How does the most famous lore expert of Destiny 2 rate the story of the MMO shooter? He criticizes loose ends, highlights wonderfully written characters, and brings hope for the future.
This is the story expert: In the Destiny community, James Byford is better known as “My Name is Byf”. He has built a reputation over the years as the greatest lore and story expert of the game.
He is admired for meticulously piecing together the many puzzle pieces of the MMO shooter’s story and bringing it closer to players with his sweet voice.
Even developer Bungie has taken note of the “Lore Daddy” several times. Recently, Communications Chief Deej – the one who won’t let himself be ridden like a pony – attempted to imitate Byf’s voice while reading lore entries during a charity stream, much to the delight of the viewers.
We at MeinMMO also like to turn to Byf for story and lore articles:
- 2 details that excite the greatest lore expert of Destiny 2 about the story
- Destiny 2: Lore expert excites thousands of fans with epic video
This time the expert reflects on the story of year 3 (via YouTube). He expresses harsh criticism but also believes that we have experienced some of the best in terms of Destiny story.
The story is torn apart with loose ends…
What is criticized: Shadowkeep ushered in the third year of Destiny 2 with a story bang: The Guardians finally face the mysterious Darkness tangibly. Byf calls it a “monumental discovery” as we enter the Pyramid ship on the Moon.
Shadowkeep was supposed to and wanted to span a coherent narrative arc. It was meant to encompass a year and culminate in the arrival of the Darkness. But then there’s a harsh cut, and the bigger goal of the story gets lost. “Now everything starts to fall apart,” because, in the subsequent seasons, the story around our arch-enemy takes a back seat.
In between, the dark threat – which has been looming for 6 years – occasionally shines through. But often this happens inappropriately: Midway through Season 10, for example, the Darkness is thrown at us. This shifted the seasonal story around a crashing spaceship to the background.
This is Byf’s demand: Byf generally complains that Destiny breaks the story into too many strands that lack a clear objective – they lead nowhere.
He calls for more focus on the overarching theme, the grand narrative framework. It is suggested that the characters from the individual seasons visibly interact with the theme of Darkness.
It should not disregard the smaller plot threads, but they should complement the overarching narrative. Byf believes it needs to be more apparent “why we are bringing back the heroes.” The answer is simple: “Because the Darkness is coming!”
… which are among the best stories that Destiny 2 has
What the expert praises: Despite all the criticism of the seasonal storylines, Byf must admit that these stories are great cinema on their own.
Since year 3, players have finally been able to experience significant chunks of the story in the game itself. Gone are the days when the cool story of Destiny was told exclusively through item descriptions or external texts – don’t worry, those who enjoy this storytelling will still find plenty.
Byf particularly enjoyed the story surrounding Saint-14 from Season 9 :
- Not only do we hear about the cult character, but in the story missions, we stand side by side with him and experience how he became the “greatest Titan who ever lived.”
- Through us, Saint-14 basically rises from the dead
- We learn how other characters are entangled in the events – for example, the time-traveling Warlock Osiris
- In an epic cutscene, we witness Saint-14 entering our world and proving his stubbornness in battle
- Surprisingly, the Titan appeared in the Tower and has been trying to cope with the world that has become foreign to him ever since
All of this has been experienced or facilitated in the game itself. There are additional short stories on Bungie.net. Byf has no objections to this; the events are excellently written and staged. Unfortunately, however, the connection to the bigger picture is lacking.
The arrival of the Darkness brings hope for the future
This is how the expert sees the current season: Season 11 should story-wise bring together the criticized loose ends and prepare us for the “next big thing”. The Season of Arrival lives up to its name: The pyramids are here, and in events we make contact with them. Everything seems finally to be heading in one direction.
Many interesting characters are involved in seasonal activities, and all have a connection to the upcoming Darkness, the theme of year 3:
- Eris Morn and the Drifter, who are immediately associated with the Darkness, play prominent roles in Season 11
- Long-forgotten elements are skillfully woven into the narrative: Savathûn and the son of Oryx want to prevent us from making contact with the pyramids – what are we not supposed to hear?
- Savathûn has been built up as Oryx’s successor since Forsaken in the background – and Bungie has already confirmed that the Witch Queen will make her grand appearance in 2021
- The opening quest and weekly excursions into the “Interference” mission also deliver, in his opinion
The season is still at the beginning, and a final conclusion is therefore not possible. But even now, Byf attests to Season 11 as having a great story that finally has focus and is well written.
Do you agree with the lore expert’s statements, or do you see the story differently? Which loose end would you like to see finally tied up? To find out how the story and Destiny 2 continues in year 4, read: Destiny 2 will continue for years as an MMO – Beyond Light and plans until 2022
