Is the drought over? Is that really new and exciting Destiny content, or is it just a mirage? It’s hard to tell, because Bungie has been hyping up this April update using words like “big,” “new,” and “huge,” but it seems more like a bunch of tweaks and upgrades and not very many additions. In Bungie’s latest preview video for the update, a member of the live team mentions that they heard the cries of fans for new content, and then goes on to explain how the update mainly introduces changes that let players engage in the same activities – just in a different way. Is there really that much here for long-time players? Is there enough here to lure back the prodigal Guardian who’s been spending his or her time in The Division?
That all depends on what you’ve been waiting for, and on how you like to play Destiny . For starters, those of you who like to max out your character will obviously be drawn to the fact that the light level has increased from 320 to 335. If nothing else, this is a small incentive to hop back online and engage in some raids on hard mode or go bananas in The Crucible. Actually, Bungie promises that no matter how you like to play the game, you’ll find a way to get that light level up. The Crucible, The Iron Banner, Trials of Osiris, Cour of Oryx, King’s Fall Raid, Nightfall, Prison of Elders… these are all viable options that have been overhauled for the new update.
The Prison of Elders seems to have received the most tender love and care. Taken enemies will now spawn in PoE, which is now recommended for Guardians at a light level of 260 or higher. Pay Variks a visit before you go to pick up some new PoE-specific bounties, and keep an eye out for engram drops. If you’re already a badass at 320 light (or higher), you may want to try the Challenge of the Elders. This is special challenge for you and two friends as you attempt to take down enemies with new modifiers and tough new bosses. As you gain kills, assists, and precision kills, your score will be tracked on a special sigil and there are greater-than-usual rewards awaiting those who are able to complete this harder-than-usual challenge. Oh, and you no longer need a stupid key to unlock the chest at the end of your PoE run.
If you’re a hardcore PvP player, not too much has changed unless you’re participating in Trials of Osiris, where respawn times have been increased, and the distance at which a respawn is triggered has been decreased. Also, the overshield given to you after a respawn has been nerfed. All in all, Trials is getting harder than is used to be, and that’s probably a good thing. If you’re a vanilla Crucible fan then you’ll still want to hop back online, pop a 3 of coins, and see what kind of high-light drops you come across.
If you’re obsessed with loot, there are a few new treats for you here. PS4 players are getting an exclusive new sniper rifle called Zen Meteor, a new sparrow, and a new armor set for each class. There’s also a new Taken armor set that looks pretty cool, and if you collect all of the pieces you get a creepy new emote called “The Taken Shiver.” Several fan-favorite, year-one exotics and legendaries are also being made viable again so if you have a favorite shotgun – like The Comedian – laying around and collecting dust, you may want to break that puppy out and infuse it. Oh, and now we have chroma. Chroma adds a special white, red, blue, or yellow highlight to your weapon or individual armor pieces. It looks kind of cool, I guess.
So what do you guys think? Is this enough to lure you back and keep you playing until the fall expansion? I’ll definitely be hopping back online to revisit The Crucible and try a few PoE runs, but I’m not sure if this is enough to keep me interested for more than a week or two.