Destiny 2: Only 2 weeks after launch shows how good it really is

Shooter expert Sven Galitzki from MeinMMO considers Destiny 2: Beyond Light a really good, successful expansion despite the rocky start and criticism after 2 weeks, which only reveals what it truly contains later on.

What is Beyond Light anyway? Beyond Light or Beyond the Light is the 3rd major expansion of Destiny 2 after Forsaken and Shadowkeep. It is also the first of 3 interconnected annual expansions, that Bungie plans for Destiny 2 through 2022.

What’s in the new expansion: Beyond Light includes among other things:

• A new story around the darkness
• New weapons and gear – including fresh exotics
• The new location Europa
• The new damage element Stasis along with new icy powers for the Guardians
• 2 new strikes, one of which is a remake from Destiny 1
• A new raid in the mysterious Deep Stone Crypt on Europa
• Some new enemy units
• New activities such as Imperium hunts or legendary Lost Sectors

What to expect in the article: In this article, I will specifically take a closer look at the “Beyond Light” expansion and its contents while trying to spoil as little as possible of the story or content. The ongoing Season 12 and its content are not the focus here.

Beyond Light – A lot of criticism at launch

How the launch went: The launch of Beyond Light did not go optimally – even if it was very successful. Initially, there were technical difficulties at launch – especially with the servers. On the first day, many Guardians, myself included, couldn’t even play properly. Additionally, many PC players complained about performance issues after the release.

What was still criticized: However, criticism of the expansion itself was quickly voiced. Here are some of the key points:

• The effects of Sunsetting, also known as weapon retirement, have become noticeably felt by players. As a result, a large portion of existing weapons and armor has become unusable for the new content.
• Overall, the diversity of new weapons and armor was criticized. There simply wasn’t enough new content to compensate for the massive loss of previous equipment. In short: too little new loot.
• Except for armor pieces, there was no refresh among the vendors, with the new armors essentially just reskins of a set.
• The new Stasis powers were well received in PvE, although Stasis ruined the PvP experience for many.
• The free-to-play experience offers a good entry point but has little noteworthy content. New Light lost a significant portion with the release of Beyond Light. Generally, many complained that too much content has been removed.

This is how I see Beyond Light after 2 weeks

To preface: Even though I had my doubts and concerns at the beginning – I now see Beyond Light as a good, successful expansion in its own right. I even consider it really good. Although this only becomes apparent after 2 weeks. However, it is overshadowed in my opinion by some fundamental, partly questionable decisions made in Destiny 2, preventing it from shining as brightly as it actually deserves.

For example, the unpopular weapon retirement is not a feature of Beyond Light – even though the expansion was heavily criticized for it and still is to some extent. This is actually a fundamental decision made for Destiny 2, introduced alongside Beyond Light. Even if you do not buy the new expansion, your existing equipment will thus be partially affected.

Similarly, the missing content that has rotated into the Destiny Content Vault with the release of Beyond Light. It is not Beyond Light that removed this content. This was also a fundamental design decision implemented alongside the release of the new expansion in an update, paving the way for the next years of Destiny 2. However, it is not part of the expansion.

The criticism may indeed be justified in these areas – but it relates to Destiny 2 as a whole, as a complete package, and not specifically to the new expansion alone.

What happened after launch: Beyond Light did not reveal all its contents and details immediately at launch. That’s why I also waited longer with my conclusion. The approximate scope of the new expansion only became truly apparent after 2 weeks.

For example, some new content and quests went live, the story progressed, and the new raid launched. The new Stasis power can now be unlocked in full. Additionally, Bungie has responded to the biggest criticism by enlarging the relevant weapon loot pool. Moreover, the initially still somewhat grim mood around Beyond Light has improved. Many now find the expansion itself really successful – myself included.

What I find great

The story: I really find the story of Beyond Light compelling. The campaign is well and engagingly told, offering not only black and white but also shades of gray. It brings back one of the coolest characters of the series with the Exo Stranger and explains many fascinating connections in Destiny.

You will experience some of the best story moments in Destiny 2. It will be the first time in a long while that I will be playing all 3 characters extensively – not just to unlock Stasis.

New location: The new location on the Jupiter moon Europa is really well done. The icy moon with its high-tech research facilities, ruins of the Golden Age, and snowstorms is not only beautiful to look at but also offers much for the explorer’s heart.

I must confess that even after 2 weeks I am still discovering new things there and have not missed the removed locations even in the slightest. In short: Europa has quickly become my new favorite location.

Stasis: The new element Stasis is also a lot of fun for me. Yes, in PvP it can be a bit frustrating, but in PvE I honestly haven’t even thought about the old focuses and supers. I was almost exasperated when I had to switch the focus for the “powerful reward” in the strike playlist, otherwise, I have been consistently using Stasis.

New raid: Especially the new raid has become a true highlight in my opinion – both visually and in terms of gameplay and rewards.

For me, this is finally a raid that I can play extensively with all 3 characters. Whether it’s for the cool armors, the great weapons, the powerful raid exotic, or simply because the Deep Stone Crypt finally combines what appeals to me the most visually and gameplay-wise.

The focus is more on chaotic action and the individual player. Basically, everyone in the team has something important, something exciting to do. The difficulty is set in such a way that raid newcomers will be more forgiven. Even if you’ve been put off by raids before – definitely check this one out.

New exotics: Most of the new exotics are not overpowered, but those I have obtained so far are all a lot of fun – like the new sword “The Complaint” or the Stasis grenade launcher “Grip of Salvation”

Here are my concerns

Scope: Even though I find the new content from Beyond Light largely great: the scope is limited. Especially regarding one of the most important aspects – the loot. Even with the raid weapons and the new guns from Season 12, there is too little new equipment for my taste, which becomes even more significant in light of Sunsetting (weapon retirement).

Highlight of Beyond Light is not for everyone: It is evident that a lot of effort has gone into the new raid, which will traditionally likely only be played by a relatively small part of the Guardian community. Thus, what I perceive as the biggest highlight of Beyond Light may not be visible to everyone – the same goes for some of the best weapons and armor pieces. For other Guardians, the contents of Beyond Light appear rather limited aside from the story.

Longevity: While the expansion is well-made and good, it will not keep players entertained for long due to its limited content. The seasons will have to support again – how well that succeeds remains to be seen.

Artificial stretch: On the new location, there are only 2 landing zones in the lower area of the map, which feel about 10 seconds apart in travel time. However, for many missions and quests, you need to go to the middle or upper area. This means you have to traverse these paths in full each time, making much of the content feel artificially elongated.

Balance: Bungie is still struggling to find the right balance with Stasis – especially in PvP. Although progress has been made, in my opinion, it is still not entirely successful.

Right now, Stasis essentially overshadows all previous focuses. Therefore, I hope that our old guardian powers receive an overhaul, as they now lag a bit behind Stasis in their current form, especially concerning the freedom in ability combinations.

Much remains the same: Even though the missions and quests tell cool stories – much of Beyond Light feels like Destiny in its usual form and offers little innovative aside from Stasis. The focus is back on bounties, with many tasks following the motto: “Go here and there and shoot so many enemies of such and such type with these and those weapons.”

Is Beyond Light worth it – and if so, for whom?

This is how I see it personally: Personally, I can answer this question with a clear yes. I see the new expansion as a good start into the now 4th year and a solid, new foundation for the coming year in Destiny 2 – whether and what Bungie ultimately makes of the seasons is another story.

This is because Beyond Light brings a really good story with memorable moments, a great new location, and the new Stasis element. And all of this has immense potential in my eyes. Additionally, Beyond Light also introduced a strong new raid, which may be among the best that Destiny has ever achieved in terms of this endgame activity.

All of this allows me to overlook some rather disappointing aspects of the new expansion – even though I still see a lot of potential for improvement.

For new players: I can confidently say the same – it is worth it. Yes, Destiny 2 has become smaller, currently offers less content than before Beyond Light. But Beyond Light is not to blame for this. It is the fundamental direction that Bungie has taken with Destiny 2 – whether one supports it or not.

And the expansion itself offers numerous new contents that new players are likely to enjoy and have fun with if they like the fundamental idea and general gameplay of Destiny 2. You can also get a free first impression through the free-to-play version Destiny 2: New Light.

For veterans and returnees: It depends on what you expect – especially generally from Destiny 2. Because in essence, Beyond Light brings more of what Destiny is all about – only in a fresh and, at times, improved or at least different form. And for some, that might be enough.

Check out the launch trailer for Destiny 2: Beyond Light:

So if Destiny 2 has generally appealed to you recently and you have enjoyed it in recent months, you will likely find enjoyment and some cool new adventures as a Guardian in Beyond Light – even though the game has noticeably shrunk. The action continues in the current Season 12 after the expansion.

But if you stopped because Destiny 2 itself wasn’t fun for you anymore and might have become too monotonous, Beyond Light may change little, if anything, for you. Yes, the new story is exciting, Stasis is cool, the new raid is really great. But whether I am doing a strike in the EDZ as a Nightstalker Hunter or roaming the snowy Europa through the Bray research facilities as a new Stasis Hunter with a new exotic … Destiny 2 remains at its core the same Destiny 2 you have always known.

In short: If you want more of what generally makes Destiny 2, you can confidently buy it and will likely be entertained well by Beyond Light for quite some time. If you expect an innovative breakthrough, a great directional change, or a completely revolutionary experience with Beyond Light, you might be disappointed.

What do you think about Beyond Light, now that some time has passed since the launch and many people have been able to form a good opinion? Is it worth your money? Or were you disappointed? What do you think about the future of Destiny 2?

By the way: Whether with or without Beyond Light – you can currently grab some free exotics: Destiny 2 is giving away exotics via Twitch Prime – here’s how to get the loot