A Year Of Destiny 2 In Review

As Destiny 2 wraps up another year on the calendar, I found it would be fitting to highlight some of the best times and some of the not so best times the game has shown this year.

2020 was a challenging year for many of us, and the team at Bungie was not immune from all the difficulties of the year. I commend the team and congratulate them on an incredible year and launch of Beyond Light.

Everything this year happened remotely for the team at Bungie, which is a remarkable feat to accomplish, the fact we received the expansion this year with so much flavor was undoubtedly one of the brightest parts of my year.

Despite the challenges the team faced this year, Destiny 2 continued to shine bright in many aspects; Here are my top three from this year:

Live Events:

This might not have made the list if it wasn’t for the fact Bungie pulled off two of these bad boys during this same year. First we had the Almighty blowing up back in June, and just last month we had the Traveler healing phenomenon right in front of us.

Certainly, the first live event of the Almighty had its difficult and drawn out length. However, for the first live event, I still found it to be mesmerizing. Watching the Almighty be destroyed by Rasputin right before my very eyes was captivating, even if it meant I had to check back periodically.

Following this energy into the Traveler event last month, I did not expect Bungie to have learned and refined on their events so quickly. I was thoroughly impressed and stunned by a small social space being added to watch the event.

I hope we continue to see these Live Events grow as they are strong moments for the game and community. It is also pretty cool to watch your whole friend’s list be flooded with a unique new emblem afterwards.

Exotics:

I have been pretty meh about the exotics that have came out with Destiny 2. I have still crutched onto my Thorn and refused to take it off in most scenarios until this year.

I think the turning point for me was Witherhoard. Witherhoard was the first Exotic that has been added that made me really go speechless. It was much more than a Jade Rabbit, it had crazy perks, a weird new damage effect and best of all it was a freaking Taken puddle.

Since Witherhoard, Bungie has added other greats like Lament, Duality, and incredible new armor Exotics like Necrotic Grips, Icefall Mantles, and the Hunter Mask of Bakris. These add a new layer to gameplay and provide unique opportunities no matter what game mode you are in.

I hope we continue to get these weird and fun new style exotics.

Deep Stone Crypt:

If you know me or follow me anywhere, you will know I love Deep Stone Crypt. The encounters were great and provided an excellent challenge for Day One and Continous Raiders.

The Lore is priceless and flavorful, and it even has a unique dialogue line dependent on the species of your character. For a place that was mentioned vaguely in lore for years, visiting the Deep Stone Crypt was mesmerizing.

This is how I feel Raiding should be, a string of encounters in an area you don’t want to leave. I find my self currently raiding in the Crypt just so I can spend even more time in it.

And yes, Deep Stone Lullaby has been on repeat since launch.

This year I think the light at Bungie shined bright. But I would be amiss if I didn’t mention areas where I feel could use more of that light.

Crucible Maps:

Bungie made great strides in their balancing of this year’s sandbox. Sure it was a little rocky at times with Hard Light bouncing all over the place, but in the end, we have seen an ever-changing and evolving sandbox season after season.

That being said, I feel there is a huge ball being dropped by the Crucible team in regards to maps. PVP maps are a Bungie staple dating all the way back to Halo. As Destiny 2 continues to grow, we have only seen the list of Destiny 2 PVP maps decrease.

I was hoping with a new destination being added we would undoubtedly see the icy planes of Europa added for fighting, but it seems we are still stuck battling out on simulations of consumed planets.

If Bungie wants to show they still care about expanding and evolving Crucible, they should add new maps as soon as possible.

Loot:

Destiny is a game where you are expected to spend a lot of time in. You are supposed to get lost in the planets and taken in by the endless encounters you can face. The problem I have with spending every night in this game is the fact I continue to get the same weapons and armor season after season.

The team has already addressed this, and they have mentioned in multiple updates they will be managing the loot fatigue as the seasons progress. It still doesn’t stop the burn from there being any real loot to chase this season but a handful of gear that you get from mostly the first few hours of the Beyond Light Campaign.

I did love the addition of Lost Sector difficulties for exotic drops, but it sure would be neat if each Destinations Lost Sector list had its own list of armor and weapons to chase as well.

Social Aspects:

I have always felt Destiny needs more social spaces and hangouts scattered across the galaxy. However, when The Farm was removed this season I became even more focused on this.

In a game with an incredibly connected playerbase, I feel bringing back ice rinks, soccer fields, and dance parties would do wonders for Tower Dwellers. Right now I find myself avoiding the Tower at all cost, and with the addition of the Bungie Mobile App now allowing me to pick up my bounties in space I find myself there even less.

If there were fun mini-games, a shooting range, or even a nice hangout for friends and clanmates, I feel more people would attend the Tower daily and just have a more wholesome experience with the game overall. Bungie proved they could add more areas when they brought in a section of the City for the Traveler event, but could we have it back permanently please.

What were your favorite parts of the year?Let me know in the comments or @Suttledge on Twitter.

I am live everyday on Twitch and on Twitter talking about Destiny, Coffee, and more.

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