Players had high expectations for Destiny’s latest content drop, Destiny 2: Into the Light. Not only did it have to live up to other content added due to a delay, it needed to give players faith the conclusion of the Light and Dark Saga will be worthwhile.
Bungie’s approach to this was to celebrate Destiny’s history, along with implementing some of the most requested content. While it did not mark the return of Sparrow Racing League (SRL), a hoard mode was added, along with the return of two vaulted exotic missions, an upcoming raid boss rush mode called Pantheon, and giving players a way to earn the iconic Superblack shader.
On a basic level the hoard mode, Onslaught, finds success by embracing roguelike elements. The unpredictable nature prevents players from being overly complacent. There are Exploder Shanks/Cursed Thrall to discourage strictly close range builds, champions, and a wide variety of extremely deadly enemy arrangements. Not only do players need to overcome several different obstacles, there are also random objectives to complete.
It’s the type of experience where builds make a substantial difference. Something like Shadowshot is considered invaluable, whereas selfish builds are not encouraged. However, due to the unpredictable nature, Onslaught embraces proper plays over specific builds. I’ve lost with a “meta” team, and completed Legend with people using “unwanted” builds.
Torment Awaits
Naturally, this delicately balanced mode is already captivating players. This also says a lot given hoard mode requests were often met with mixed reactions. There is still room to grow, given there are only three maps, two enemy types, and some questionable choices like Tormentor spawn locations, but it’s a great base.
What makes this mode so great for current, previous, and new Guardians is the loot. As previously mentioned, every weapon selected was done so because of its place in Destiny’s history. Without getting into my personal choices, the big thing is most of these weapons have strong perk combos that many players are chasing after.
Perhaps the biggest win was Edge Transit going from a meme weapon; to saving players from chasing after Cataphract GL3 in Trials of Osiris. Often times I do a run and there are simply so many strong combos I am not sure if I want to actually trash said weapon. It’s a nice feeling, one that will make Onslaught desirable for a while. Especially with Bungie increasing rewards, and retaining attunement.
Two weapons missing from Onslaught are Black Hammer, and Outbreak Prime. These weapons have an interesting history that resulted in them becoming Destiny 2‘s Whisper of the Worm, and Outbreak Perfected exotics. Naturally, it’s only fair both would be craftable, and have their exotic missions return.
At the time of posting only The Whisper is available. While some players might’ve wanted the intense mission it was known as being, the current form is extremely approachable. Even those who dislike playing with others are more than capable of beating it without additional help. This is due to the timer increasing to 40 minutes on normal (and I’m not even sure if it actually fails if you exceed it), and there being no Darkness zones. As a result, as long everything dies at some point the mission will complete.
Those looking for a harder experience have Legend, which also has the original 20 minute clock. The lack of Darkness zones makes it a pretty easy mission, even if doing it can sometimes be frustrating. The secrets, at least thus far, have a nice balance in regard to difficulty. At most this week’s platforming challenge will likely be the make, or break.
Pantheon looks to be another really interesting addition. As someone who attempts, and even occasionally completes, raids on day one it’s absolutely on my list of things to do. I’ve purposefully held off making too many remarks as the contents of this mode are still technically a secret. Once the first one goes live there will be a follow up article, but I do think it’s a great addition that will give hardcore players something to chase after.
Finally, arguably the biggest win with Destiny 2: Into the Light is how much of it will stick around. While I personally like the limited nature of certain things, which Pantheon and the limited-edition ornaments exist for; it’s nice highly desired items like Superblack, and these weapons will continue to be obtainable. The former is especially important, as it’s easily one of the most requested shaders in Destiny 2.
While Destiny 2: Into the Light does not ensure Destiny 2: The Finals Shape will be a home run, I think it ultimately accomplishes its goal. It’s fun, and there is a reason for everyone to play. Best of all it’s free content, so even if you’re unsure if Destiny 2 is worth reinvesting in, it can be enjoyed without doing so.
