Play Station Official Magazine - UK (2019-12)

094

INFO

FORMATPS4

ETAOUTNOW

PUBBUNGIE

DEVBUNGIE

DESTINY 2: SHADOWKEEP

Latest DLC fails to make a lasting lunar impression

T

here might not be a hairy lycanthrope

waiting to chew on our jugular, but we

can still feel a bad (and kinda sad) moon

rising. Bungie’s latest expansion to its

space shooter sequel tells a downbeat, often

creepy tale. Returning to the lunar patrol zone

we explored in the original game, the latest

chapter in your Guardian’s adventure feels like

a recooked entry.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep ushers in a new era

for the MMO blaster. For the first time, Bungie’s

sequel is now free-to-play. Almost all of the

base game’s year-one content is available to play

absolutely gratis, including all launch missions,

strikes, raids, and the always-ace PvP Crucible

duels. Yes, you’ll have to fork out £30 to access

the new Shadowkeep campaign, the new raid,

and the rather underwhelming arena-based Vex

Offensive. Yet for casual (and stingy) shooter

fans, the now-free FPS colossus is a damn near

irresistible package.

That’s not to say the new story missions are

worth the price of admission. They’re really not.

Returning to the Moon and all the same locations

Destiny 1 Guardians have already rinsed – oh

goody, the Hellmouth! – your Titan, Warlock, or

Hunter is tasked with helping the gloomy Eris

Morn with destroying a big paranormal pyramid

thingie. The resulting campaign barely features

any new areas, and – worse –

almost every single boss you

have to take on has been used

in a previous mission. Unless

you’ve been utterly gagging

to fight Phogoth again, the

sense of a shameless recycling

job is hard to shake. New

Guardians might enjoy facing

them for the first time, and

some experienced Guardians

may find retracing past battles

pleasingly nostalgic, but for

us, it’s like jumping into a

DeLorean where the flux

capacitor microwaves our

genitals every 90 seconds.

RAID MAN

Thankfully, the new raid fares

much better. Called Garden

Of Salvation, it smartly takes

severalshootycuesfrom

The new

finishers rule,

though you

sadly can’t use

’em on bosses.

Gambit mode and its addictive

mote hunts. Not only is it one

of Destiny 2’s most imaginative

quests, it’s arguably the best

since the original Destiny’s

Vault Of Glass. Praise doesn’t

get much higher.

Shadowkeep also introduces

a number of small but effective

quality-of-life improvements to

the overall UI. The Director’s

quest menu has been noticeably

decluttered and the Eververse

cosmetic items shop gets its

own menu tab that’s accessible

at any time, while armour now

has six different traits affecting

stats to give you even more

nuanced control over how your

intergalactic warrior handles

in the field.

Best of all? Your space

magiciancanusea seriesof

KEPT YOU WAITING, HUH? @McMeiks

“THE NEW STORY MISSIONS

ARE REALLY NOT WORTH THE

PRICE OF ADMISSION.”