The PvP of Destiny 2 has really improved with Forsaken, says our author Sven. He explains how he learned to love the Crucible again for the first time since Destiny 1 in Season 4.
The PvP in Destiny 2 didn’t have a really good start. The game lost its appeal because Bungie focused too much on achieving a perfect balance.
But with Forsaken, I fell in love with the Crucible again.
The PvP in Destiny 2 was dead for me for a long time
This is why I found the PvP so unappealing until now: For a long time, it was basically irrelevant which weapon you played or which armor piece you equipped in Destiny 2. The abilities also had little influence on the game for a long time. It was different in Destiny 1.
However, the Crucible in Destiny 2 resembled almost any other shooter’s PvP.
Moreover, at a certain point, there was no longer any excitement in diving into Guardian duels. Due to the lack of random rolls, you had everything in your inventory that you wanted after a while.
Many quickly lost interest in regularly competing against other players. I was no different. By January 2018, the Crucible was dead for me.
This is how the DLCs changed the Crucible: With Warmind and the preceding first major sandbox changes, I briefly checked in on the PvP again, but even though I found many adjustments to be right and coherent – the mode couldn’t really captivate me.
I found the idea of restructuring the Crucible into the Glory and Valor playlists quite interesting. I also thought the special reward for the PvP elite – Redrix’ Claymore – was a great idea.
But the system turned out to be immature – at least in my eyes. And this change alone was not enough to keep me consistently engaged. Not yet.
Forsaken rekindled my love for the Crucible
But Bungie has been refining the game for a long time, and with the release of Forsaken, everything changed for me in the PvP in an instant.
This is what I love about the “new” PvP in Destiny 2
The overall package is right: The renewed love is due not only to the changes in PvP itself but rather to the overall package that Forsaken brought with it.
Many small cogs fit together, which ultimately provides me with the best PvP experience I’ve had since Destiny 1.
The loot is important again: The loot, thanks to the return of random rolls, is finally rewarding and interesting again. I’m all about micro-managing my Guardian. I love inspecting every legendary and exotic drop for good and useful perk combinations. Every weapon, every armor piece is exciting to me now.
In combination with the changes to the weapon system and the armor mods as well as weapon mods, I can finally create a loadout that meets my individual expectations and needs, which I can completely change situationally. That alone significantly enhances the PvP experience in my opinion.
Build differences are noticeable: I can finally create multiple builds in the PvP that all play differently and whose specific orientations are actually noticeable.
This is rounded off by the new abilities and supers that the Guardians received with Forsaken.
The choice is now greater than ever; the new classes are really a lot of fun. And also the long-missed heroic moments, where you can single-handedly take down an entire team, I experience more often again.
Finally, long-term motivation again: Furthermore, I now have goals aside from god rolls and the perfect setup that genuinely captivate me long-term and drive me into the Crucible every day.
Because Bungie has made crucial adjustments that give me the feeling that Destiny 2 finally respects and rewards my time spent in the game – even in the Crucible.
I now consider the system regarding how the Glory and Valor rankings work to be well-executed and appropriate in the respective areas of “Competitive” and “Quickplay”.
While you can progress in Quickplay with enough dedication and stamina, in the competitive area you really have to fight hard to make progress.
Especially the always exciting chase for the highest rank in the Glory leaderboard has captured my interest.
What is an unforgettable experience in a team can often be quite frustrating when playing solo, but the competitive playlist is primarily designed for the PvP elite and established, well-coordinated teams. Furthermore, the constant threat of rank demotion is more of an added thrill than a frustration for me.
Rewarding top weapons provide additional motivation: The rewards have also become more attractive with Redrix’ Broadsword, Luna’s Howl, and Not Forgotten, motivating me even during streaks of defeats and point losses.
They are by no means given for free, but there’s something for everyone – for hardcore PvP players and also for players who prefer to stay primarily in Quickplay. And all three weapons are genuinely top-tier and count among the best ones you can hunt in the Crucible.
My personal goals that motivate me every day are currently the weapons Luna’s Howl and Redrix’s Broadsword.
Although I have to work hard for both, both seem achievable and realistic. That’s exactly what I’ve been missing so much – cool items that I can work towards.
In the long run, I want to earn the title Unbroken and the hand cannon Not Forgotten. Even if both currently seem far away – the current PvP provides enough motivation and fun to work towards these goals.
I’m also really looking forward to the return of the Trials of the Nine and I’m curious about how Bungie has improved this special mode for the PvP elite. The loot from the Trials of the Nine should definitely expand my list of goals after the revamp of the mode.
Not everything is perfect: Of course, even with Forsaken, the PvP is far from perfect. There are definitely points of criticism that Bungie should still work on.
For instance, matchmaking often leaves much to be desired, especially in the competitive area – precisely where unequal teams or missing players become particularly noticeable.
Some supers, abilities, and maybe even some weapons could still use a little fine-tuning.
The direction is right: Overall, Bungie has made a huge leap towards hobby, long-term motivation, and fun with Forsaken – even in the Crucible.
Anyone who felt deterred by the PvP in Destiny 2 should at least give the Crucible a chance now and test the Guardian duels. Because in my opinion, the PvP in Destiny 2 is now better than ever before. And in some respects, I even find it better than in Destiny 1.
What do you think about the current Crucible in Forsaken and its overall development since the launch of Destiny 2?
