Nearly each week brings one thing new to Destiny 2, whether or not it is story beats, new actions, or attention-grabbing new combos of parts that allow gamers devastate one another within the Crucible. Iron Banter is our weekly have a look at what is going on on on this planet of Future and a rundown of what is drawing our consideration throughout the photo voltaic system.
Most years, Destiny 2‘s Festival of the Lost event is only a enjoyable distraction–a probability to decorate up with in-game masks and purchase some enjoyable Halloween-themed armor in between common bouts within the Crucible or ventures into raids. This yr, although, Bungie has elevated the occasion in a extremely enjoyable means, making a campfire tale-like ghost story that unfolds in elements. Uncovering the secrets and techniques of the Headless Ones is a whole lot of enjoyable, and an ideal cause to maintain diving into these Haunted Misplaced Sectors.
It hasn’t all been s’mores and scares round Future 2 this week, although. A complete lot of debate has been had about the two dungeons Bungie is releasing in Year 5, what they will value, and the way you may get entry to them. Many in the neighborhood are…lower than enthused. Prepare for some highs and a few lows.
Dungeon Indignation
The scenario with the dungeons is that this: When The Witch Queen launches in February, you should buy two completely different variations of the enlargement with a view to get it. The usual version prices $40 USD and comes with simply the enlargement content material; the Deluxe Version is $80 and consists of the enlargement, some extra cosmetics, all 4 season passes for Yr 5, and two dungeons that might be launched sooner or later throughout the yr. When you do not buy the Deluxe Version, you do not get the dungeons.
Although this was introduced again throughout Bungie’s Witch Queen showcase, gamers did not actually decide up on the discrepancy till just lately. Then Bungie clarified the scenario: You’ll need to improve to the Deluxe Version to get the dungeons. There could also be some form of path for buying them sooner or later as properly, however there’s not a whole lot of readability there. It appears that evidently in the event you get the usual Witch Queen and decide to purchase Yr 5’s season passes piecemeal (about $10 every), you will not be getting the dungeons as a part of that deal.
I already wrote a separate opinion about the dungeon debacle–I believe the scenario is not fairly a lot ado about nothing, however the animosity towards being charged for high-quality content material is a bit extreme. In any case, in the event you get the Deluxe Version, you get all 4 seasons for what they’d usually value, plus the dungeons principally for nothing. If and when Bungie provides a path to purchase the dungeons individually, it looks like they cannot presumably be very pricey. The Deluxe Version of Past Mild was $70, whereas Witch Queen’s is $80 and consists of dungeons, suggesting that every runs about $5. Powerful to get too upset when you may spend extra on a pumpkin spice latte (and I’ve been, loads, this fall).
That stated, I agree that Bungie wants to wash up and higher clarify its content material gross sales method for issues like this. First, there’s the problem you can’t appear to get the dungeons another means than upgrading your buy, which implies leaping from spending $40 to spending $80, even when you do not need all these seasons. I do not know why you would be sufficient of a Future 2 participant that you simply’d need the dungeons however not the seasonal content material, however that is not for me to guess–allowing for unusual use instances and buyer freedom is what free-to-play fashions and a la carte buying are all about.
Proper now, in the event you needed to play the Presage Unique mission and also you’d bought Past Mild and the present content material season, you would be locked out of the mission. You can buy previous season passes, and thus get Presage, however you’d have to purchase all 4 of them, as a substitute of simply the one you want. So you would be repurchasing the Season of the Misplaced, plus shopping for two seasons you do not need, to get the one mission that you simply do. The dungeon upcharge scenario feels loads like that, and that frustration is sensible to me.
To some extent, I ponder if Bungie’s efforts to transform Future 2 from a paid launch with definitive expansions to a seasonal, live-game mannequin has created a few of these points. I believe there are some back-end points that restrict the methods the developer can doll out content–because absolutely if they might make it simpler, it looks like it will make extra monetary sense to present extra choices. We do not know, although, and that is form of the purpose; it is simple to get mad about upcharges on dungeons (content material that has both been free or included in the price of expansions previously) whenever you’re unsure what you are paying for.
I had more coherent thoughts about the whole situation earlier this week, however I hope Bungie can go for a clearer and extra constant pricing plan. I actually do not thoughts paying for good Future 2 content material, and actually, Future 2 stays an ideal deal in my eyes. However the confusion will be robust to take care of.
Ghost Tales
Okay sufficient about (shudder) monetization, let’s speak about one thing much less horrifying: horror tales. The Pageant of the Misplaced this yr is filled with ’em with the brand new Haunted Misplaced Sectors exercise, and I am discovering the whole endeavor fairly pleasant. The exercise itself is a enjoyable, fast pastime, and feels rather less concerned and easier-going than Haunted Forest of previous years. It is the narrative angle that is making me wish to settle in for extra ghost tales, although.
The Haunted Misplaced Sector exercise relies on the concept Glint, the Crow’s Ghost, is obsessive about these unusual legends he is heard of “Headless Ones.” Apparently, these tales of headless monster issues had been going round for years in Future 2, however no person actually believed in them–they have been city legends, or possibly post-apocalyptic alien wilderness legends?
As we see within the Misplaced Sectors themselves, nevertheless, the pumpkin-topped Headless Ones do exist. Taking part in the sport throughout the Pageant unlocks lore pages from the Tales of the Forgotten e-book, and people lore pages fill in what the hell is occurring with these guys, who’re a mixture of the Headless Horseman that chased down Ichabod Crane and a few form of Jason Voorhees-ass Hive knights.
I can not implore you adequate to learn the Ebook of the Forgotten–it is wonderful. You’ll be able to unlock the entire thing throughout the Pageant of the Misplaced exercise, which is able to earn you in-game stuff, however in the event you’d quite simply learn all of it, you may catch it on the Ishtar Collective. In any case, learn it, as a result of it is a wonderful addition to Future 2’s story.
The e-book mixes Glint’s quest to seek out out extra concerning the Headless Ones with the precise first-hand accounts from the previous of how the Headless Ones might need come to be, on Europa, Nessus, and the moon. You get a bit of those tales from Glint himself as you run by means of the Haunted Misplaced Sectors, the place he explains the legends of the Headless Ones. So the lore e-book is a story bouncing between the current and the previous. Within the current, we have Glint, asking questions on hauntings as folks stare at him incredulously. Up to now, we have some legit horror tales which can be spooky and unsettling. It is a phenomenal combine.
The actual standouts, although, are the gags you may discover within the Ebook of the Forgotten. Glint seeks out a number of historian varieties alongside the best way, attempting to determine issues like “what’s Halloween” and “why pumpkins.” The e-book is, legitimately, very humorous. Like Ghost Community Theater Presents funny. Hear–there is a wonderful second wherein a Cryptarch cites data gleaned from a porno magazine. Learn this e-book.
It is stuff like this that I like about Future 2. An occasion I did not count on to be far more than only a enjoyable cause to purchase some goofy new sparrows turned out to hold a complete completely different really feel, because of a brand new narrative method to the exercise. Hanging out with Glint is enjoyable. Studying about Glint attempting to be a severe historic researcher who principally chases Hive Pumpkin Bigfoot is even higher.
So thumbs as much as this yr’s Pageant of the Misplaced, and particularly hats off to the Future 2 writing workforce behind its lore and story moments. It is superb how Bungie has captured a sitting-around-the-campfire really feel within the sport. I am excited to dive again in. I actually need a good Horror Story auto rifle reroll.
Tell us what’s burning in your mind this week within the feedback, Guardians, whether or not it is the dungeon dust-up, Glint’s ghost tales, or one thing else. Is Jurassic Inexperienced even good? Somebody please inform me.