Destiny 2: The Final Shape PS5 Review. If you know me from my past work here at PSU or in real life, you know my addiction, love, and obsession with Destiny. From the beginning, when the game was still in Alpha, and I was lucky enough to experience it, I was hooked.
Fast-forward almost ten years, and here we are, diving headfirst into the final arc of a story that has had many ups and downs. The Final Shape utilizes the story Destiny has been telling over the course of its life by caring about devoted players first who have been on this journey since the beginning. It also exceeded the bar set by expansions like The Taken King, Forsaken, and The Witch Queen.
The Final Shape had much to live up to, and Bungie knew it. If it were not as good as some of Bungie’s best expansions, hope for the game’s future would have likely been lost. Luckily, The Final Shape surpasses these expectations.
“I’m yours, and you’re mine” – Ghost, The Final Shape.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape Review (PS5) – A Perfect Finale To The Dark And Light Saga
Prismatic Completely Changes Buildcrafting And How You See Your Guardian
Bungie always gives us new toys with every major expansion, like new weapons to hunt and flashy new abilities. These abilities could be new subclasses or new finishers within current subclasses. The Final Shape is no different with these additions. However, this time the developer has added a twist.
If we are being technical, the former Halo studio added two new supers to the game: a variant Light Super and one Light Element (Solar, Void, and Arc) to each class of Guardian, as well as Prismatic. First up will be the new Light variants.
For Warlocks of D1, you may slightly recognize the new Solar Super, Song of Flame, which is basically Radiance from the original game minus self-resurrection. Warlocks will use it to gain almost infinite grenades and melees while being more difficult to kill. It may sound underwhelming, but it is an amazing option for rooms full of enemies.
For the Hunter, we get Storm’s Edge, another reimagining of an original Destiny subclass. However, this one is functionally a lot different. Like Bladedancers of D1, this is about closing gaps quickly, but now Hunters do this by throwing an Arc-charged blade and teleporting to it. Once there, the blade spins around the Hunter, causing a damage area effect around them. This can be done until the super suns out.
Finally, Titans got an entirely new super and the first one-off super. Twilight Arsenal has you throwing three giant two-handed Void axes, similar to the Hunter Goldgun. These variations are a lot of fun and definitely add a new tool to our arsenal. Even with these new additions, Prismatic is the new hot stuff in the galaxy.
Prismatic combines multiple abilities from both Light and Dark subclasses into one super fun, overpowered subclass. While you can’t mix every ability from every class, the ones Bungie has selected have entirely changed how build crafting can work.
As a Hunter main, I use the guns at my disposal until my super is charged. I then pop my super and do as much DPS as possible, then go back to the game punching line, a standard FPS. This is the Hunter’s role; a glass cannon.
With Prismatic, I have transformed into a freeze-dodging, arc-meleeing monster. These abilities were always part of the Stasis and Arc subclasses but were separated. Now together, with the help of the exotic armor Liar’s Handshake, I can have endless abilities.
That is just a portion of what is possible with Prismatic, and the future of this subclass is infinite. Every new Aspect or Fragment introduced into an existing Subclass could now be added to Prismatic.
This is in addition to the assumed third Darkness subclass and two variant supers for each if built similarly to the Light subclasses. Whether Bungie adds a new Darkness Subclass or creates variations to the existing ones, new Fragments and Aspects can still be added at any time, bringing huge possibilities to Prismatic.
Inside The Pale Heart Is Terrifying, Gorgeous, And Reality Bending
The Pale Heart is my favorite area in Destiny, or any game I have played. Destiny 2: Forsaken gave us The Dreaming City, which, until now, has been Bungie’s best patrol zone.
The Pale Heart is inside the Traveler and is where The Witness has been since the conclusion of Lightfall. This area is created from the minds and past of the inhabitants. In Destiny lore, Darkness is subconscious.
It is thought and the space between space. While the Light is physical space, with that being the base of The Pale Heart, anything in your mind can be created in reality with the combination of Light and Darkness.
Because of this, there are so many familiar areas, and then you round a corner and are greeted with a horrifying twist.
Bungie has gone above and beyond to make areas you are comfortable with feel wrong and broken by The Witness. Hands that are coming out of the ground to make trees or mountainsides that look normal until you get close and see they are full of faces.
This is something that becomes more and more common as you get closer to the Monolith and The Witness. Destiny meets Alan Wake or goes to The Upsidedown from Stranger Things.
The Pale Heart is also Destiny’s first non-public Patrol area. This is another choice Bungie has made to hold the story above gameplay. In the game as you play through the story, it wouldn’t make sense to see other Guardians running around. This adds to the immersion and discomfort of The Pale Heart and is something I hope to see more from the developer in the future. Levitate what makes sense in the story, then open it up for everyone to play together after a few weeks.
The Final Shape Is Destiny’s Best Story
Bungie seemingly always struggles with what to focus on in a new expansion. Ever since Shadowkeep, the PlayStation-owned studio has tried to give players a choice in how they play the latest content. After the first few story missions, players can progress any way they want with the story; crucible, strikes, or exploring new locations. Often, the story is just there to get the player a new ability, raid, or be the first seasonal objective of the year.
The Final Shape has changed this. You can still play Gambit, Strikes, Crucible, or run around Patrol areas as much as you wish. However, the game encourages you to start the campaign. It informs you that the story, this time, is designed as a single, linear experience that, once you start, it is recommended that you finish before moving your attention elsewhere.
While this approach eliminates choice, it increases experience. Returning players aren’t confused about what to do next, and veterans are presented with a package highlighting the importance of the story’s conclusion.
This review has had me leave many of my comforts. I have been on record saying that I don’t believe any game or form of media is a 10/10. In my opinion, if something is 10/10 perfect, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with it. Everyone who experiences it loves it without one gripe. The Final Shape has me questioning these views.
Another aspect I try to avoid in a review must be present here to detail my experience: Story Spoilers.
Destiny Has Used The Raid To Effect The Game For Everyone Before, But Never On This Scale
Story and Raid Spoilers
I will not go into any details here; however, I will discuss what the first fire team to complete the raid unlocked for us and how the campaign concluded. So, if you don’t want to be spoiled, stop now and rest assured this is the best Destiny has ever been. If you’re still here, then let’s get into it.
The trend started with The Last Wish, the raid in Forsaken, which altered the world of Destiny upon completion, and continues here.
Bungie did not hold back on this raid. The community took 19+ hours to finish it, beating Last Wish by under an hour. From the start, my clan and the community jumped in to take the fight to The Witness. As I said, I’m not going to get into any specific puzzles or mechanics of the raid, but this may be the most challenging and best-designed raid Bungie has ever cooked up.
As The Witness retreated from his Monolith and the raid concluded, we took the fight to The Witness. Hurt and scared, The Witness and his army pushed one last time, and we met them with force.
I can only describe this moment when everyone returned to fight Thanos at the end of Avengers: Endgame. As high as they were at that moment, the stakes felt like we were saving the universe.
Finally, the moment came that truly broke me and made Destiny the first game to draw tears from me—a sacrifice from Ghost to end the fight. Instantly, I was brought back to the moment in Destiny 2’s original launch when Ghaul took our Light and pushed our Ghost off the edge of the platform.
This may sound a bit wild, but the helplessness I felt when I saw my Ghost’s eye flicker and go out is nothing like anything I felt in a video game. This has been my companion for ten years and felt like a part of me.
No game, except Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, has ever made me feel this much emotion. While losing your Ghost started the tears in my eyes, what came after broke the dam open. I will keep this hidden for your respect, but know that what comes next has solidified this game as the most impactful game of my life.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape is the best version of my favorite and most played game. I honestly can’t express enough just how well Bungie did at constructing this expansion. If you find yourself in Destiny at any point in your gaming life, this is an expansion you have to play.
While this may not truly end your journey, it is the end of a saga and a decade of storytelling. I truly cannot express how much this journey means to me, and I hope you get a chance to see this through. See you starside, Guardian.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape is out now for PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox One.
