In Destiny 2 is about light, not darkness.
Some information about the story of Destiny 2 is already known:
- Ghaul, the commander of the Cabal’s Red Legion, attacks Earth. He destroys the Tower and occupies the Last City.
- Ghaul wants to claim the power of the Traveler for himself, which is why he traps it in a kind of cage.
- As a result, the Guardians lose their powers. They are separated from the light of the Traveler and must flee.
- Now it is up to you to regain the powers and reclaim your home. To do so, you must travel to alien worlds and reunite the scattered Vanguard.
In an interview with Gameinformer, game director Luke Smith and project lead Mark Noseworthy talk about the story of Destiny and what aspects are the focus. They also reveal: To the question of who or what the darkness is, there will be no answer in Destiny 2.
Attention: Spoilers ahead!
In Destiny 2 you will learn more about the light
According to Smith, Destiny 2 is a game about light. You will learn what happens when it is taken from the Guardians, and what the Guardians will do to get it back.
You will discover the relationship between the player and their Ghost and the relationship between Ghaul and the light, which he desires.
Much else that has nothing to do with it has been cut for the release of Destiny 2. Luke Smith cites as an example “the darkness”.
In Destiny 1, the darkness was mentioned from the very beginning. It is said to be an ancient, powerful foe of the Traveler, who pursued it through the cosmos. Who or what the darkness actually is, however, remains completely unknown. These are the “big questions” in Destiny – what the darkness and the Traveler are about.
And Smith is also aware of this. He reveals in the interview: “We have never really said what the darkness means. Ultimately, we owe our players a story regarding this – what is the darkness? – but this will not be in this game.” So there is no answer to this question in Destiny 2 – but at some point in the future.
Instead, the focus should be on the light. You are to discover your identity as a Guardian and your connection to the light. And what it means to be chosen by the Traveler.
By the way: The gameplay reveal event began with a trailer in which Zavala specifically dealt with these questions: What makes a Guardian a Guardian?
Cabal have nothing to do with the darkness
The darkness is thus not the great threat in Destiny 2. Instead, the danger comes in the form of the alien race, the Cabal. Noseworthy provided information that will especially interest lore-enthusiast Guardians.
“The Cabal have nothing to do with the darkness.” They do not come from the darkness and do not represent it. The Hive are closest to the darkness, as they worship it. But one can also worship something with which one has nothing to do.
The main villain in Destiny 2 is Ghaul. For reasons yet unknown, he believes that the Traveler should have chosen him. The power of light belongs to the Cabal, not to humans. Therefore, he wants to eliminate humanity and the Guardians to show the Traveler how wrong he was.
In several cutscenes in Destiny 2, players will receive background information about Ghaul. One important character here is Ghaul’s mentor, known as “Consul”. The Consul is considered the voice that guides Ghaul’s strength. He is like a coach on the sidelines, Noseworthy says. The Consul is said to have persuaded Ghaul a long time ago to stage a military coup, in which the previous Kabal Emperor named Calus was deposed and exiled.
The Consul seems to be a figure who holds the strings behind the scenes.
At the end of the interview, Smith emphasizes that the content in Destiny 2 will sometimes appear dark and hopeless, but Destiny is a franchise where it is always about hope.
Interesting: Destiny 2: No more Grimoire cards!
