The Seven Biggest Things We Learned About Destiny 2 From Today’s Gameplay Reveal

Bungie just unveiled a whole bunch of new information about Destiny 2, the follow-up to the original 2014 online-only shooter. After a series of teaser trailers and cinematic clips, Bungie finally took the wraps off. Here’s what we know:

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STORY TAKES CENTER STAGE
Destiny 2 will have a greater focus on the story (something the first Destiny famously struggled with), with more cinematic cut-scenes and story missions than ever before. Players will battle Dominus Ghaul, the leader of the Red Legion of the Cabal alien race, who believes that his people should be Guardians, not humanity and wants to take the Traveler’s power and Light for himself.

NEW WEAPON SYSTEM FOR MORE FREEDOM
Destiny 2 will feature new weapons and armor (as announced before, players won’t be able to keep their old gear from the original Destiny), along with new exotic gear. Weapons are now broken down into three types: kinetic, energy, and power weapons instead of the primary, secondary, and heavy classifications as before. The goal is to give players more freedom in putting together loadouts instead of locking them into just a single type of each weapon. We’ve already seen some new weapon types, including grenade launchers, with more likely to come.

NEW ABILITIES
The three base classes of Titan, Warlock, and Hunter will remain the same, but there will be new subclasses. So far, we’ve seen the Dawnblade, a Solar Warlock subclass with a super that lets you fly around with a fire-slinging sword; the Sentinel, a Void Titan subclass who can summon a shield to smash into enemies and throw, Captain America-style; and the Arcstrider, a Arc Hunter subclasses who wields a powerful staff of lightning. Bungie has yet to reveal, however, if the old abilities from the original Destiny will be available for players to unlock as well.

MULTIPLAYER GETS MORE COMPETITIVE
Bungie is revamping the Crucible (Destiny’s player-versus-player multiplayer mode), which will now feature 4v4 gameplay across all modes. The HUD will give new information like whether your opponents have their Super available or if they’re carrying power ammo, allowing for more strategic gameplay. Additionally, there’s a new Countdown game type with an attack / defend structure being added to the Crucible.

LESS LOADING, MORE STUFF
The overarching game world is getting a serious overhaul in Destiny 2. Players will be able to launch all activities without going to orbit first in Destiny 2. Now missions, patrols, public events, and more will all be available without having to load back to Orbit and fly into the level. Additionally, there are new “Adventures,” which Bungie describes as missions that characters will send you on with different mechanics and discoveries. Players will also be able to find Lost Sectors, hidden dungeons with a boss and bonus loot. And Bungie says that everything will be easier to find with a new map that will show where and when events will happen.

NEW LOCATIONS
Destiny 2 will feature some new locations. So far, Bungie has shown off the European Dead Zone, where humanity flees to after The Tower is destroyed in the beginning of the game to start building again; Titan, the moon of Saturn, which is filled with human structures from the Golden Age, and oceanic areas; Nessus, a planetoid taken over by the Vex that’s been turned into a machine world; and Io, the moon of Jupiter.

CLAN SUPPORT AND MATCHMAKING
Official clan support is coming to Destiny. Clans are dedicated groups that play the game together, complete with custom banners and names. There will be progression and rewards across the entirety of the clan for members.

Additionally, while matchmaking wasn’t included in Destiny originally for end-game content (due to concerns about negativity and toxic environments), Bungie is looking to use the new clan support to solve that problem. Destiny 2 will feature “Guided Games” for solo players to join clans to come together for Raids, Trials, and Nightfall strikes. On the flip side of things, players in clans will be able to open their parties to solo players if they need an extra hand.

Destiny 2 is set to release September 8th for PC, Xbox One, and PS4. A beta will be available later this summer.

Source: The Verge