Bungie's Festival Of The Lost May Be Scary For The Wrong Reasons

Festival of the Lost is one of the most highly anticipated recurring events in Destiny 2. From the oversized masks to the unique collectibles, players look forward to dressing as their favorite npc’s every year to ransack the spooky space.

If you are wondering what is different about this year than the previous iterations of the festival, I am sad to report there are not many stark changes. Bungie did however add a few new hot items that make it worth logging in for at least one day.

First off is Eververse, last year Destiny featured a neon skeleton theme for the outfits that you could buy. This year Bungie seems to have gone with their most ghastly approach yet featuring armor ornaments inspired by ghoulish figures.

To make the Festival a bit more interesting this time around Destiny has added Decoder Ciphers as part of the Haunted Forest experience. Ciphers are the new item used to open the chest at the end of the Haunted Forest and they may be harder to get than the loot they unlock.

Decoder Ciphers are currently seeming to be random drops from any activity in Destiny 2. After initially learning about them from Spider in the Tangled Shore you should receive your first one swiftly. Players are however currently reporting that the drop rate is less than favorable despite Community Manager Cozmo stating they should be dropping as often as Umbral Engrams.

Collecting these ciphers will be crucial if you are looking to bring home as much loot as possible this season. To fully purchase all of the new cosmetic exotics up for grabs you will need to open forty-five chests in the Haunted Forest. After doing so you will unlock the necessary triumphs allowing you to purchase the Restless Shell Ghost Shell, Tomb Rider Sparrow, and Wrap Speed ship with the Candy currency.

After you have turned in your candy to Eva you have seemingly completed this year’s Festival of the Lost. Though we all may get excited any time Bungie throws a heavy metal guitar rift behind a cool set of armor, it does leave me wondering what changes could be brought to make the festival more invigorating.

I certainly enjoy dropping into the Haunted Forest for the first time but after forty-five runs I am left feeling like I am monotonously farming a short circuit activity similar to the Solstice European Aerial Zone. Does a more dynamic approach exist that could give a greater sense of fulfilment like the Dawning Oven?

Let me know what your thoughts are in the comments below or @Suttledge on Twitter.