Before the upcoming Forsaken expansion for Destiny 2, Bungie has revealed some new details about the secrets that lie in the Dreaming City. There is something for both casuals and hardcore fans.
Secrets are popular: Most Destiny fans love secrets and puzzles. For many, this aspect is what makes the Destiny experience. This was recently demonstrated by the excitement surrounding the new exotic sniper rifle Whisper of the Worm.
Forsaken brings more puzzles: In an exclusive article from Game Informer, the studio has revealed some information about the secrets that Guardians can expect in the Dreaming City – the home of the Awoken.
The Hidden Secrets of the Dreaming City – Something for Everyone
The home of the Awoken is not only beautiful: The Dreaming City, the new end-game hub of the Forsaken expansion, is a picturesque area that resembles Rivendell from “The Lord of the Rings” more than a typical Destiny setting.
But Guardians will quickly realize: the initial beauty is deceiving. For the home of the Awoken also has a dark side – the Ascendant Realm. This parallel existence plane houses the deities that the Hive worship and is also home to the Scorn Baron Mindbender.
New challenges: The adventures in this dark world will be among the toughest and most demanding that Forsaken has to offer. But the rewards you can earn there will be worth it.
Challenges for Everyone
Getting started: Before you can test your skills in the Ascendant Realm, you must first gain access to this parallel dimension.
By defeating enemies, participating in public events, or in the Blind Well, a new consumable item may drop occasionally in the Dreaming City. This is your key to the Ascendant Realm. When you use this item, you will be able to see numerous secrets that link the Dreaming City with the Ascendant Realm. But be aware: this ability is only temporary.
The platforms: One of the first things that will catch the Guardians’ eyes are the randomly floating platforms throughout the Dreaming City. These platforms are only visible and usable to those who have consumed the new item. The platforms will appear at certain locations in the city, but their exact position will change from week to week. And where you find one platform, you will usually find others as well. The platforms are very narrow. To follow the path to the rewards waiting at the end, a certain degree of jumping skills and practice is required.
The rewards: However, the reward at the end of this acrobatic endeavor will help you progress in the Dreaming City. These jumping passages will lead you to chests that can contain a random selection of tokens for activating the Blind Well, legendary gear, or even more. The gear from the chests may not be the strongest in the game, but it should help ease your initial progress in the Dreaming City and push you further.
By the way: Bounties from Petra Venj, the new vendor of the Dreaming City, will lead you more often to areas where these platforms appear.
Challenges for Core Fans
Gateways to the Ascendant Realm: Bounties may not only lead you to possible locations of the platforms, but they can sometimes also provide hints about another secret that may await you at the end of the platforms: gateways to the Ascendant Realm.
Only one of these portals will open weekly. So you have to think carefully about how to utilize the hints given to you and find the portal in time. Some portals will be extremely well hidden, while others will jump right at you. And while for some the jumping passages to these portals will already pose a high hurdle, that is just the beginning of the challenge to follow.
Special challenges: Because on the other side of the portals, so-called Ascendant Challenges await the Guardians. These are short, self-contained dungeons that will put your aim skills and puzzle-solving abilities to the test. The puzzles may not be as demanding as in the raid, but there will be no assistance given. It is entirely up to you to figure out how the mechanics work.
But other factors will make your life harder: If you die, you will respawn in the Dreaming City. You will have to redo the entire jumping passage to the portal. Additionally, the required consumable item is time-limited, and you can carry a maximum of five in your inventory. The clock is ticking.
The actual puzzles vary: Generally, most require a mix of combat, jumping skills, and sharp wits. For example, there is a challenge where Guardians must work their way up over tiny platforms to the top of an area. Each platform is protected by darkness traps that explode after a short time and can knock players off the platforms. Other challenges involve figuring out the correct boss-fight mechanics or mastering even more demanding jumping sections.
Best in a team – eventually also solo: While you can complete the Ascendant Challenges alone (eventually), it is recommended to tackle the challenges as part of a team at first. The enemies on the other side of the portals will be too tough for you alone if you approach them right after completing the Forsaken story. Additionally, the extra brain power is worth it for solving the puzzles. The puzzles may not be particularly long, but the first few times you will struggle quite a bit to figure out the mechanics before your elixirs run out.
The reward: At the end, a high-tier piece of gear awaits your efforts in the Ascendant Challenges, which will help you advance in power level – and that outside of the weekly milestones. With the Ascendant Challenges and the numerous, easier-to-reach chests, both casual and passionate players will receive new goals to pursue weekly – even off the beaten path.
What do you think of these new features? Have you been missing exactly this? Or are other things more important to you?
