5 Convincing Reasons to Return to Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

Are you a lapsed Destiny 2 player who's been thinking about coming back to the game? It's time.
5 Convincing Reasons to Return to Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

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Are you a lapsed Destiny 2 player who's been thinking about coming back to the game? The content cycle of Destiny 2 has been pretty steady, though some expansions have been more successful than others.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep looks to have all the features we've been looking for. I haven't played the game is about six months, but the hype cycle around Shadowkeep has me ready to drop some cash on the new expansion and get my hunter back out there tethering and dropping blade barrages all over the place.

1. The Story

One of my favorite characters from the Destiny universe is Eris Morn. There's just something about the darkness she exudes that makes her so entertaining. As soon as I heard that Shadowkeep was focused around her, I knew it was time to jump back in.

Apparently, there will be elements of horror in the story of Shadowkeep, which sounds incredibly interesting. This should be a pretty cool change of pace from what we expect from Destiny 2.

It sounds like we're also going to see the return of some of the bad guys we've vanquished in the past, and they won't be so easy to kill. If you miss putting rounds in Crota's face, you're going to want to give Shadowkeep a try.

2. Armor 2.0

At its core, one thing that makes Destiny 2 such a long-running and fun game is the fact that it has deep RPG elements that let you constantly upgrade and customize your character. And while the systems in place in Destiny 2 are pretty good, there's plenty of room for improvement.

Thankfully, those improvements are on their way, as Bungie has announced that Armor 2.0 is coming with some huge improvements that will make upgrading your character more fun and rewarding.

Basically, Bungie is adding more stats to armor so players will be able to get more out of their builds. There's quite a bit to the new system, and breaking it all down really could be a full article in and of itself, but here are some of the highlights:

  • More types of mods
  • Limited energy balances mod usage
  • Mods are consumed when applied and can be reused
  • Swapping mods in and out is cheap
  • Intellect, Discipline, and Strength stats introduced
  • Energy types support different types of weapons
  • New upgrade materials

3. Black Garden Raid

Whenever a new expansion for Destiny 2 comes around, one of the most exciting things for hardcore players is the new raid. Shadowkeep is no exception.

Garden of Salvation, which is the name of the new raid, looks to be one of the most interesting raids Bungie has produced from an aesthetic standpoint. We know almost nothing about the mechanics of the raid, which is pretty typical for Destiny 2's raids before they come out. After all, half of the fun of a new raid is figuring out the mechanics and puzzles offered by it.

Either way, I couldn't be more excited to round up the Destiny 2 crew and explore the challenged offered by the Garden of Salvation.

4. The Moon

Old-school Destiny players probably have a lot of memories exploring The Moon. Some of those memories might be good, some bad, but either way, it's an interesting place to explore, and I'm excited to go back and see what Bungie has in store for us there.

5. PVP Tweaks

Player versus player is a very contentious part of the Destiny 2 experience. Some players love it, and some hate it. Either way, it's an important part of the game and one that Bungie appears to be tweaking with the release of Shadowkeep.

Bungie has teased the return of Trials, which is the game's most hardcore PVP mode.

And for the less hardcore players, the developer is also talking about changing the way it matches players, which should create a wider variety of matches. This should prevent players from getting stuck in a series of one-sided slaughters or super close games over and over.

Some other changes include the removal of underperforming maps, new playlists, and a tweak to the way competitive players earn Glory, one of PVP's currencies.

Get Hyped!

Seriously, if you're a lapsed Destiny 2 player, Shadowkeep's October 1 release date is one you should be excited about. This is the first expansion Bungie has released since it separated from Activision, and it's exciting to see what the developer can do when left to its own devices.