In Destiny 2, the Season of the Drifter is still running, the current DLC. Our author Schuhmann says: Behind the current season are brave and understandable decisions, but for me, it’s absolutely nothing.
This was the situation: Bungie decided to take a different direction after the “We’re bringing something for everyone” expansion Forsaken.
With the “Annual Pass”, Bungie wanted to entertain the hardcore players by giving them as much to do as possible with as little effort as possible. There are three premium DLCs planned to bridge the time between December 2018 and September 2019. They cost about €10 per DLC.
So far, in this “dead time” in Destiny, there were either paid DLCs (2015 and 2018), which often disappointed, or free updates that changed very little (2016/2017).
This time, in 2019, there’s an Annual Pass. We are currently in the mid-DLC “Joker’s Wild.”
This is the joke of the new DLCs: The two previous DLCs after Forsaken focus on clear ideas:
- They offer players a “core activity” that they should repeat as often as possible to farm loot and level up. In the 1st DLC up to 650, this time up to 700.
- Quests and milestones are meant to ensure that players spend some time with Destiny 2 every week
- there are also some time gates and a lengthy gear progression to keep players engaged (some mega-players are still done with it after 2 weeks and scoff at anyone complaining about too much grind)
The €10 expansions of the Annual Pass are classic grind DLCs, which are only slightly broken up by specific, individual quests or events. A larger expansion of the world or a proper storyline is not planned.
How difficult the situation was for the current DLC: The current DLC could only lose.
“The Season of the Drifter” landed on March 4. It was clear from the start that it would be a difficult DLC, squeezed between the release of competing games Anthem and The Division 2.
Additionally, after the first DLC with the forges, players were apparently slowly getting Destiny-fatigued and looking for variety and something new. Moreover, the “Annual Pass” had already split the community since many were reluctant to give Bungie another “blank check” for the future.
In a survey by MeinMMO in December 2018, only 2900 out of 5365 surveyed users said they had already purchased the Annual Pass. The rest were skeptical to dismissive.
Even if the DLC would have been excellent, the season would have had a really tough time. And I didn’t find the Season of the Drifter excellent.
This is what the Season of the Drifter offers: The current DLC focuses on two modes that are directly related:
- Gambit Prime is a “sharpened” variant of the normal Gambit, a PvE/PvP mode that Bungie is incredibly proud of
- and the Reckoning is a 3-stage PvE event, a kind of horde mode where you grind for access to the higher modes via better gear
As an incentive to play the two activities, Guardians can earn special set armor that provide unique benefits in Gambit Prime. In Prime, Guardians earn the particles needed to obtain the armor pieces in Reckoning.
This is how it sounded on paper: Basically, I found it brave that Bungie decided to implement such an idea with the interlocking game modes. I thought it would give players a lot to do.
I found the idea of the sets leading to more specialization exciting.
I still thought in March: “In Destiny 2, content is waiting for players this time – there is so much to do.”
This is how I found it in practice: Unfortunately, this approach for Destiny did not work for me at all, and my playtime in Destiny 2 has dropped significantly since the Season of the Drifter.
This is due to 4 reasons:
- I find Gambit Prime significantly less fun than the normal Gambit mode. I tried to warm up to this mode, but for me and my playstyle, it’s nothing. I feel much more that you need a well-coordinated team to shine here.
- Also, I find “Reckoning” to be a difficult mode and it doesn’t bring me much joy. Already, the fact that there are 3 tiers and that the first one is actually irrelevant bothers me. After a run, I have had enough of Destiny 2. The idea of going back in and doing exactly the same thing again seems lame to me.
- I find the grind for the armors cumbersome, as I apparently can only properly start it after I have invested several weeks in the DLC and made progress.
- Also, I have to play the same milestones as I already have throughout the 1st DLC with the forges to increase my light level.
This problem is evident: For me, the DLC shows how incredibly important it is with Bungie’s new approach to get the few core activities that players are supposed to play over and over again right, so that they excite from the start.
It is also important to hold out a carrot in front of players that looks appetizing.
I’ve tried to find enjoyment in Gambit Prime and Reckoning, but I just couldn’t.
I would have preferred if Bungie had poured all the time into a mode that truly rocks instead of two.
I think how much fun one can have in the current Destiny largely depends on how one perceived these two modes the first time:
- They did not bring me joy.
- But I can imagine that others who enjoy Gambit Prime and Reckoning are totally thrilled by the DLC and cannot understand my criticism at all.
This is what it’s about: I can understand Bungie’s general approach of precisely expanding the world with the Annual Pass and find it brave. Sure, it would be even better if a “comprehensive” expansion like Forsaken came every 3 months, but that’s simply wishful thinking.
Under the current circumstances, Bungie is likely taking the significantly better and smarter approach and utilizing its resources as best as possible.
I just hope that the core activities of the next season meet my taste again.
Compared to the Gambit Prime routine, it amazes me how much life a single event like the new exotic weapon can bring to Destiny, which stands apart from such core activities. I wish for more of this in Destiny 2.
For without such things, I find Bungie’s approach to be highly polarizing: Either you enjoy the core activity and find the DLC and the grind good – or you don’t, and there are hardly any reasons to log in. And I would like to have more Destiny 2 back in my life.
