The conflict between Bungie and Activision was widely echoed in the gaming community. After many years of frustrating partnership, the devs are finally able to pursue their vision of Destiny . The Shadowkeep expansion is their first real test.
Tough beginnings
Over the past few years, the video game industry has accustomed us to great promises that are not only never fulfilled, but often have the philosophy behind them that looks at the player through the prism of Excel tables. I recently heard the statement that the power over games is exercised by the marketing department, not the developers. Unfortunately, it seems that stories such as in the case of Anthem or Fallout 76 are starting to become commonplace. In the first phase of Destiny 2’s life it also had a lot of problems like this and that was one of the reasons why I didn’t give the game a chance at the time. However, unlike the above-mentioned titles, the production of Bungie studio got a second chance, or rather it was won by the creators, which we should celebrate in itself. Bungie has broken away from Activision, and for the first time they have their own game really in their hands: Shadowkeep is their first solo step.
Shadowkeep is my first encounter with Destiny 2 . While this is an add-on, it is a kind of new beginning for the entire production. For this reason, I take it as a review relating to the overall gameplay. This expansion is not only a campaign, raid, new items, events and activities, but also a lot of content to come. In addition, Bungie has changed the armor system throughout the game – we can modify it as we see fit, which gives the game an even more RPG character. And most importantly, the game works in the F2P model.
New Light
When trying to review the add-on, I decided to spend as much time as possible with the base game first, and I must admit that I felt a little overwhelmed at first. The game is not very good at introducing a new player to the game. You have to understand a lot by yourself. You have to go ahead on your own to find your way, which in itself may not be a bad thing, but all this makes it hard to find a starting point at first. At some point, however, the operation of all systems begins to make sense. When it happened to me, the game consumed me completely.
Destiny 2 ‘s gameplay is the highlight here. All other aspects, while also at a very high level, are overshadowed by the game itself. It’s been a long time since I felt so much fun just shooting and moving around the game world. Each of the weapons is immensely fun to use, and every time I think I have found my perfect setup , I pick up a new piece of gear and find I was wrong. The variation in this regard is great, and there are also random features that permanently modify the operation of the equipment. Destiny 2 Entertainment, especially in the later stages, it becomes more and more grind, which can be a plus or a minus depending on our preferences. I’ve always been somewhere in between, but in this case, the grind is not the slightest problem for me precisely because of the pleasure I get from just playing.
The game looks beautiful, and the most important thing for me in the case of an action-packed game, it works even better. My computer has long since stopped dealing with demanding productions, so I was shocked at how easily I can keep 60fps with Destiny 2 . According to many opinions, Bungie has made great strides in this regard since its release, so if this has been something that has stopped you from trying the game in the past, I encourage you to give it a try. The more that the game is available for free, which at certain moments seems very surreal. Destiny 2 You shouldn’t be the nicest looking games out there, but it’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Some places are breathtaking. The diversity here is huge, each location stands out from the others, and the creators even tried the horror convention.
History
Destiny 2 is not a production that is played for the sake of a story. It is not the most important thing here, but it is definitely still worth paying attention to the lore . The realities of this universe are fascinating and exploring it piece by piece was very exciting for me. Everything is very plausible, but what surprised me the most was that I liked almost all the characters that appeared. They do not play a particularly important role, but their dialogues and character make the whole gameplay experience very pleasant. I pay tribute to the pre-Polish dubbing, which came out very naturally and it is simply pleasant to listen to, which also surprised me a bit. I usually prefer the original versions, but in this case, at no point did I feel that something was missing here.
Shadowkeep
At the outset, let me say that if we are to look at this add-on only in terms of the campaign, it is not worth the price. It just doesn’t add much to the overall picture. This is a successful stage in the story, developing lore and giving the creators a field to show off in the future, but nothing else. I had a lot of fun playing because it’s just more of the good gameplay I mentioned earlier, but it’s missing that “Wow!” Element that would drop my jaw to the floor. Shadowkeep however, it is not only a campaign – it is also a lot of content, which includes one of the best rallies in which I had the opportunity to participate. A new location was also given to our exploration – the moon, which looks great. However, I have encountered some players complaining that this is reused content from the first Destiny game . For me, playing for the first time, this was not a problem, but some may feel a bit disappointed about it.
A very large amount of Shadowkeep’s content has yet to be unlocked. At the moment, Bungie has announced an initial roadmap by the end of October and November, but we still don’t know anything about what will happen in December and beyond. This is an interesting solution that will attract players’ attention for a long time. We also get a season pass , which additionally extends our progress. So you cannot complain about the lack of content.
Summary
Shadowkeep is a successful Destiny 2 expansion. It may seem very safe and devoid of fireworks in some ways, but given the difficult circumstances of the inception (stabilizing Bungie after disconnecting from Activision), this approach is understandable. For me, this is my first exposure to Destiny 2, and I’m delighted with the overall game, but for veterans something may be missing. Shadowkeep gives a lot of hope for the future, not only in the context of this production. Again, this is now a free game and I encourage you to try it out. I myself wish I had delayed that much. The success of Destiny 2 is also a success for us – the players. The developers won the fight against the publisher and managed to get a new chance forDestiny 2 . This is something that doesn’t happen often and is worth cheering and cheering for in my opinion.
We would like to thank Cenega for making the review copy available on the PC.
