the game was made Free-to-Play – in the form of Destiny 2: New Light, through which many new Guardians found their way into the Destiny universe.
This is the state of Destiny 2 at the end of 2019: Overall, one can certainly say that Destiny 2 has massively changed since its launch in 2017 and has gradually become much more aligned with the wishes of the fans – this path was consistently pursued in 2019.
However, there is still room for improvement – particularly regarding long-term motivation, as well as content flow and quantity. Currently, the Seasons do not offer enough content for every Guardian to be entertained for an entire season. Moreover, some core elements of the game still generate criticism.
But exactly these problem areas could be easily solved or at least significantly improved – and that with comparatively simple ideas.
These 5 points would make Destiny 2 stronger in the new year – even in the long term.
1. More standout weapons
Many Guardians criticize that many weapons – essentially the focus of a shooter – have become more and more bland in Destiny 2. Often, there is practically no difference in the weapons one plays with – especially in PvE.
What is missing is that special something, THE weapon that everyone wants and that most chase after, even if it takes weeks or months – like the Gjallarhorn from Destiny 1.
Such weapons did exist – also in Destiny 2 and also in 2019. But instead of allowing more standout weapons (as initially announced), Bungie consistently pursues a policy of flattening these weapons to provide a smooth experience.
For example, numerous weapons Exotics have been nerfed to the point where they now only gather dust in the vault. The studio also recently scrapped the concept of top-tier weapons and replaced them since Season 8 with ritual weapons because they considered firearms like the Recluse or Not Forgotten to be too powerful. However, the ritual weapons are hardly comparable to the top-tier weapons from previous Seasons and are substantially less sought after.
Many therefore wish for more “wow” experiences regarding weapons. Sure, the balance in PvP should be maintained to some extent – if possible separately. However, in PvE, many Guardians would prefer to grapple with the choice of which overpowering guns to use this time to pulverize the aliens and have fun – rather than worry about which gun to pick today when it essentially doesn’t make a significant difference.
Standout weapons are special and have always had a magical effect on Guardians. The hunt for the Gjallarhorn in Destiny 1 kept many players busy for months or even over a year, continuously motivating them to play Destiny.
Such weapons are currently practically nonexistent. And even if they do exist, many are no longer inclined to hunt them down because they fear (from experience) that Bungie will soon turn the weapon from a top-tier firearm into a dust magnet.
And this is exactly where the studio could start. More outstanding, powerful, unique weapons for PvE – whether Exotics, top-tier weapons, or regular Legendaries with strong perk combinations. There is also a strong desire among Guardians for mod slots for exotic weapons.
If Bungie presents Guardians with more of these tempting carrots, a whole lot of players are sure to chase after them tirelessly. Here, there wouldn’t even need to be much new effort involved. A rethinking of the core philosophy and some listening would suffice.
2. Strike-specific loot
Regular Strikes and the Vanguard Strike playlist are virtually withering away in Destiny 2. There are virtually no real attractive incentives to play them.
The Nightfall strikes do offer the chance for strike-specific loot (which was only introduced later), but there are only weapons and some cosmetics. Thematically inspired armor parts like in Destiny 1 are nowhere to be found. The weapons are, with very few exceptions, not particularly powerful, and ships or ghost shells are not really special.
Furthermore, the focus in the Nightfalls is shifted towards farming certain materials or resources. Yes, there is also an increased chance of Exotics at higher difficulties. However, the rewards are not really exciting either. In short: Strikes, especially the regular ones, generally lack attractiveness.
Many players wish for the special strike loot from Destiny 1 to return. So many Guardians have spent countless hours hunting for the perfect roll of the hand cannon Imago Loop or securing a well-rolled “Griff of Malok” pulse rifle. These are not complicated or resource-intensive activities, yet they kept many engaged in the long term—even when there was no real content left.
Many also found it really cool to earn the skull of a slain Hive strike boss or other accordingly inspired armor pieces exclusively through strikes. The later introduced special armor sets (Snowfall, High Feeling, Dying Star) were well received. I myself specifically ran the strike Shadow Thief over 100 times to finally equip my hunter with Taniks’ Cloak, a cool-looking hunter-class item without a hood.
However, this is completely lacking in Destiny 2 so far. Because the strike loot does not currently include any special armor pieces. Here, many Guardians simply wish for the same system as in Destiny 1, and thus Bungie could create long-term engagement for many Guardians with comparatively little resources—without having to come up with a new raid or another new activity.
Because the basic framework, that is the strikes, is already there. They just need attractive rewards – weapons, armor, and cosmetics. Simply maintaining the standard from Destiny 1 regarding the quality of weapons and armor pieces should provide many with new motivation to constantly tackle the strike list.
3. More love for PvP and Trials
In Destiny 1, it was essentially an unwritten law: once the game had exhausted its PvE content, the PvP kept Destiny alive until the next content surge.
In Destiny 2, however, this is no longer the case – at least not to the extent it was with its predecessor. Generally, many players agree (not just the PvP lovers) that the Crucible in Destiny 2 is not getting enough love and is being neglected far too much.
Meta, weapons, maps, modes, balance, and more – many found these aspects better in Destiny 1. Although Bungie recently mentioned wanting to give PvP more attention in the future, it currently doesn’t offer enough to keep players engaged long-term.
The Trials of the Nine, the reinterpretation of Trials of Osiris from the predecessor, were supposed to be the big highlight for the PvP elite. True to the model of Destiny 1. However, the activity flopped in Destiny 2 and has been removed from the game indefinitely for a remodel. Guardians have been waiting for its return since the end of August 2018, still hoping: Guardians have strange occurrences in the universe – Now think Trials will return
For many, it would already be enough if they simply took the tried-and-true Trials format from the first Destiny without reinventing the wheel and equipped it with attractive specific rewards that can only be obtained there.
Why Bungie resists introducing a proven system or why the Trials of the Nine were not at least kept in their original state in the game until their overhaul is still a mystery to many.
If Bungie does bring back the reimagined Trials soon, many players will likely be very happy. If not, the studio could simply adopt the format from Destiny 1 – just that would likely bring many PvP fans back into the fold and bind them long-term.
And even for this, Bungie would not need to come up with new ideas or put in really huge resources. Because the entire successful concept has been sitting at home for years.
4. Factions and better merchants
In Destiny 1, vendor NPCs had larger loot pools, and the offered items rotated weekly. For this reason, many eagerly anticipated the Weekly Reset week after week.
Almost traditionally, players would set out and check all merchants to see if there was an attractive roll available this time.
The faction representatives also enticed with changing offers on their items and lured Guardians with particularly dedicated exclusive Exotics.
This is all missing in Destiny 2. The merchants’ inventory not only has fixed rolls – it has essentially remained unchanged except for the transition to Armor 2.0. Here, many players wish for the flair and excitement from Destiny 1 to return. That would be another element that would add extra appeal to the game week after week.
The factions, which, like the Trials (for the umpteenth time) have been removed from the game for an overhaul, are also desired back with the system from the predecessor – at least until their next iteration.
Currently, many would be satisfied if one could simply progress with the group NPCs continuously and in exchange be rewarded with faction-specific loot. This, in conjunction with Armor 2.0 and Random Rolls, would already make numerous Guardians happier and keep them engaged more in the long run.
5. Cool fashion – but please not only from the Eververse
With the release of Shadowkeep and the transition to Free-to-Play, the in-game shop Eververse has come into sharper focus in Destiny 2 – even more so than before.
Basically, many players understand that Bungie needs to earn money through the shop as well and have no problem with it in general – but the distribution of resources is really bitter for some Guardians.
What annoys many: If you want to look good in Destiny 2 and have the coolest cosmetics, you don’t have to complete the hardest activities like raids, but can essentially head straight to the in-game shop. I, Sven, have criticized this situation before: Is it worth it to invest time and 10€ in Destiny 2 again with Season 9?
Especially with Shadowkeep, this discussion has flared up again. Because in the new raid, for example, there was only reskins of known old sets as loot. Moreover, many resources in the game are recycled, say the fans.
However, with the regular content, it seems that the capacities are not sufficient for more than a handful of new features. The Eververse, on the other hand, is almost overflowing with pretty armor and ornaments, cool ships, ghost shells, or alternative finishers.
While these are not only available for real money but also with in-game currency, the supply of the currency in the game is scarce. Some items are also only available for silver (real money currency). Additionally, players are irritated that the developers seem to pay noticeably more attention to Eververse items and that these often turn out to be significantly prettier than the regular rewards from the game – even from the hardest activities.
This is all else but motivating – after all, for some players in Destiny 2 it is also increasingly about cool-looking loot and fashion for their Guardians.
The most visually appealing items should not only be obtainable through the Eververse but also directly from the game. Ideally, according to the difficulty of the activity. Many players from the community wish for this.
Attractive loot is one of the pillars of Destiny 2 and what likely drives most players in the game – this applies not only to functionality but also to appearance. However, if the appearance is increasingly determined through the in-game shop, it does not necessarily enhance the fun of playing. Many wish for a different weighting – that some cool cosmetics like ships or ghost shells can also be earned in-game.
No new system or complete rethinking by Bungie is needed for this. A balance adjustment in favor of gameplay would be welcomed by many. Because of course, you do get satisfied. But many find the carrots taste better when you have to chase them than when they come from the same boring feed trough every time.
For example: In Season 9, there are 11 new exotic ships and sparrows. Not one of them will be earned through gameplay – all will come from the Eververse. Also, 7 out of 8 exotic ghost shells are only available in the in-game shop. The other comes from the Season Pass.
What’s next for Destiny 2 in 2020? Currently, not much is known about Bungie’s plans for the year 2020, apart from the planned contents of Season 9. Whether Destiny 2 will continue in autumn 2020 or whether there might already be a Destiny 3 remains to be seen.
However, if Bungie were to specifically address these 5 points, they could eliminate some acute deficiencies of Destiny 2 or at least bridge them in a conciliatory and acceptable form until the proper solution is found with comparatively little effort.
Simply that would likely make Destiny 2 more attractive for many Guardians in 2020, drawing them to engage more deeply in the game until hopefully further significant content – in whatever form – awaits after the already planned Seasons 10 and 11.
What do you think? Would these 5 points already be enough to make Destiny 2 strong for the year 2020 in your eyes? Does Bungie need to work on more things for the game to gain attractiveness? Or are you satisfied with the current state of Destiny 2? What do you wish for this shooter in the new year?
