‘Destiny 2: The Final Shape’ Review | Bungie’s Best Expansion Yet
I’ve been playing Destiny 2 for a little over 5 years now. It’s not as long as other players, technically speaking I’m still less than half…
I’ve been playing Destiny 2 for a little over 5 years now. It’s not as long as other players, technically speaking I’m still less than half as old as some of the most senior players who jumped into Destiny all those years ago. But I believe my five-year, unique 1000+ hour journey within this universe, is something you should be fully aware of upfront, regarding me as a reviewer for ‘The Final Shape’, Destiny 2's latest, and perhaps ultimate expansion.
I’m a lengthy writer, so I’ll start with an all-encompassing overview. If you have played Destiny 2 before and it didn’t quite click for you, despite enjoying other games in similar genres, I strongly encourage you to come back and see how it’s been streamlined. Even if you’ve never downloaded Destiny 2 before and are casually interested, I think The Final Shape is so good that I could almost recommend it to you too, with ‘The Final Shape’ as your first dive into the game. Now, if you’re an existing player of Destiny 2, this is a must-purchase. So, perhaps in the simplest terms I can muster: I recommend ‘The Final Shape’ to everyone.
With this expansion, ‘Destiny 2’ has metamorphosized into the best version of itself. It’s the most fun, rewarding, and accessible that it has ever been. The focus is still in all the right places, but it’s been tuned to where it’s not always about the numbers, but the chase to good loot. And it’s a good chase at that, I keep logging on excited to find new things to experience and interact with in my journeys. It has been an incredible experience.
This brings me to one of my biggest “whys”: the new ability type, Prismatic. Previously, players had to choose a single ability type, or element that would define their playstyle and how they would control the battlefield. You have the classics, like Solar, Arc, and Void of course, and the currently available two darkness types Stasis and Strand. But with Prismatic, you can mix and match these abilities to truly handcraft something yourself that becomes a love letter to all five elements. You can wield all this power, mixing, mashing, and mastering it to feel unkillable and all-powerful. It is a joy to experiment with and use, and as someone who plays the Hunter class type, I could not be more pleased.
But what’s a new suite of abilities without an arena to test it in? The Pale Heart is a new location introduced in The Final Shape, and there are tons of enemies you can test your Prismatic builds on. “Overthrow” is the name of the activity in each sub-section of this location and it progressively gets harder as you complete tasks. The increasing difficulty is great because it allows you to fine-tune your Prismatic selections so that you can be your best unkillable self. I found Overthrow rewarding, both from the loot pool provided and just the general fun I had as I tested my Prismatic power. Not to mention the myriads of quests you complete here, both on the side and in the main story.
I think a lot of folks will be interested in the new campaign because it is the end of 10 years worth of storytelling. In recent memory, the only other time I’ve experienced this in media is Marvel’s Avengers Endgame, and to be honest, I think they stuck the landing better. That’s not to say The Final Shape is not good, as we experience some exceptional moments with fan-favorite characters that stand out against others in Bungie history. The most important thing I was looking for in terms of narrative was a story that wasn’t convoluted and poorly written like last year's expansion. A low bar, but ‘The Final Shape’ absolutely cleared it. One story mission, in particular, every player I’ve talked to agrees is beyond cool is the finale within the Excision 12-player mission. If you’ve enjoyed Destiny for any length of time, you’ll enjoy that mission for sure.
One thing that is still just as consistently good as it has ever been is, of course, the weapons. Bungie knows how to craft some of the best feeling FPS guns in the history of gaming and here in ‘The Final Shape’ is no exception. There are so many powerful weapons to chase through crafting and randomized rolls. New players will have a powerful arsenal right from the jump. Existing players will find themselves making vault space for some of these knockout weapons. This, is not to mention the new exotics, like the Khvostov 7g-02, Microcosm, and Ergo Sum, all of which have tons of utility and are loads of fun. Bungie absolutely does not miss when it comes to creating incredible gunplay.
One last topic to bring up: The new exotic armor is pretty good. The standout, of course, is the new Exotic class items which drop with TWO random exotic perks on them. With the different combinations you can obtain create some of the craziest power fantasies this game has ever seen. It’s an incredible piece of loot to chase. The mission they’re tied to, Dual Destiny, is also one of Bungie’s best-designed missions I’ve ever played. I encourage all new players to seek after this as soon as they are able.
As a supplement to all of my current ramblings, here are a few positives I did not cover but feel I should mention:
Fireteam Power makes it so that you or your friends are always ready to jump into any activity together, eliminating “the power grind” for players with less time or dedication.
Pathfinder is the replacement system for vendor bounties, so you can stop worrying about forgetting to grab bounties before playing ritual activities for the 500th time.
There’s anew enemy type to fight, keeping you on your toes.
The new raid is cool! And very difficult.
Existing players are rejoicing because of the increase in vault space from 600 to 700.
With the campaign completion, you get two more loadout slots (which is a great spot for your Prismatic go-to’s!).
Overall, ‘Destiny 2: The Final Shape’ makes Destiny 2 the best it has ever been, and I can’t help but gush about it. There is greatness across the board in every creative decision and gameplay tweak. For a long-time player like me, new additions like Prismatic and Exotic class items are dreams come true, both helping me chase meaningful loot in new and exciting ways. It all meshes together very well and makes me excited to, at the very least, keep playing through the rest of the year (but hopefully beyond). If you’ve ever wanted to play Destiny, and had any desire at all, ironically enough at the end of this 10-year saga, there are plentiful opportunities for great beginnings.