''Destiny 2'' post-release content

There are three pieces of downloadable content (DLC) that have been released for Bungie's 2017 first-person shooter video game Destiny 2. Each package of downloadable content has added new player versus environment (PvE) missions and player versus player (PvP) modes, new locales to visit, and new items for the player to make use of. The first expansion was Curse of Osiris in December 2017, which was followed by Warmind in May 2018. The third, Forsaken, was released in September 2018 and has had the largest effect on the game, as it had an overhaul on gameplay. Upon the release of the third expansion, retailers issued Destiny 2: Forsaken Legendary Collection, which included Destiny 2 and all DLC up to and including Forsaken. An annual pass was also made available upon the release of Forsaken, which includes three pieces of premium content to be released in Winter 2018, and Spring and Summer of 2019.

Overview

Prior to the release of Destiny 2, Bungie said that they had already began working on post-release content. Bungie said they planned on providing post-release content at a quicker rate than that of the original Destiny, which was criticized for not having enough content post-launch and between each of its expansions releases.[1] Bungie also announced the Destiny 2 Expansion Pass prior to launch, which granted access to the first two expansions of the game, Curse of Osiris and Warmind.[2]

Curse of Osiris

Destiny 2 Expansion I: Curse of Osiris
Developer(s) Bungie
Publisher(s) Activision
Platform(s)
Release December 5, 2017
Genre(s) Action role-playing, first-person shooter
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Destiny 2's first DLC pack, Curse of Osiris, was released on December 5, 2017. The expansion added new content and focuses on the character Osiris from the lore of the original Destiny and for whom the Trials of Osiris PvP mode in the original was named. The expansion takes players to the planet Mercury with its own patrol mode. Additionally, the EXP level cap was raised to 25 and the Power level cap was raised to 330. In addition to the character Osiris, his Ghost named Sagira was added with a female voice, as well as the character Brother Vance from the original game, who is now the Non-player character (NPC) of Mercury in The Lighthouse (formerly an exclusive social space in Destiny for those who went flawless in Trials of Osiris). There is also a timed-exclusive Crucible map for PS4 players called Wormhaven. Instead of an entirely new raid, a new feature called raid lair was added, featuring new areas to the existing Leviathan raid and a different final boss.[3]

Plot

In the aftermath of The Red War, Ikora Rey calls the Guardian to the Tower, explaining that her agents, the Hidden, discovered a damaged Ghost on the intact remnants of Mercury. Ikora identifies the Ghost as Sagira, belonging to her former mentor, the legendary Warlock Osiris, who had been exiled from the City years before the first game (detailed in the supplimentary webcomic Fall of Osiris).[4] Traveling to Mercury, the Guardian locates the gateway to the Infinite Forest, a simulated universe created by the Vex inside the planet's core, but is unable to enter; the Guardian then comes under attack from Vex constructs from various points in time. Brother Vance, the fanatical leader of the Followers of Osiris (returning from House of Wolves), directs the Guardian to a hidden temple in an abandoned radio tower in the EDZ on Earth, with a modified Vex device that can restore Sagira. The device temporarily merges Sagira with the Guardian's Ghost, allowing them to access the gateway to the Infinite Forest.

Inside the Forest, the Guardian encounters reflections of Osiris created to explore its different simulated realities. The reflections explain that in the past, Mercury had been a garden world shaped by the Traveler, before the Vex arrived and created the Forest in Mercury's core. The Guardian witnesses a simulated future scenario created by Panoptes, the Vex Mind that controls the Infinite Forest, in which Light and Darkness no longer exist, all non-Vex life has been wiped out, and the Sun is darkened. Osiris' reflections claim that they have been unable to find a way to prevent the dark future, but believe that the Guardian may be the key to stopping it. Ikora directs the Guardian to the Pyramidion, a Vex construct on Io, which contains the location of a map that leads to Panoptes' lair. Following the Pyramidion's data back to the Forest and battling Red Legion simulations within, Sagira discovers that the map changes too quickly to find Panoptes. The Guardian travels to Nessus to obtain the core of a smaller Vex Mind to boost Sagira's processing power. Returning to the Forest's simulated past on a tip from Ikora, the Guardian combines the map data with Panoptes' algorithms from the moment of its creation, allowing Sagira to locate Panoptes' lair. At that moment, Panoptes itself arrives and forcibly separates Sagira from Ghost before ejecting the Guardian from the Forest.

Regrouping at the Tower, Ikora accompanies the Guardian back to Mercury, where she forces open the gateway to allow the Guardian to return to the Forest. Upon reaching Panoptes' lair, the Guardian fights through Panoptes' simulated legions, but is unable to damage the Vex Mind alone; Panoptes prepares to "delete" the Guardian from the Forest when Osiris himself arrives to aid the Guardian. Osiris is able to hold Panoptes at bay long enough for the Guardian to weaken and then destroy Panoptes, freeing Sagira and preventing the dark future from occurring. The Guardian and Osiris emerge from the gateway, where Ikora invites Osiris to return to the City. Osiris declines, and bids farewell to his former student and the Guardian before returning to the Infinite Forest.

Following the defeat of Panoptes, Emperor Calus extends another invitation to travel to the Leviathan on Nessus, where the fireteam of Guardians venture deep into the Leviathan's core to confront Argos, Planetary Core, the Vex Mind which was responsible for the transformation of Nessus. After destroying Argos, the Guardians are nearly consumed by the Leviathan's fiery inferno, but are saved by Calus, who once again offers a place by his side and more than just the power of the Light.

Warmind

Destiny 2 Expansion II: Warmind
Developer(s) Bungie
Publisher(s) Activision
Platform(s)
Release May 8, 2018
Genre(s) Action role-playing, first-person shooter
Mode(s) Multiplayer

Warmind was released on May 8, 2018 and focuses on the Warmind Rasputin from the original game. This expansion takes players to the planet Mars in a new area called Hellas Basin. The expansion also features a new mode called "Escalation Protocol", a horde mode which can be started by any player in the patrol mode on Mars. Players fight seven waves of Hive enemies culminating in a unique final boss which rotates each week. A maximum of six players in a fireteam can participate in the mode but other players in the patrol area may join in as well. As well, the EXP level cap was raised to 30 and the Power level cap was raised to 380. In addition to Rasputin, a new character named Ana Bray (also from the lore of the original Destiny) was added, who serves as the primary NPC on Mars. A timed-exclusive Strike called "The Insight Terminus" was also added for PS4 players. Like the previous expansion, Warmind also includes a second raid lair on the Leviathan. The expansion also added progressive ranking systems for PvP, titled Valor and Glory. Players earn Valor in quickplay matches while Glory is earned in competitive matches, with each new rank earning greater rewards. Valor points are earned regardless of win or loss, while Glory points are earned by wins but reduced by losses.[2]

Plot

Several months after the events of Curse of Osiris, the Guardian sets out for Mars, the first place where Humanity encountered the Traveler, pursuing the remnants of the Red Legion as they scavenge across the Solar System in their retreat. As the Guardian's ship arrives, orbital weapon platforms known as Warsats begin falling out of orbit and smashing into the surface. The Guardian receives a distress call on the Vanguard's private comm channel from a Hunter named Ana Bray, warning that the Hive have breaking out of the southern polar icecaps and attacking the Clovis Bray Research Facility at Hellas Basin. The Guardian goes to the surface to assist Bray, who reveals that the central core of the ancient Warmind Rasputin, which controlled the Warsats, is inside the facility, and that the encounters with Rasputin in the Cosmodrome on Earth (as seen in the original Destiny) were fragments of his personality left behind following the Collapse. Reluctant to involve the Vanguard due to its policy of not pursuing past lives, Bray asks the Guardian to help her get inside Clovis Bray and protect Rasputin. From her ability to access the security systems, it is revealed that Bray had been a scientist at the facility, operated by her family, in her life before becoming a Guardian.

As the Guardian fights through hordes of Hive to reach Rasputin's central core, the Warmind activates a javelin-like weapon called the Valkyrie to assist the Guardian in battling through the elite Hive forces. As the Guardian and Bray enter Rasputin's core, however, they are confronted by Commander Zavala, who excoriates Bray for focusing on her past life in defiance of Vanguard law, instead of helping the Guardians fight against Ghaul on Earth. As the facility shakes, Zavala reveals that Rasputin was "not the only thing to awaken on Mars". A Hive worm god called Xol, Will of the Thousands, has also arisen, and is directing the frozen hordes of Hive around Clovis Bray to attack the facility and destroy Rasputin. Bray insists that Rasputin is the key to defeating Xol, but Zavala refuses, considering Rasputin to be too dangerous.

To bait Xol, Zavala sends the Guardian back to the EDZ on Earth, to investigate another shard of the Traveler broken off when it awakened at the end of the Red War. The Guardian finds the fragment in a Taken containment shield, and Bray is able to call upon Rasputin to retarget a Warsat in Earth orbit to fire on the fragment, disabling the shield. Returning to Mars with the fragment, the Guardian ventures into the Hive's caverns deep beneath Hellas Basin to locate Xol's feeding ground, where they encounter Nokris, Herald of Xol and the exiled son of Oryx, the Taken King (who was killed in The Taken King). After the Guardian defeats Nokris, they set down the fragment. Xol emerges, ignoring the fragment and burying the Guardian in the collapsing ice caves. Though the Guardian is able to crawl out of the rubble, Bray warns that Xol is heading directly for the Clovis Bray facility to destroy Rasputin, which would make the worm god all but unbeatable. Setting aside his reservations about the Warmind, Zavala reluctantly agrees to Bray's plan to use Rasputin in order to destroy Xol.

As the Guardian fights through Xol's hordes, Bray calls on the Guardian to overload Rasputin's core to channel more power into the Valkyrie. After disabling the cooling system and forcing a core meltdown, the Guardian emerges on an exterior platform to confront Xol. With Bray's help in stabilizing the power to generate Valkyrie javelins, the Guardian destroys Xol in a pitched battle. The Guardian then joins Bray and Zavala at Rasputin's central core. Speaking in Russian (with Bray as translator), the Warmind declares that while the Bray family sought to make him into an "all-seeing savior", and the Vanguard sought to wield him as a "primitive weapon", he would define his own existence from now on, and defend Humanity on his own terms. Rasputin then releases a new network of Warsats to the edges of the Solar System and beyond, to ensure that "never again will a threat go unseen".

Following Xol's defeat, the remnants of the Red Legion, led by Val Ca'uor, assault the Leviathan in an attempt to assassinate Emperor Calus. Calus once again calls upon Guardians to his aid. With aid from Calus's psychic powers, the Guardians repel the Red Legion assault and defeat Ca'uor. Calus then congratulates the Guardians for their efforts and tells them he awaits the day they stand by his side when the end comes.

Forsaken

The third expansion, Forsaken, was released on September 4, 2018, beginning Year 2 of Destiny 2. Similar to the original Destiny's The Taken King expansion, Forsaken had a large overhaul on gameplay, though not to the extent that The Taken King had with the original Destiny. A large expansion, the story has a "western revenge" theme, according to Bungie. A large portion of the expansion takes place in the Reef's Tangled Shore, including a new raid called "Last Wish", which takes place in the end-game area, the Dreaming City, also located in the Reef. The developers claimed that it has more bosses than any previous raid (including from the original game) with a massive roam area, puzzles, and the raid will change over time based on players' actions in the raid itself. There is also a new mode called Gambit that combines PvE and PvP, and features its own ranking system called Infamy, which works similar to the Crucible's Valor ranking system. Two teams of four players compete against each other while facing PvE enemies. A new weapon type, a bow and arrow, was also added. The EXP level cap was raised to 50 and the Power level cap was raised to 600.[5] A trailer displayed during Sony's E3 2018 press conference showed the death of Cayde-6 by the hands of the returning Prince Uldren Sov. Uldren is on a mission to find his lost sister, Queen Mara Sov, believing her to still be alive after the events of The Taken King and he leads the Scorn, former Fallen that were revived from the dead and have become their own race.[6] The launch trailer for Forsaken revealed that the player's Guardian would once again speak; the player's Guardian had not spoken since the end of the original Destiny's base campaign.

Annual Pass

The Destiny 2 Annual Pass was released alongside the third expansion, Forsaken, and is available as a bundle with Forsaken or can be purchased separately from Forsaken (although Forsaken is required to access the content of the Annual Pass). The Annual Pass includes three premium downloadable content packages to be released in Winter 2018 and Spring and Summer of 2019.[7][8] Content in these content drops include new endgame challenges, new weapons, armor and "vanity rewards" to collect, new and returning Exotics, new pinnacle activities, new triumph records to collect, and new lore to discover.[9]

Black Armory

The first content drop of the Annual Pass, "Black Armory" will be available sometime in Winter 2018. This content drop will include access to the new Black Armory area, as well as new exotic and legendary gear, and a new raid lair.[7][8]

Joker's Wild

"Joker's Wild" will drop in Spring 2019. This update will include a new version of Gambit, new gear, new challenges, and a new open-world activity.[7][8]

Penumbra

"Penumbra" is the final content drop of the Annual Pass and will be available in Summer 2019. It will include new open-world content, a new raid lair, and new gear.[7][8]

References

  1. ↑ Henry, Jasmine (June 2017). "Destiny 2 Devs Talk Post-Release Content Plans". Game Rant. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Reynolds, Matthew (June 9, 2017). "Destiny 2 gameplay changes, beta, release date and everything else we know so far". Eurogamer. Retrieved June 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ Pereira, Chris (October 31, 2017). "Destiny 2 Curse Of Osiris DLC Increases The Level Cap". GameSpot. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  4. ↑ Thompson, Christine; North, Ryan (2018). Fall of Osiris. Bungie.
  5. ↑ Makuch, Eddie (June 6, 2018). "Destiny 2 Forsaken DLC Release Date, New Mode, Trailer, And More Details". GameSpot. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  6. ↑ Pereira, Chris (June 12, 2018). "E3 2018: New Destiny 2 Forsaken Trailer Shows Cayde-6 In Serious Trouble". GameSpot. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 McWhertor, Michael (June 5, 2018). "Destiny 2 gets an Annual Pass, here's what's included". Polygon. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Gurwin, Gabe (August 29, 2018). "The 'Destiny 2: Forsaken' Annual Pass shows Bungie isn't messing around". Digital Trends. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
  9. ↑ Reynolds, Matthew (September 14, 2018). "Destiny 2 Forsaken walkthrough and guide to what's new in Year 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved October 2, 2018.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.