Destiny 2's latest expansion is a leap in the wrong direction

Last week saw Bungie release the first expansion in its brand-new storyline for Destiny 2 now that its Light and Darkness Saga has come to an end.

Running from 2019 to 2025, the Light and Darkness Saga has been a constant companion for Destiny 2 since it was first launched as a direct sequel to 2014’s Destiny.

However, with the arrival of Destiny 2: The Final Shape back in June 2024, the long and winding storyline finally came to an end, wrapping up decade-long plot points and finally leading the way for a brand-new Destiny 2 era.

That is where The Edge of Fate comes in.

Released on 15 July, The Edge of Fate takes our Guardians to the mysterious new planet known as Kepler where an abundance of dark matter will allow them to unlock a series of new abilities.

The story centers around brand-new character Lodi (not pronounced the same as Loki unfortunately), as well as Ikora Rey (sporting a new voice actor) and the Drifter.

Lodi has already made himself at home in Kepler when we arrive and with the planet totally cut off from the rest of the galaxy, they have no knowledge of the events of both Destiny and Destiny 2, mainly the Collapse that ended humanity as we know it.

The inhabitants of Kepler are known as the Aionians and they are so far detached from humanity that they speak in their very own language - a language we have to learn over time in order to both communicate with them and even unlock various locations and chests across the brand-new map.

They are also a society of scientists who have been left to fend for themselves and are left only with their studies of the dark matter that clings to every surface of this strange new land.

However, it is this dark matter that Guardians can now interact with in order to unlock a series of new abilities but unfortunately, it was these abilities that became a nuisance to me during my time with The Edge of Fate.

The first ability is called Matterspark and allows you to quite literally turn into a small ball of energy, making you able to charge up generators or fit into small holes in order to navigate under subterranean levels.

Bungie

However, the Matterspark ability is very fiddly and you will spend most of your time trying to control your little ball of electricity and fit into holes when the game is just not having it. Not only that but Destiny 2 really hammers home that this is a new ability to work with as you will have to make use of it a lot.

There are also Relocator guns which allow you to bypass laser grids by teleporting you beyond them if you line up their launch pads. This was the least annoying of the new abilities but my problem is that this made Destiny 2 feel more like a Metroidvania/platformer title rather than the FPS we know and love.

Every level became a puzzle, and although they were easy enough to solve, you can’t help but roll your eyes when you have to use both Relocators and Matterspark to navigate areas that you have already seen a thousand times.

Which leads me to my next issue with The Edge of Fate.

Put simply, if you are not a fan of the new planet of Kepler, then it is too damn bad as not only do many of its environments look the same - industrial with the ever-present dark matter creeping through the floors and walls - you will find yourself exploring the same locations over and over again, even if that means reactivating doors and teleporters despite utilising them many times before.

So much so that I became an expert at navigating Kepler without needing to give myself waypoints or work out the best routes. Although this was useful from a gameplay perspective, it became a shame to see a lack of diverse environments and the player is expected to quite literally run around in circles as each new mission begins.

The story of the main campaign is also an amalgamation of new terms, info-dumping and has no real substance. I can appreciate that this is the first expansion in a brand-new saga but it did nothing to entice the player and have them eagerly anticipating the next decade or so.

However, I did enjoy the Ikora, Lodi, and Drifter side missions the most as they gave more insight into the individual characters and gave the chance to learn about the new planet and its people organically without shoving information and long-winded terminology down our throats.

Bungie

And, as always, gunplay is as fun and smooth as ever and as somebody who has played Destiny since it was first released back in 2014, I can still appreciate how easy it is to switch off and just gun down enemies using guns, melee weapons and class abilities.

The Edge of Fate, like every other Destiny 2 expansion, introduces a new arsenal of weapons, armour, and cosmetics in general as well as a new raid which can see hardcore players team up to take on the more challenging enemies.

However, it is plain to see that Bungie has seemingly lost its identity and direction when it comes to Destiny 2 which is perhaps unsurprising considering the mass layoffs that have happened throughout the company during recent years.

As mentioned, The Edge of Fate is the first expansion in a brand-new storyline so, as a long-term Destiny fan, I am willing to give Bungie the benefit of the doubt and remain hopeful that it can learn from the mistakes it has presented throughout its brand-new expansion.

The core enjoyment of the sci-fi shooter can be found but it is currently buried under inconsequential mechanics and over ambitious worldbuilding and, as a result, The Edge of Fate marks itself as one of the weakest expansions in Destiny’s history.