Destiny 2: Lightfall Reviews
Destiny 2: Lightfall is my favorite entry into Destiny. This is a tall order with how amazing expansions like The Taken King, Forsaken, and The Witch Queen have been. Nevertheless, Lightfall has surpassed my expectations in almost every way. The gameplay is even more fun and fluid, the location is fresh and new, and while the story has holes, I'm excited to learn how Bunge fills them over the following year and on. Lightfall is as fantastic as it is mysterious, and I love every minute.
This is the Destiny we have for now. And things will change over the next year, a lot of tweaks are incoming. Difficulty will probably be scaled back as the current state scares away new and casual players. The consumables economy is likely going to need to be tweaked as well, the game will evolve with the seasons, but Lightfall itself is an overall disappointing chapter in a game that remains excellent. Bungie appears to be buying time until the Final Shape next year, and we're being asked to pay for it.
As a fan of Destiny 2, I am enjoying Lightfall. It definitely had a bumpy start, especially if you’re a big story buff, but almost everything after the campaign has been solid. I wouldn’t say anything blew me away, but nothing has been horrible either. They stuck to the tried and true formula that has worked for them for quite a while now, and while I hoped for a bigger spectacle around some characters, Neptune itself, or even the raid, I am wanting to play more and do more.
Lightfall is more of a bridge that takes us closer to the end than a decisive expansion. Even so, Bungie's mastery is evident in the impressive aesthetics of Neomuna and in a campaign of very high level of quality.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
More than any other Destiny expansion since Bungie split from Activision, you can feel the developers pulling the reins a bit on Lightfall. All the right elements are in play, and the way that Destiny feels so sleek and streamlined compared to not just other live service games but its own cumbersome past remains impressive. But first impressions are everything, and Lightfall pays so much attention to the gleaming horizon that it trips over its feet trying to get there.
Destiny 2: Lightfall is certainly not the worst content of the Bungie shooter, but at the same time it marks a qualitative drop compared to last year's splendid expansion.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Bungie's latest expansion elevates Destiny 2's power fantasy to a new high and carves a more clear and concise path to its endgame than ever before. Despite a campaign that lets down fans of a narrative nearly a decade in the making, it still reigns as one of the best looter shooters out there.
Perhaps part of the issue with this is in the expectations. The marketing materials surrounding Lightfall built it up to tell the story that would lead us to the space game’s final chapter. But Bungie should know one thing: if it wants to keep its players happy, it should never make a promise it can’t keep.
While it's certainly not a perfect expansion, Lightfall offers enough additions and changes to be worth it for new and returning players alike
Destiny 2: Lightfall does a lot to advance the Destiny 2 experience, adding a stellar new subclass and destination alongside a much needed difficulty increase. Conversely, it features a story so bland, derivative, and dissatisfying that I am honestly worried Bungie may never be able to right the narrative course.
Destiny 2: Lightfall is disjointed in story, but pulls through with its gameplay. Something has to give with the former, as the story needs to be memorable and engaging, and this expansion simply didn’t get there in either category.
Destiny 2: Lightfall falls short of expectations, leaving players with unanswered questions and minimal impact on the Light and Dark saga. The introduction of Neomuna and Cloud Striders has little purpose to the overarching plot. However, the powerful Strand toolset is a delightful addition, though it raises concerns about balance with weaker elements. While quality of life improvements are positive, the removal of certain content makes the game challenging for new players. Overall, Lightfall feels rushed, as if it was a flustered effort to fill a gap before the final hurrah.
Destiny 2: Lightfall is far from Destiny's worst expansion, but just as far from its best. For every step forward, there's another step back, and what you get out of it ultimately comes down to what you prioritize. It simply isn't as well rounded as The Witch Queen, but still offers many excellent gameplay additions and quality-of-life improvements that elevate the whole experience.
While it can feel more like a proof of concept for some new mechanics than a vital piece of the experience, Lightfall is another reason to come back to Destiny 2, which proves it's still a top-tier shooter more than half a decade into its life.
Destiny 2: Lightfall stumbles momentarily as a self-contained campaign but simultaneously sets a thrilling stage for the current story’s conclusion.
From bizarre difficulty balancing to a poorly written story, Lightfall has a lot of misses. However, it also makes a lot of good changes that enhance the general gameplay like with Strand subclass and the accessibility of buildcrafting. It isn't the worst Destiny 2 expansion, not even close, but it is also far from being great.
Destiny 2 has been out for quite some time now and there is talk of a new title. You will be treated to a solid single player story only if you do play from the beginning however, there is so much meat on the bone of this old cow that I do think the convoluted menu systems and quests may scare away the casual gamer and overwhelm those who genuinely want to get into it. Let's see what happens down the track, but for now, I personally think that Lightfall is a run of the Mill expansion that does not do the legacy of Destiny any favours.
There's no doubt that Lightfall is not the best expansion, but it's far from being the worst, thankfully. If I had to formulate it, it's the arithmetic average of Beyond Light and The Witch Queen. We're used to Bungie going back and forth like a Mehter Company, which is exactly why I haven't given up hope for The Final Shape.
Review in Turkish | Read full review
Destiny 2: Lightfall is not as immersive in terms of narrative compared to the previous expansion, but in return it brings more frantic action, significant changes in gameplay and a refinement in quality of life that certainly make the package worthwhile.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Thanks to its focus on the new powers, rather than progressing the story in any meaningful way, Lightfall ends up being a flat experience that leaves you wanting more. It doesn’t help that the Light vs Dark story, which has been building for the best part of a decade, is in its endgame. It also doesn’t help that the expansion has to live up to the incredible add-on that was released the year prior. There are good points to be found in Lightfall like the setting and the new Strand ability but as far as it being essential to the story, I’m not so sure.