Destiny 2: Forsaken Review

"Haunting Lands"

Campaign

Destiny 2: Forsaken is the first large expansion for the sequel bringing a plethora of content and modes to the base game. It follows two smaller expansions that have released previously. This really does enhance the general game improving many elements of the experience. The narrative starts out with the loss of our close friend Cayde-6. That's right, the best character in the game has perished and while that might seem like a spoiler it's fairly common knowledge from the marketing material.

The Guardian then gets rather angry and heads out by himself to find out the reasoning behind this. This has you venture to the Tangled Shore, the main hub area from which this expansion is based out of. Here you work through the main quest lines, take on community events or take in side missions. The main line story is actually rather expansive, has a deep story and feels different than anything else I've played from the core game. There are clear cut villains with motivation, unique boss battles that fit into the story properly and many large vistas to explore.

I was really impressed by the sense of scale presented within the new world. It felt mystical, creepy and helped set the tone. The enemies were varied, as were the places they inhabited while waiting on your arrival. This expansion is best experienced in cooperative play as I did find it rather challenging when running through it as a solo player. The second playthrough in coop was much better. The cinematics are gorgeous and this really is an expansive addition. If your past super powers weren't good enough, there are new ones available and my Titan Superman ability is so badass.

Aside from typical new elements, there's also a Gambit mode present. This is a competitive coop multiplayer offering where two teams of four battle it out. Each team fights in their own area battling against random waves of enemies to collect light. Once light is collected it can be deposited to spawn an enemy for the other side to deal with while also inching them closer to a final boss. There are also instances where a single player from the team can jump over to the other side for chaos. It's actually full of depth and a very competitive offering where the whole momentum of each match can suddenly be altered.

The Conclusion

Destiny 2: Forsaken is an excellent expansion that completely overhauls the experience you know with a deeper story and a better world to explore. There's an expansive main narrative to work through, side missions and all the little activities you know from the previous package of Destiny 2.

If that's not enough there's a challenging end game raid which can be found within the enchanting Dreaming City. There are new Strikes to battle through and the intriguing Gambit mode that fits perfectly into the multiplayer. This is a great enhancement for those that enjoy the universe of Destiny and a good starting point for those that want to get back into the action.

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Destiny 2: Forsaken Review on Xbox One X
Review Code Provided by Activision

Rating Overall: 8.2