June 20, 2018 by Paul Curtin
At this year’s E3, Activision and Bungie revealed what’s in store for Year 2 of Destiny 2 with the upcoming ‘Forsaken’ expansion coming this Fall.
With gamers losing interest in the franchise, that at one point was the poster child for ushering in next-gen games, the acclaimed developer seems to finally be introducing some new and exciting features to their gameplay and storytelling.
Clearly trying to shake things up a bit with the new DLC, Bungie is already claiming the game’s most beloved and charismatic character, Cayde-6, will… spoiler warning… die. An announcement that fans have already begun mourning at E3.
We got to go hands-on with the mission in which Cayde dies, and while it was an enjoyable quest, it still didn’t feel drastically different than previous Destiny games — even with the death of a major character.
A shrine fans built for Cayde-6 outside E3.
Now, without Cayde, we’re left wondering who will step up and help carry the story in future updates or games. If anything, the game needed more Nathan Fillion and his Nathan Drake-like attitude… killing him off seems like an odd choice. Then again, he’s basically a robot… so he’s not likely to stay dead very long.
Aside from the new story, the game’s most exciting new feature is the new multiplayer mode, Gambit, which merges PvP with PvE. In the new competitive mode, two teams of 4 players are separated on a map with the goal of slaying wave-after-wave of enemy NPCs. The faction of the NPCs is randomly selected at the start of each match, hence where the name ‘Gambit’ comes into play.
In our hands-on time with Gambit, we played against waves of the Cabal. Each time we slayed one of the computer-controlled foes, they dropped a Mote of Light which could be picked up and turned in. Turn enough motes in and bigger Cabal enemies called “blockers” would spawn on the enemy team’s side.
Once banking enough motes a portal to the enemy’s side opens.
After collecting enough motes, a one-way portal opens on your side that allows one player from your team to warp into enemy territory and wreak havoc on them for 30 seconds. The best strategy seemed to be saving up your super until the portal opens and using it to wipe the other team – greatly slowing down their mote-collecting progress.
Once banking enough motes and filling your team’s meter, a Primeval final boss is spawned on your side. First team to slay their Primeval wins the round. A feat which wasn’t as easy as it sounds once the map starts filling up with giant Cabal and enemy invaders to grief you.
Mixing PvP with PvE is always a welcomed addition to multiplayer and its good to see Bungie trying something new. Gambit is certainly an exciting new mode; however, $40 for the new Forsaken expansion is a lot to ask from gamers who have likely already made up their minds about Destiny.
Killing off the game’s best character is certainly a good way to get gamers talking about Destiny 2 again, but it remains to be seen if the decision will pay off for Bungie. And while Forsaken looks fun, it’s still just more of the same that will likely only keep hardcore Destiny players around for months after it launches.
Destiny 2’s Forsaken DLC is set for release on September 4, 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
