Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Reviews
Bungie continues to surprise me in just about every respect: good and bad. Forsaken had a fantastic campaign that Shadowkeep doesn't quite match, but all of the enhancements for Year 3 of Destiny 2 help balance it all out. Despite my misgivings and the weaknesses of Shadowkeep's story, I'm still having fun with this roller coaster of a franchise: and that counts for a hell of a lot.
PvP still needs work, and the story is once again more style than substance. However, abundant content elsewhere - including new PvE challenges and a build system with actual depth - means Shadowkeep does what it needs to.Richard Scott-Jones
Destiny 2 has never felt, looked, or been in a better spot than it is with Shadowkeep. This is not only the most accessible Destiny has ever been, but with the introduction of New Light, it is also more in-depth than ever with a new focus on hardcore players. Shadowkeep is an elegant blend of nostalgia mixed with the discovery of a new direction for the universe of Destiny. If you have ever been on the fence about Destiny, it's a perfect time to try.
Shadowkeep is a big stride forward for Destiny 2, and it shows that Bungie cares about its game.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is a big step in the right direction for Destiny, even when it feels like the first chapter in a larger story and subjects you to a brutal grind.
While its campaign is enjoyable in the moment, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep never manages to truly shake the fact that we already went to the Moon five years ago. For better or worse, this is just more Destiny, and that's a positive for those enamoured with the franchise, but anyone who was hoping for a more dramatic overhaul of its core systems and mechanics will be left wanting. Bungie has huge plans for the future of Destiny 2, but Shadowkeep only delivers a small piece of that vision.
A disappointingly backwards-looking expansion that rather than signal a new era for Destiny and Bungie is just more of the same empty teases and recycled content.
Destiny Shadowkeep adds a poor solo campaign to the main base game, too short and too straightforward. Only the Destiny addicts would enjoy the hours of grinding needed to open the doors of the new raid.
Review in French | Read full review
Where Shadowkeep’s story will take us remains to be seen, but the inclusion of Destiny’s core mechanics in a brilliantly revamped location has reinvigorated Destiny 2 just as it was starting to get a little stale.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is a decent start for the next year of content, banking heavily on nostalgia and few mechanics. If you just want an excuse to play Destiny, it should suffice.
"Whatever the cause is, if Destiny 2 keeps on its current path, it’ll be one of the strongest entries yet, but only if it keeps down its current path. With where it’s headed, I can only quote Dinklebot at this point in time: “Heads up, Guardian.”"
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep elevates the gameplay, but falters on a storytelling front.
Despite a short campaign that ends abruptly, we feel there's enough here to award a score based on the content we've played for a few dozen hours. If you have ever enjoyed Destiny or it's sequel, Shadowkeep is absolutely worth a purchase. If you haven't, then why not try New Light for free to see how you fare.
The campaign was entertaining even though it felt redundant due to the reuse of old enemies and was rather short for something so anticipated. Returning to the moon brought back great memories and it’s wonderful to have Eris Morn back.
Shadowkeep had a solid campaign, though it ended prematurely for my taste. The expansion itself isn’t on the level of Forsaken, but it keeps the Destiny 2 machine rolling forward. I’m not personally happy with some of the changes that come alongside Shadowkeep, but I can see the imperative to reward players who keep regularly returning by spreading content out instead of releasing it in lumps.
If you were ever curious about Destiny 2, Shadowkeep is the perfect entry point. If you are a reneged player that struggled with content doubts, there’s no better time to come back. And if you are neither of the aforementioned, you probably should be. Shadowkeep is everything every player wanted from Destiny 2, and in true Bungie fashion, it was delivered with a bang – which presumably emanated from the servers as they exploded on launch night.
The cycle of Destiny whiplash continues with Destiny 2: Shadowkeep. Like during the Destiny 1 era, we started with a lackluster opening, then got two awful expansions, got our significant overhaul, and now we're at the stopgap.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep has picture-perfect and grand setpieces on the moon, combined with excellent gunplay. Unfortunately, it's also marred by a middling campaign, weak narrative, inane endgame activities, and repetitive mechanics. The only thing haunting this expansion is its inability to reach the heights of Forsaken.
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is the same satisfying Destiny 2 you've been playing (or not playing) all along. The combat feels good, the art direction's stunning, the lore is mysterious in all the right ways. But it also fumbles in a lot of areas: its campaign is among Destiny's weakest, there isn't a lot of new loot, and its newly introduced systems are so convoluted that I found myself wishing there was a tutorial buried in a menu somewhere. Still, it's a promising start for the future of Destiny 2, which is really what this expansion seems to be as a whole: the baby steps for something bigger, with no end in sight.
Shadowkeep's return to the moon provides the usual quick story and new activities, but it's the many under-the-hood changes that really shine.