Exciting days are ahead in Destiny 2. For MeinMMO author Philipp Hansen, this is largely due to the cutscenes and the story, which excite him for the new season.
What am I looking forward to? In just over a week, Destiny 2 will open a new chapter with Season 11. This brings us a big step closer to the hopeful autumn expansion. We still know very little about the setting, the new content, or the story that awaits us.
But I already know that I will be blown away by several cutscenes within a few days. Because the finale of the current season of the Worthy promises to be truly spectacular. And on June 9, the still-untitled successor begins. As it should be, both will be celebrated with a cool clip.
Cool action in Destiny 2 instead of boring story fragments outside the game
There are two reasons why I am such a fan of cutscenes. The first is obvious, and the second reason requires a closer look (pun intended).
That’s why I enjoy watching the videos: There is hardly any doubt in the community that Bungie knows how to present themselves and Destiny. No matter what the team in Seattle squeezes into a video format, the visuals are phenomenal every time.
They skillfully play with emotions, the action is meticulously choreographed, and everything is polished to perfection. Even if the informational content of a clip or ViDoc is not really high at times, it just makes you want more.
Example of a perfectly staged cutscene: Let’s look at the opening sequence from Season 10 as an example. First, we have an epic musical summary of the important events. Then it goes all out:
- Ana jumps agilely around and takes down enemies with her blade – just as the Hunter is always described in-game.
- Zavala, on the other hand, is a rock in the surf, a Titan – he does not dodge, he coldly blocks a sniper shot and makes quick work of it.
The video conveys exactly the feeling that plays in my head when I make my way through the Destiny universe.
That’s why cutscenes are so important: The cutscenes not only offer great visuals but are also essential for the story. Not long ago, too much story was told outside of Destiny 2. It is particularly annoying when I have to track the season transition or a narrative thread on Bungie’s website in a blog post.
Don’t get me wrong; I think this search can also be cool or allow interested parties to dive deep into the subject. But the direct, bombastic way of storytelling has its own charm.
Currently, Destiny 2 also relies on successful storytelling through the environments:
Example of good storytelling with videos: As an example, I chose Season 9, as I believe it was the turning point in storytelling – thanks to cutscenes. While the season starts off confused and the backgrounds had to be painstakingly searched for externally, this soon changed: Not only did “the greatest Titan that ever lived” make a remarkable appearance in a stunning clip foot in our world, but the season finale was also successful:
- The community’s efforts were cinematically appreciated, as the reconstruction of the Lighthouse was depicted with a (previously so rare) cutscene. Our Guardian personally ignited the long-extinguished beacon.
- Even better, however, was the story connection to Season 10: In a short but promising video, Osiris confronted the machine god Rasputin. He urges him to take a stand in the fight. The tone for the next chapter was set, and currently, the full weight of this disastrous encounter is unfolding. This is how a transition should look to create anticipation for more.
I expect a lot from next week
That’s why I am full of anticipation: In the TWaB a few days ago, Bungie was very cryptic and gave hardly any concrete information about the new season, even though it starts in just over a week. But shortly after, a mysterious message sparked excitement.
I hope for a grand finale of the current season; after all, Rasputin’s weapons are sharp. So come on, you threatening omnipotence! And immediately afterwards, the story transition into the yet-unknown season should follow. Is Bungie holding back details because we will finally meet our arch-enemy (whom we’ve been waiting for for 6 years)?
This will happen in the next few days. All eyes are on tomorrow’s weekly reset. On June 9, I hope to be greeted by a fantastic opening video that sets sail towards the autumn expansion story-wise. Even though there are currently issues in Destiny 2 and not all recent decisions have been well received, I know the next days will impress me.
We still don’t know much about the plans for the rest of the Destiny year, but in the next major addon, there might be a good dose of Destiny 3: We might still see Destiny 3 in autumn – just different than expected
