Destiny 2

About Destiny 2

Destiny 2 is a first-person shooter game with MMORPG elements developed by Bungie. It was released in 2017 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC, and in 2019 appeared on the Stadia cloud service. The game was published by Activision until the beginning of 2019, after which the rights to the franchise were transferred directly to Bungie. Destiny 2 is the sequel to Destiny and its subsequent expansions.

The game takes place in a science fantasy world. The player takes on the role of a Guardian - the defender of the last city of the Earth. According to the plot of the game, the Guardians wield the Light - a force designed to protect the Last City from aggressive alien races. One such race is the Cabal, led by the warlord Dominus Ghaul. The Cabal invade the Last City and deprive the Guardians of their Light. The player must find a way to get the Light back, defeat Ghaul, and reclaim the Last City.

Various add-ons have been released for the game that expand the story and add new content and missions. During the first year, two small expansions were released: Curse of Osiris and Warmind. The second year began with the release of a major addition, Forsaken, which introduced major changes to the gameplay. The third year began with the release of the Shadowkeep expansion, which was released on October 1, 2019. At the same time, the game switched to a shareware distribution model, and the PC version became available on Steam.

On release Destiny 2 received mostly positive reviews from critics. Critics noted improvements in the story over the first installment, with praise for the game's "stronger story" and well-written antagonist. The gameplay also received praise. Critics were divided on changes to weapon categorization, as well as the introduction of new activities such as Adventures and Lost Sectors. The game was nominated for multiple awards at The Game Awards and Game Critics Awards.

Plot

Dominus Ghaul, believing that the Red Legion has every right to wield the Wanderer's power, attacks the City, depriving the Guardians of their Light and forcing them to flee.

The player is tasked with finding and reuniting three members of the Vanguard: Zavala, who has fled to Titan; Ikora Rey, who fled to Io; And Cayda-6who fled to Ness. Following their path, the Guardians must regain their lost power.

Game process

Like the previous part, Destiny 2 is a first-person shooter that incorporates elements from MMORPGs. The goal of the game is to improve the player character by earning experience points and equipment items for the character. They can be obtained for participating in the gameplay and completing "frontiers" - story or weekly tasks.

Starting with the Shadowkeep add-on, the developers decided to abandon the traditional character leveling system from the first to the maximum level. Instead, season pass levels were introduced into the game, which increase on all characters at once. The main indicator of progress in the game is "strength level» hero. It increases by obtaining equipment with a higher strength indicator. Equipment includes weapons and armor. Each such item has its own level of attack or defense. The arithmetic mean of the equipped items determines the hero's overall power level. At the time of Season of Dawn, the maximum power level is 970.

В Destiny 2 3 classes of characters from the original game are presented: titans, hunters and warlocks. Each class has its own specific upgrades, perks, abilities, as well as 3 subclasses that allow the player to customize their character to their individual play style. After choosing a class, the player can choose the race of their character: human, awakened (descended from humans, distinguished by a bluish skin color) or exo (humanoid machines). In total, you can create no more than 3 characters for each account.

Activities in Destiny 2 are divided into PvE (player versus environment), PvP (player versus player) and PvPvE (player versus environment and players). In addition to story missions, PvE activities also include 3-player strikes and 6-player raids. Players can navigate the game's open world by completing various tasks or participating in public events. PvP activities include deathmatch modes, zone capture, and more. PvPvE activities are a special game mode in which two teams of four play in parallel with each other and fight NPCs, but at the same time, each team can send its player to the side of the opponents to prevent them from succeeding.

Major gameplay changes

Destiny 2 has made significant changes that make it different from Destiny.

• Weapon Slots - kinetic, energy и power. Energy weapons have damage types. Linear Fusion Rifles, Sniper Rifles, Rocket Launchers, and Shotguns can now be placed in the Power Weapon slot.
• Melee and other subclass perks come in sets of four that cannot be mixed and matched. Players must choose between one or another set of four perks. Grenades, jump modifier, and class ability modifier can be changed regardless of the selected perk set.
• Matchmaking is allowed for end-game content as there is now a "Game with guide”, which is suitable for solo players to find a game with clansthat already have a group.
• Players can start a new activity or move to a new location right away without having to go into orbit.
• Some NPCs and merchants can be found outside of the Tower social location.

Contents

Raids

• Shadow Lake (previously a PS4 exclusive)
• Inverted spire
• Arms dealer
• Pyramidion
• Song of Savathun
• The crash of the Exodus
• Garden (raid from Curse of Osiris DLC)
• Probability Tree (raid from Curse of Osiris DLC)
• Knowledge terminal (raid from Warmind DLC)
• Depths of Mars (raid from Warmind DLC)
• Lord of a thousand armies (raid from Warmind DLC)
• Corrupted
• hollow lair (raid from Forsaken)
• Overseer of the Void (raid from Forsaken)
• swarm hideout (previously a PS4 exclusive)
• Rotting core (raid from Shadowkeep)
• Scarlet Fortress (raid from Shadowkeep)
• crystal path (raid from Beyond Light)
• Inglorious (raid from Beyond Light)

Raids

• Leviathan
• Eater of Worlds Raid Lair (DLC Curse of Osiris)
• Raid Lair Starspire (DLC Warmind)
• Last Wish (Forsaken)
• Exterminators of the Past (Season "The Forge")
• Crown of Sorrow (Season of Abundance)
• Garden of Salvation (Shadowkeep)
• Deep Stone Crypt (Beyond Light)

destinations

• Tower
• European Dead Zone
  • Farm
• And about
• Titanium
• Ness
  • Hall of Trophies (season "Abundance")
• Mercury (DLC Curse of Osiris)
• Mars (DLC Warmind)
• Tangled Shores (Forsaken)
• Dreaming City (Forsaken)
• Luna (Shadowkeep)
• Europe (Beyond the Light)
• Cosmodrome (Beyond Light)

New subclasses

• Rejected
  • Blade of the Dawn (Warlock)
  • Patron (Titan)
  • Thunderstrider (Hunter)
• Beyond the Light
  • Beast (Titan)
  • Shadow Caster (Warlock)
  • Revenant (Hunter)

Development

The sequel to Destiny was first mentioned by Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg during a conference call in November 2014, 2 months after the release of the first part. According to the original release schedule, Bungie and Activision planned to release one game every two years, with major expansions to be released between games. Originally scheduled for September 2016, the release was delayed until next year. In February 2016, writer Christopher Schlerf, who worked on Halo 4 and Mass Effect: Andromeda, joined Bungie. In December, Activision's in-house studio Vicarious Visions joined the development.

Kotaku editor Jason Schreier later said that in early 2016, the development of the game was restarted due to a change in game director: the previous head was replaced by Luke Smith, who previously worked on the original game. According to Schreier, the team did not have enough time to develop, and only 16 months passed between the restart and the release of the game.

In Activision's 2016 earnings report, Hirschberg mentioned that the Destiny sequel is "scheduled for release in the fall [2017]". Activision itself stated that the release of the second part "will expand the global reach of the franchise." The CEO clarified that players who spent many hours in the first part will love the sequel.

On March 23, 2017, a poster of the game with the logo, release date, and mention of a beta test was leaked online. On March 27, Bungie officially announced Destiny 2 by posting a picture of the game's logo on Twitter. In one of the teaser trailers that followed the announcement, some elements of the game were temporarily exclusive to the PS4 console.^[32]. It lasted 2 years and ended in October 2019.

Along with the announcement of the game, rumors about its release on personal computers were confirmed. Version Destiny 2 for Windows supports 4K resolution, unlimited frame rate, mouse and keyboard control, text chat, variable field of view, and ultra-wide monitors. Until October 2019, this version was available on Battle.net, but after the termination of the contract with Activision, it was moved to Steam.

Release

Destiny 2 was released worldwide on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on September 6, 2017, with a PC version released on October 24. Several editions of the game were available for purchase. By analogy with the first part, more expensive editions were completed with a season pass, which includes two additions to the game. The collector's edition, in addition to the subscription, included a bag, a metal case (steelbook), paracord, a USB battery with a solar battery, as well as brochures and postcards designed in the theme of the game.

In October 2019, Bungie made numerous changes to the monetization model Destiny 2. The base edition of the game called "New Worldbecame free. It includes full access to the story campaign, all Year XNUMX content (including high-level content such as raids), and PvP modes. Additional content (for example, the second or third year) can be purchased later. According to the developers, the player should be able to "play where his friends play." In this regard, cross-platform saves were introduced, allowing the player's progress to be transferred between platforms. Also, Destiny 2 became available on the cloud streaming service Stadia.

Sales

Activision chose not to disclose the exact number of copies sold for the game, but stated in a press release that the second installment "surpassed the original in terms of player engagement and first-week digital sales". US analyst Michael Pachter called the sales "underwhelming". According to him, the number of copies sold in the first month was 40% less than the first part. Despite this, the project, along with Call of Duty: WWII, became one of the best-selling games of 2017.

Post-fire content

First year (2017-2018)

The first add-on "Curse of Osiris" (orig. Curse of Osiris) was released on December 5, 2017. The add-on focuses on Osiris, a character from the first part. Added a new patrol zone - Mercury. Max character level raised to 25, max level Energy - up to 330. Instead of a new raid, a "raid lair" has appeared in the game, consisting of new zones of the old Leviathan raid and a new final boss.

The second addition "Warmind" (orig. warm) was released on May 8, 2018. The expansion introduces two new characters: Ana Bray and the artificial intelligence Rasputin. The player gains access to the Escalation Protocol public event taking place on Mars. The maximum character level has been increased to 30, the maximum level of Strength has been increased to 380. Warmind adds a new raid lair on Leviathan to the game, as well as a ranked system in PvP: “Valor Points” for regular matches and “Fame Points” for competitive matches.

Second year (2018-2019)

Forsaken 4 was released on September 2018, XNUMX. The add-on includes two new locations and a new hybrid PvPvE activity - Gambit. The following month, the "Festival of the Lost" special event was launched.

On December 4, 2018, the Black Armory expansion was released. The add-on includes a new activity − Forge. A little later, the New Year's event "Dawn" took place.

On March 4, 2019, the Crazy Wastes expansion was released, dedicated to Gambit and its creator, the Drifter. For the first time, the player is allowed to choose which side to side with: the Vanguard or the Drifter. Activities have also been addedCourt" and "Gambit Prime". At the end of March, an eventSpring Carnival».

On June 4, 2019, the Abundance expansion was released. It is dedicated to Emperor Calus and his ship Leviathan. Along with the addition, a new activity was introduced into the game "Panopticon».

Third year (2019—2020)

Year 2 of Destiny 1 marked the transition of the PC version from Battle.net to Steam on October 2019, XNUMX, with the migration of all user profiles and the release of the Shadowkeep expansion. It was also announced that the game-service was moving to a free-to-play model.

On October 1, 2019, the Immortality expansion was released. It is dedicated to the Vex invasion of the Moon. Along with the addition, a new activity was introduced into the game "Hunt for nightmares" and "Vex Invasion". The appearance of a new raid "Garden of Salvation", as well as a new dungeon "Pit of Heresy". Added a new mode to the CrucibleInertia control". At the end of October, the event "Festival of the Lost" was held.

On December 10, 2019, the Breaking Dawn expansion dedicated to the rescue of Saint-14 was released. Together with the add-on, a new activity "Sundial" was added to the game. In mid-December, the New Year's event "Dawn" was held, as well as in mid-February "Crimson days«.

On March 10, 2020, the Greatness expansion was released, which was dedicated to saving the Last City from an impending threat, in the form of the Almighty. A new PVE mission has been added to the game "Seraphim Tower". There's a new Grandmaster Showdown mode where Guardians can test their mettle. There is also a new PVP mode, Trials of Osiris, overseen by Saint-14. At the end of April, the Guardian Games event took place.

On June 9, 2020, the Arrivals expansion was released, which is dedicated to the appearance of Darkness. Together with the addition, a new open event "Contact" was added to the game. The dungeon "Revelation" appeared. In mid-August, the Solstice of Heroes event was held, as well as in early October, the Festival of the Lost.

Fourth year (2020-2021)

Fourth year Destiny 2 gave us the Beyond Light expansion. All content from the first year of the game has been removed. A new element, Stasis, has been added, as well as new Guardian subclasses. Added new locations: Cosmodrome and Europe. Introduced a new raid "Deep Stone Crypt". Launching new raids"crystal path" and "Inglorious". Added new activity "Imperial Hunt«.

On November 10, 2020, the Hunt Supplement was released, which is dedicated to the fight against the goddess Ulya Zivu Arat. Added new activity "Hunt the Wrathborn". In mid-December, the New Year's event "Dawn" was held.

Criticism

In general, critics were satisfied with the first hours of passage. Many note that the series has taken a significant step.

Kelly Plug of GameSpot believes that the developers managed to fix most of the problems of the original. The plot component and the study of the world are noted.