Yesterday, September 8th, Bungie dropped Destiny update 2.0. With this gargantuan update comes UI upgrades, weapon rebalancing, the addition of an all new quest system, PVP modes, and much more. After a painfully long download, I finally got a chance to jump into this totally rejuvenated social shooter.
Among the first changes players will notice is the new solar system map. The map’s spacious new appearance is packed with a few clues as to what is to come once the Taken King drops next week. Players will see a locked prologue cinematic for The Taken King, alluding to the new storytelling approach Bungie is taking this time around. A new playlist can be found in the vanguard strike section, and an all new PVP mode can be found within the crucible, but more on that in a moment!
The user interface has been streamlined, ensuring that players spend more time shooting things, and less time staring at loading screens. Guardians will no longer have to return to the Reef or Tower to turn in pending bounties or quests. By accessing the all new quest page, players can turn in pending quests immediately with the push of a button. It is also now possible to highlight quests to be tracked by simply summoning your ghost, rather than constantly accessing the quest page to check your progress. Multiple quest steps will be a large part of gameplay within the taken King. Bungie has even restructured past missions into quest format more akin to an RPG. I was a bit disappointed however to see that quest giver text is not voiced, leaving you with a wall of cold text. This is however a welcome change in itself and a way in which the games deep lore will actually be present in game, rather than hidden within bungies website.
Your inventory screen has undergone a few changes as well. New slots for Ghost shells and artifacts have been added to the first page, and interchangeable emotes can be found on the second page along with shaders, emblems, ships and sparrows. Also, if you choose to remove your helmet in social spaces, this decision will be reflected on your inventory screen, allowing you to view your character without their helmet.
Once you touch down in the Tower, many new Kiosks are made available to you. This provides a solution to the our previously cramped vaults, albeit a temporary one. By relocating our shaders, emblems, exotics, ships, and sparrows to other kiosks, Bungie has effectively freed up vault space, while still allowing a collector the means to view their hoarded treasures. Players can feel free to dismantle items that they rarely use, with the chance to acquire them again at their respective kiosks for a very modest fee. These kiosks can be found spread across the tower, near various vendors. A quick note however, Bungie has stated that dismantling your items will be safest after the Taken King drops on the 15th, so discard items at your own risk.
Speaking of your coveted weapons, they have also undergone a total overhaul. In the new age of Destiny, autorifles are king once again. After playing several rounds of PVP, I found the time to kill with these weapons has been dramatically reduced. Autorifles such as Hard Light and Nechrochasm have become so powerful in fact, that I won’t be surprised to hear complaints and calls to nerf these weapons. The new test weapons that are currently available to players feel as satisfying as year one weaponry, providing that same satisfying kick. Even though the new weapons are sparse at this point, players can already feel the difference between the games 3 main weapon foundries. Try them for yourself by visiting the gunsmith and testing weapons for him in order to gain rep. Some of these “tests” will require you to use the weapons on enemies in PVE or even in the Crucible.
The newest mode currently on display within the Crucible is Rift. In this capture the flag-esque mode, teams fight to capture an object called the spark. Once a runner has picked up the spark, his or her teammates must defend them as the run to the enemy teams’ rift to score a
point. This new player vs player mode is a welcome change from Destiny’s year one offerings. Rather than running around blindly or defending static points, rift forces players to work together and remain on the move. At times, rift feels something akin to a sports match as you run along swiftly dodging bullet fire or push forward on offense with your runner. The ability to stylishly “slam dunk” the spark into your enemies rift is a nice touch as well.
Destiny version 2.0 is littered with thoughtful touches to elevate your experience. From the moment you log in, you will see the visage of Oryx, the Taken King himself. The games vanilla background music will change from the mystical and mysterious to dark and foreboding. There is a sense that there is a terrible struggle to come, and you will find yourself in the middle of the action. This is exactly what many fans have been waiting for from Bungie, to feel as though there are stakes, rather than having them dictated to us within a loading screen.
Dinklebot is no more as Nolan Norths voice has replaced Peter Dinklage as our floating companion, ghost. At first, I had forgotten about this change and was startled by the new voice. Nolanbot sounds a bit like the love child between Star Wars’ C3PO and Halo’s Guilty Spark. His quirky voice is charming, but a bit high pitched for my taste. In contrast to the brooding, deep voice of Dinklage, Nolan North sounds a bit childlike. However, Nolan North definitely adds a bit more emotional range to the character.
These are just some of the major changes to the destiny universe after update 2.0. More surprises and improvements are still on the way! So far, it seems Bungie has been listening to its fan base, and guardians are in for a hell of a time come September 15th.