Destiny 2: The Final Shape review \u2013 One of the best expansions ever made Destiny 2: The Final Shape isn\u2019t something that comes around very often. The market is dominated by live-service titles, but it\u2019s rare for them to culminate into a moment \u2014 especially one that has been building for ten years. Games like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 have certainly had big, climactic finales. However, Destiny has been building, in some way, towards the confrontation of the Light and Dark since the franchise launched in 2014. From the first cutscene in Destiny 1 where Bill Nighy\u2019s Speaker introduced the conflict, the sense of The Darkness vs. the Traveler has been at the forefront. Admittedly, we\u2019ve been off the beaten path from time to time. There have been robo-viruses infecting aliens, a campaign of vengeance against a now friend, and an invasion by a horde of Romanesque space hippos. However, hidden away in the deeper lore, the root always led back to The Darkness and The Light. When Destiny launched, it was said that Bungie was putting together a \u201c10 year plan\u201d for the franchise. After a rocky initial launch, it was used somewhat as a punchline. The joke was there\u2019s no way this bizarre, experimental, confused shooter MMO would last. Suffice it to say, Bungie has had the last laugh. So here we are. The Final Shape. The moment Guardians have been envisioning for the better part of a decade. Frankly, it\u2019s an impossible task. It would take a miracle to live up to so much promise, especially after stumbling during Lightfall\u2019s story last year\u2026 right? Well, miracles would just be called wishes if they didn\u2019t happen every once in a while. This isn\u2019t the work of a higher power, though, but instead a developer at the absolute top of its game. Destiny 2: The Final Shape Key Details Price: $49.99 – Developer: Bungie – Release Date: June 4, 2024 – Platforms: PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One & PC – First Cayde The Final Shape is a campaign with narrative at its forefront. This doesn\u2019t spin its wheels in place like in Lightfall, nor does it take any sort of detour. It also doesn\u2019t retreat into a mystery like in previous expansions. This is a story about the Guardian and every major player in the franchise set on a collision course with The Witness, the biggest bad in Destiny history. However, there\u2019s more than just the fight with the Witness here. This is easily Bungie\u2019s most character-forward story, too. Destiny 2 campaigns often get caught up purely on the events of the plot. The Final Shape feels different, though. It walks this tightrope of feeling like a universe-ending conclusion and also an intimate examination of the people caught in the middle of it. While there are scenes of wonder in the story, it\u2019s pretty dour for the most part. That\u2019s fitting of the moment, too. Cayde-6 is back, and while he still quips here and there, he\u2019s not the comedy relief guy of the crew anymore. Instead, he finds himself having to be a leader with a lot more worldly wisdom than he previously did. Dying apparently is a great teacher. Elsewhere Zavala, now voiced by the instantly recognizable Keith David taking over from the late Lance Reddick, has a major crisis of conscience. His actions make sense, though. The amount he\u2019s been through, the sacrifices he\u2019s made \u2014 there is a keen, understandable reason for what he\u2019s doing. There are heavy themes of grief and mourning, as well as the ultimate responsibility to live on regardless, even in the face of immense pain. This was a risky tact to take with the story. The game slows the action to focus on these somber scenes. However, the characters are handled so excellently, they provide a soul to the broader narrative of The Final Shape. Cayde\u2019s new shade of wisdom is an excellent fit for him, Zavala\u2019s crisis has been building for years, and Ikora\u2019s iron resolve begins to falter as her foundations begin to crumble. It\u2019s so well done, and it\u2019s the standard for the kind of character work the series should hold onto into its future. Witnessing greatness [This section will discuss notions about the structure and emotions of the game\u2019s finale, but contains no direct spoilers] It\u2019s not all sad campfire talks about loss, pain, and the temptations of the Darkness though. This is still the ultimate showdown with the strongest known being in the universe. The Witness really comes into its own in The Final Shape. It steps into the forefront, a move that probably should have happened earlier but one that is welcome nonetheless. There are hundreds of lore entries you can dive into to get the full lowdown on The Witness \u2014 and you should; it\u2019s a fascinating character. But the tl;dr is this: The Witness used to be an entire civilization that now exists within one being that wants to freeze reality into the shape it deems perfect \u2014 ridding pain and suffering, but also all life and potential at the same time. This confrontation is handled in an inventive, multi-tiered way that incorporates all of Destiny 2\u2019s mightiest tools. The initial seven missions in the campaign lead into the raid, Salvation\u2019s Edge. This became the raid with the longest World\u2019s First in Destiny\u2019s history \u2014- and is quite possibly the best ever made in terms of spectacle, mechanics, and difficulty. Then, the events of the raid lead into a brand new activity, Excision, the franchise\u2019s first (sanctioned) 12-man activity. This mission is an extraordinary moment. A cathartic rush of adrenaline, characters, and pay-off as 10 years of storytelling devolves into an actual war of Guardians, allies, and ultimately The Witness itself. The Avengers: Endgame comparison feels too easy to make, but it doesn\u2019t feel like Bungie is trying to hide that. What makes it work, in the way that the climactic battle of that film does, is that it has 10 years of story built into it. It doesn\u2019t matter that it\u2019s riffing that hard on that moment: Destiny earned it. This all culminates into a remarkable mission that\u2019s unlike anything I\u2019ve ever experienced in a game before wrapping up in a way that will test the cold heart of anyone who has ever cared about this franchise. From the start of the mission to the last cutscene \u2013 it\u2019s an astonishing sequence. It might be my favorite in any video game ever. Full stop. Period. Filled with Dread Making this occasion feel bigger is the inclusion of Destiny\u2019s first new enemy race since Forsaken. The Dread are some of the game\u2019s toughest enemies, with some of the most intense abilities. A lot of it revolves around Strand and Stasis, making them shapers of the battlefield more so than any other race. While, as Guardians, crowd control is our bread and butter, this is the most we\u2019ve had an enemy faction throw that back at us. The way the Dread\u2019s abilities mix can be utterly brutal. Stasis crystals are flung around the field to freeze you, and Strand abilities are used to pull you into danger or suspend you in place. If you don\u2019t get on top of a situation, it can spiral quickly against the Dread. Never before has there been an enemy that can literally drag you out of your cover or immobilize you so completely. While it can become a real challenge to face enemies that carve out the battlefield in their favor, it never becomes completely oppressive. They\u2019re a threat but rarely tip over into obnoxious. They can also be hilarious too. At one point, I was fighting a tougher Tormentor, relatively safe from a distance. That was before I was yoinked by a Strand Weaver right into the Tormentor\u2019s grasp, who promptly grabbed and killed me. I couldn\u2019t help but laugh at the enemy\u2019s ingenuity \u2014 they got me. Beyond the Pale All of this takes place in a destination players have long speculated on. The Pale Heart brings us into the Traveler as we explore one of the most unique locations ever introduced into Destiny. For the first time, a Destiny 2 planetary location isn\u2019t a big circle, but instead a straight line. That may seem like a minor change, but it actually provides a path of momentum through the game\u2019s increasingly dire story. As you first enter the Pale Heart, there\u2019s a sense of awe and magic to this reflective world of beauty. As you stumble through verdant recreations of your memories, it\u2019s clear you\u2019ve had an effect on this world. It recreates locations and scenes from your past. However, as you press deeper down the funnel the Pale Heart forces you through, it\u2019s clear something is wrong. The Witness is equally having an effect on this space, with clear corruption becoming more distilled and potent as you get close to The Witness\u2019s looming tower. Before long, it\u2019s all dissected faces of pain and a lot of hands. Like, a lot of hands. So many, many hands. This is Bungie\u2019s most visually stunning planetary location to date, and honestly, it\u2019s not even that close. It all abides by a singular vision, but one that\u2019s refracted through a prism going from wonder and growth to anguish and desolation. It\u2019s a hell of a thing to look at and a ton of secret nooks to go out and explore. Thematic prismatic The other big addition to The Final Shape is Prismatic. This new subclass brings together both Light and Dark under one roof. This allows players to deeply customize their subclasses into a marriage of both sides. If you throw together something that at least functions, this is a fun new wrinkle in a Guardian\u2019s arsenal. The crux of the subclass is you need to be able to balance both Light and Dark damage, in order to fill up a bar to activate Transcendence. This acts almost like a second super, that\u2019ll give you all sorts of gameplay benefits, including increased ability regeneration, better resistance, and a whole new grenade that mixes Light and Dark. Prismatic is easily the most complicated buildcrafting can do in the game. This is because it\u2019s not just about throwing on the best aspects and fragments that complement your Exotics. Instead, the subclass pushes back on you in a meaningful way. You need to be able to build both Light and Dark meters. That balance to meet Transcendence provides complication in your setup, where you\u2019ll have to consider every ability, super, and weapon you\u2019ve equipped while playing the subclass. For newcomers, this may prove to be a little overwhelming. However, if you\u2019re well-versed in Destiny 2 buildcrafting, it\u2019s a unique challenge. It\u2019s safe to say the best builds are still being conceived. The newly released Exotic class items bring in a whole other complex dimension to Prismatic, too, and that\u2019s going to take some time to shake out. However, regardless of where it all lands, Prismatic is a unique addition to Destiny 2 that will hopefully be built upon in the future. Taking shape There\u2019s a lot more in this expansion, too (and looking at my ballooning word count, I\u2019m not going to get to it all). However, I\u2019ve only touched on the big marquee, back-of-the-box features here. As mentioned, the Raid is a wild, challenging experience that may be the best Bungie has ever put out. There are some amazing exotics added to the game, like the meta-defining Still Hunt sniper that gives players a pocket Golden Gun Super or the first-of-its-kind heavy Trace Rifle Microcosm. There are also new Supers for every class. The Titan Super, which provides Void axes for the full team, is really fun to use with multiple Guardians. Hunters get to zip around with an Arc teleport that clears entire rooms. Warlocks regain the solar Song of Flame which allows them to constantly rotate abilities to a supercharged finger snap, to a tracking grenade in the form of a bird. There is also a secret Exotic Mission that has recently opened up, and it\u2019s the best Bungie has done \u2014 feeling almost like a new type of Dungeon or Raid activity but for just two people. I\u2019d love to see that idea explored again in the future. The point is, it\u2019s not just the big things that work in The Final Shape \u2013 it\u2019s everything. It all works. The issues feel minute, and everything put into the game, big and small, feels like a best-case scenario for the development team. Of course, there\u2019s still time for issues to reveal themselves, metas to stagnate, and Episodes to disappoint, but right now \u2014- Destiny is at its absolute peak. Here at the end The Final Shape is not just the best Destiny expansion ever made \u2014 it is one of the best gaming experiences I\u2019ve ever had \u2014 and I\u2019ve been gaming for over thirty years. Profound isn\u2019t a word I expected to be using when first jumping into the expansion, but it\u2019s hard to think of a better one, to sum up my time. There is a caveat to all this, though \u2014I have a long history with Destiny. I have over 3000 hours played and have met many friends through my journey in the past 10 years. The Final Shape is a celebration of that time. The story I told with my Guardian intermingled with my own life. It\u2019s nearly impossible for me to untangle that from my experience. If you don\u2019t have that history, it\u2019s harder for me to say exactly how you\u2019ll find The Final Shape. I still believe even if you just picked up the game, you\u2019d have a very good time with it. The campaign is excellent, the Raid is an all-timer, Prismatic brings previously unseen depth, and the Pale Heart is an astonishing creation. It\u2019s hard to envision anyone who likes Destiny even a little walking away having an overall negative experience. It\u2019s a great expansion, even in a vacuum. However, what makes all of this really come together into a beautiful achievement is how all of these aspects return to Destiny\u2019s core soul \u2014 the people you play with. The fact the game encourages you to do all of this with friends, take part in the community outside of the game, and feel like you\u2019re living in a collective moment \u2014 that\u2019s what really makes this special. That\u2019s always been the best part of Destiny: its ability to bring people together. The Verdict \u2013 5\/5 The Final Shape is a sentimental love letter to the social and community aspects of gaming. The power of creating a group of friends and playing something together. The stories you experience in-game and out of it. It\u2019s not just the culmination of the expansions and seasons of the last 10 years, but the people we met along the way. It\u2019s so rare for games to get to this moment \u2013 a climax of a decade of storytelling \u2013 and it\u2019s practically unheard of to have it end so satisfyingly. Bungie did what seemed impossible with The Final Shape \u2013 it nailed it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Destiny 2: The Final Shape review \u2013 One of the best expansions ever made Destiny 2: The Final Shape isn\u2019t something that comes around very often. The market is dominated by live-service titles, but it\u2019s rare for them to culminate into a moment \u2014 especially one that has been building for ten years. Games like […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40558","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40558","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40558"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40558\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40558"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40558"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dejan.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40558"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}