Destiny 2: Forsaken is the latest expansion for the acclaimed shared-world shooter. Unlike the Curse of Osiris and Warmind expansions, Forsaken offers a lot more content and reduces grinding, even if its story is the weakest in the entire series. It's easy to overlook this flaw because between The Dreaming City and Tangled Shore, there are dozens of activities and secrets to discover like Ascendant Chests.
Destiny 2: Forsaken — story and characters
Even before Forsaken launched, the developer, Bungie, revealed that the expansion would focus on avenging Cayde-6. Cayde-6 had been a main character ever since Destiny was released back in 2014. While many gamers will mourn his death, Cayde-6 never seemed as important as Commander Zavala or Ikora Rey. He was mostly the comic relief.
The plot comes together in the end, but it's a confusing journey.
Forsaken begins with Cayde-6's defeat, but it's unclear why the antagonist, Uldren Sov, kills him. It seems like the player is supposed to know Uldren's detailed history — and his relationship to his missing sister Mara Sov — even before the adventure begins. While the plot comes together in the end, it's a confusing journey. Unfortunately, even the final scene disappoints.
Without giving too much away, the final twist makes players empathize with Uldren and his cause. He's not the selfish, power-hungry enemy he's made out to be in the beginning. What's even more tragic is that instead of giving players the choice of how to deal with Uldren at the very end, the decision is made for you.
Destiny 2: Forsaken — new locations
Luckily, almost everything else about Forsaken shines. The Tangled Shore may not be the best-looking new area, but it's filled with many layers. The Dreaming City is on another level, though. It's the most stunning location Bungie has ever created for Destiny. The best part is that it feels like another expansion because there is a greater foe named Riven to defeat after you've leveled up for the new Raid. You can even pick up missions — even simple patrols — by directly interacting with other humans. The slight changes combined with an intensely-beautiful locale elevate the entire game.
Destiny 2: Forsaken — multiplayer changes
Aside from new weapons like the bow, Gambit is the biggest addition to Destiny 2. It's a multiplayer mode where the goal is to kill a number of enemies on your side of the map, deposit motes, and invade the other side in order to hinder the other team's progress. While Gambit sounds a little complex, it's a lot of fun, especially if you have the right weapons.
Gambit is the biggest addition to Destiny 2.
Right now, sniper rifles seem to be overpowered. It's a little unbalanced, but Bungie will probably fix that in the coming weeks. Standard Crucible multiplayer matches also seem to be unbalanced. Currently, hand cannons and shotguns are overpowered so there isn't an incentive to use any other weapon. Hopefully Bungie will also address this concern in the coming weeks.
Destiny 2: Forsaken's questionable decisions
Forsaken introduces smaller in-game achievements called "Triumphs." While the majority of them are linked to completing a mission or getting a set number of kills, there is one in there that requires the purchase of a limited edition Destiny 2 copy. This is a bad practive because those who want to go for total completion will be tempted to get the game again. Bungie should remove this Triumph immediately.
There is one achievement that requires the purchase of the limited edition.
Exotic weapons were always hard to come by even when Destiny 2 launched, but now they seem to be almost impossible to find unless you buy an Exotic Engram from Xur. It's unclear why a lot of gamers are reporting that they haven't found a single one since downloading the expansion. Hopefully the developer will adjust the drop rates or provide more information on how they're earned.
Forsaken also seems to be the buggiest piece of content Bungie has ever released for Destiny. On many occasions you'll notice that your menu disappears, there are enemies stuck in physics-defying places, and certain weapons don't register upgrades until the client restarts. Bungie has released a number patches since Forsaken launched over a week ago. Hopefully the remaining problems will be ironed out soon. Multiplayer weapon balancing needs to be a priority, though.
Destiny 2: Forsaken Xbox One review final thoughts
Overall, Forsaken is a worthy expansion to Destiny 2, and the best supplemental content the developer has ever released in the franchise due to the amount of activities. Unfortunately, those looking for a taut story will be disappointed. In the future, Bungie should focus on how the narrative is presented in order to enhance a game's appeal.
When evaluating games, reviewers have to look at the complete package. Despite how grand Forsaken is, exemplary storytelling is a must nowadays. That's where Forsaken truly fails. Even though the expansion features the most diverse content, the poor storytelling brings down the score.
Pros:
- Lots of new activities.
- Easy to level up.
- Massive new regions.
- Loads of collectibles and secrets.
Cons:
- Poor story.
- Exotic Engrams are impossible to earn.
- Crucible and Gambit need weapon balancing.
- Expansion is too expensive.
Destiny 2: Forsaken went on sale for Xbox One, PC, and PlayStation 4 on September 4, 2018. Pricing starts at $39.99.
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