Destiny 2: Forsaken (PlayStation 4) Review

By Brandon (Michael) Howard 29.09.2018

Review for Destiny 2: Forsaken on PlayStation 4

Since its release nearly two years ago, Destiny 2 has had a bit of a problem engaging with its players. From the onset, the sandbox felt empty, the Crucible's team balance was off, and gear didn't have the same great feel that it did back in the original Destiny. The first two expansions have helped remedy these issues, but Forsaken completely overhauls the weapon system, and offers new incentives for travelling across the solar system each and every day.

Bungie has taken a lot of steps to smooth out the frustrations that players have had with the core Destiny 2 experience since its inception. Alongside the new story content, PvP mode, strikes, raids, and challenges, there's a whole host of new quality of life changes that make getting to the end-game a lot more streamlined. Overall, these changes account to little more than quality of life, but the scope of them really makes the game feel more rewarding every step of the way.

One of the biggest problems in vanilla Destiny 2 was how restrictive it was to grind for powerful gear. Previously, there were only one to two opportunities per reset to obtain gear that was guaranteed to be stronger than your current load-out, and in this expansion that limit has been shrunken to every four days. Additionally, there are a greater variety of ways to earn these highly sought-after rewards, so getting to the end-game feels a lot more manageable than before.

Another new feature is the collections tab, which tracks all of the items the player has acquired throughout their Destiny 2 journey. Players are able to construct any item they have obtained through a mixture of components, letting them revisit weapons they may have discarded. This also goes in line with the updated weapon infusion system, which has a much higher component cost than before, and also now requires specific drops from the various planets.

Screenshot for Destiny 2: Forsaken on PlayStation 4

This update goes along with the overhauled sandbox systems that have been rolled out with this expansion. Planet-specific materials replace the tokens previously given out from completing public events, lost sectors, and patrols. There are also additional daily bounties given out by each planet's vendor, offering a solid incentive to log in and complete these bounties daily. This update really streamlines the progression for each vendor, especially when that planet is the one featured in the weekly flashpoint.

On a story note, Destiny 2 follows the events that happen after the death of the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6. The new story follows the unnamed Guardian hunting down a motley crew of escapees from a high-security space prison, before finally confronting Cayde's killer. The story content is a lot more interesting and far less repetitive than it was in either of the last couple of expansions, and it finally feels like Destiny's story is finally starting to progress somewhere. The new story content is also surprisingly difficult, which is a welcome change from previous expansions.

Forsaken also adds the new hybrid PvE/PvP mode 'Gambit,' which is a fun twist on the multiplayer experience. Players have to co-operate with three other players to defeat a giant AI-controlled enemy before the opposing team does, which takes a couple short windows to attempt to disrupt the enemy team with some player-on-player action. There's a surprising amount of depth in this mode, and it's one that offers a nice change of pace from the crucible and standard PvE content.

Screenshot for Destiny 2: Forsaken on PlayStation 4

Cubed3 Rating

7/10
Rated 7 out of 10

Very Good - Bronze Award

Rated 7 out of 10

Overall, this Forsaken expansion has made Destiny 2 a journey worth returning to. The daily grind feels a lot more manageable, with more chances to obtain end-game gear. There are some exciting new modes to dip into, and the new bounties system really encourages players to dig deep into the world. Destiny 2 is still an end-game grind, but with all the new and interesting ways to obtain your favourite gear, it's a much more rewarding experience than before.

Developer

Bungie

Publisher

Activision Blizzard

Genre

First Person Shooter

Players

1

C3 Score

Rated $score out of 10  7/10

Reader Score

Rated $score out of 10  0 (0 Votes)

European release date Out now   North America release date Out now   Japan release date Out now   Australian release date Out now   

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