The “Light versus Darkness” saga is coming to a close. Destiny 2 year five premiered the best expansion of the franchise. Furthermore, The Witch Queen shed a light on how players think of the traveler and introduced our next key antagonist, The Witness. Here is a look back on all of the adventures during that time. Light spoilers ahead.
Seasonal Content
Each major expansion for the game kickstart a year of seasonal content. This expands the storytelling throughout the year leading to the next expansion. However, not every expansion is created equal. They can be a hit or miss depending on the story and seasonal activity loop combination.
Risen
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Usually, Seasons coupled with a yearly expansion are lackluster. Yet, Season of the Risen breaks this tradition. Saladin struggles with Crow’s impulsive behavior throughout the story. Players obtain a deeper look at the Iron Lord’s troubled past. It is a humanizing story; one that sheds the disgruntled exterior of an old war dog. Subsequently, we see Crow’s desperate attempts at redemption.
This season taught there is always a price to pay during times of war. It sported PsiOps Battlegrounds for the season activity and used the new Lucent Hive to great effect. New weapons to show off the crafting system kept guardians returning to the activity again and again. Overall, Season of the Risen established a strong foundation albeit short storywise.
Haunted
Narrative successes continued to build in Destiny 2 year five. Season of the Haunted introduced the Derelict Leviathan and brought Calus back into the fold. Furthermore, Eris Morn aided key characters in dealing with their unresolved trauma. Caitl, Zavala, and Crow each have carried on with great burdens throughout the Light and Darkness saga.
Eris herself learned to grow from her trauma and near-final death experience. Therefore, she is the perfect mentor. Sadly, the seasonal gameplay loop was lackluster. “Containment” was a glorified public event. It felt too long and too repetitive shortly after its introduction. Subsequently, the Derelict Leviathan remained limited in scope. Guardians could only navigate a fraction of the former space. Season of the Haunted benefitted from a great story but suffered on the gameplay side despite spectacular season weapons to craft.
Plunder
Here, Destiny 2 year five took a small (or big depending on who you ask) dip. The Season of the Plunder astounded players at first. Its launch trailer displayed a complete mood shift from the previous season’s heavy topics. Guardians were tasked to grab their spyglasses and set sail on a merry, pirate adventure.
However, these proved to be empty promises. This season expanded upon Nezarec’s lore. Yet, it failed to deliver on the hype generated by this story beat. Essentially, the character was wasted and utilized as a MacGuffin. I can only hope Bungie returns to his story again in the future. Furthermore, Expeditions as a seasonal activity were problematic.
The mode suffered from irregular spawns of Ruffian enemies. This was slightly improved by Bungie later on. However, Expeditions continued to feel tedious and uneventful. It barely felt different than a strike. Lastly, seasonal vendor fatigue around the model was at an all-time high. Needless to say, this is the weakest season of Destiny 2 year five.
Seraph
Finally, we come to the Season of the Seraph. This is the last season leading into the next expansion. Therefore, high expectations are given to tie the bow in year five. Bungie delivered with this and even more.
Season of the Seraph centered on Ana and Rasputin. The story unfurled into an incredible, emotional journey serving to remind us what it means to be human. Additionally, it challenged players on the merits needed to be a guardian. The seasonal activity, Heist: Battlegrounds, was fun and challenging. This mode permanently empowered enemies five levels above all guardians at all times.
Bungie enjoyed the reception of this modifier and is implementing similar systems to other modes in Lightfall. This season had a myriad of excellent craftable weapons both in terms of aesthetic and gameplay viability. Furthermore, Operation: Seraph Shield was a newly introduced exotic mission rewarding a customizable exotic pulse rifle.
Lastly, the final mission of the season delivered a satisfying conclusion to Rasputin’s story and directly sets up the next big battle in Lightfall. This was the best season of Destiny 2 year five.
Our End Begins
Year five felt like a rollercoaster at times in terms of seasonal content. Destiny 2 employs multiple monetary systems for its live-service model. People often wonder about the worth of the season pass. On the other hand, seasons allow Bungie to implement a slow burn for narrative content and explore other story beats that may normally big ignored with yearly expansions alone.
Overall, I am an advocate of buying the seasons for Destiny 2 if you are able. They are not always perfect. Yet, moments like the finale in Seraph keep me and many other guardians coming back for more.