Destiny 2’s Revenant finale exposes a problem that must be fixed for Heresy & Frontiers

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In simple terms, by January 7th, the concluding part of Destiny 2’s Episode Revenant was released, wrapping up a lingering storyline while unveiling one of the game’s most significant issues at the same time.

Over nearly eight years, the flaws in Bungie’s loot-shooter game have progressed from subtle to significant, making it increasingly difficult to overlook these issues.

Despite recurring technical glitches, one persistent issue with Destiny 2 is the way its story is presented, or to put it another way, the method in which it’s conveyed.

In simpler terms, The Final Shape, having received abundant acclaim for wrapping up the Light & Darkness series, its subsequent episodes, Echoes and Revenant, seem more like temporary fillers, keeping fans engaged till Frontiers is released in the summer of 2025.

Essentially, it seems that each season in Destiny 2 has mainly served as transitional material, offering fresh, short-term gameplay elements to engage players during the gaps between major updates. However, the fragmented design of Revenant raises concerns about the direction Destiny 2’s future might take.

Chronological disorder

In much the same way as echoes, the game Revenant brings closure to several longstanding characters from Destiny 2, wrapping up their storylines that span over years. However, it’s noteworthy that these narrative resolutions may not be immediately apparent within the universe itself.

At the end of the story in Revenant, Eramis – who was initially an adversary but later became an unwilling ally – is given permission to leave Earth and the Sol system. This is due to her contribution towards eradicating a danger to humanity. She promises to reconstruct her race’s devastated homeworld of Riis as she embarks on this journey.

Earlier, the Vanguard had seized and detained the ex-Disciple of the Witness due to her misdeeds. Following the Revenant’s last scene, she continues to converse in the same manner, as though the sequence of events that should have led to her release were erased from memory.

Eramis remains jailed after the conclusion of Revenant’s story despite being freed in the finale.

Even in other parts of the Last City, a disturbing inconsistency can be felt. Mithraax, though liberated from the spell cast upon him by Nezarec, still exhibits behavior as if he were still under its influence.

The disjointed break in continuity extends beyond just the Last City. Despite being freed from the curse imposed by Nezarec, Mithraax acts as though the curse were still upon him.

In the game Destiny 2, The Last City transforms into a temporal capsule, shedding its ties to traditional live service elements. This shift unfortunately gives rise to a sense of standstill, which is further intensified by limited opportunities for substantial engagement beyond The Last City.

Face to face

In most cases, the conversations essential for progressing The Revenant’s narrative occur through radio communications or interactions with non-living items. Remarkably, although the characters are physically nearby, there are no face-to-face discussions about objectives; instead, these conversations take place at a distance.

Instead of having a face-to-face discussion with the formidable foe Fikrul following his defeat, Hunter Vanguard Crow doesn’t engage in a direct debriefing. Rather, a detached sign-off occurs when interacting with a calling card.

Direct NPC interactions are few and far between, replaced with dialogue triggered by inanimate objects.

The outcome shows no significant resolution or sense of immediacy. Essentially, your Guardian operates in isolation, seemingly insignificant and without the recognition it deserves, even though it has saved humanity on numerous occasions that surpass the capabilities of human hands.

If some of Destiny 2’s persistent issues, similar to many others, stem from Bungie’s decreased staff numbers, it raises doubts about their ability to maintain the high-quality standard that earned The Taken King such acclaim.

In simple terms, the upcoming third episode of Destiny 2, set for release on February 4 and having received the most development time, is crucial as it marks the end of a known era. If this final episode fails to meet expectations, the strong foundation built by Echoes and Revenant could crumble before Bungie can begin anew with Frontiers. In other words, it needs to wrap up well or risk undoing what has been established so far.

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2025-01-13 16:27