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  5. Destiny 2

Destiny 2

Overall Rating: 3.52 • 2668 reviews
The Investment Gamer The Resilient Player

Destiny 2 mixes sharp, weighty shooting with a live-game structure that lets you drop in for a strike, seasonal mission, or patrol and still move your gear and power forward. It stands out by pairing raid-level coordination and buildcraft depth with some of the smoothest gunfeel in the genre, even when you’re only playing in short bursts.

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Details

Some of the particulars and information about Destiny 2.
Developer: Bungie
Release Date: September 6, 2017
How Long to Beat: 45 hrs

Great for:

The Investment Gamer The Resilient Player

Ratings

Some of the ratings and scores for Destiny 2.
82 Metacritic
8.5 IGN
-- Our Score

Genres

Action
First-Person Shooter
Role-Playing Game

Systems

Here's where you can find Destiny 2 and play.

ESRB: Teen

Blood
Language
Violence
In-Game Purchases
Users Interact
Overview
Why Play?
How Much Time?
Overview

Destiny 2 sends you from shared social hubs into matchmade strikes, public events, and loot-driven builds that grow through gear perks, subclasses, and weekly milestones

Why Play?

Destiny 2 keeps every session rewarding with superb gunfeel and meaningful progression, whether you have time for a quick strike or want to chase deeper builds

How Much Time?

Destiny 2 breaks time into patrols, strikes, story missions, and weekly resets, letting short sessions matter while long-term gear chasing and raids stretch far further

Shooting That Carries Weight

Destiny 2 stands out the moment you start firing. Weapons have a heavy, tactile feel, enemies react clearly to hits, and each class mixes gunplay with movement skills, grenades, and supers in a way that keeps fights active without becoming overly complicated.

Most encounters ask you to read the room quickly, prioritize dangerous targets, and use abilities at the right time rather than simply emptying magazines. That makes even a short strike or patrol run feel satisfying, while harder activities reward cleaner execution and smarter team play.

Builds Through Constant Upgrades

Progression is built around gear that changes how you play, not just how high your numbers go. Exotic weapons and armor can reshape a loadout, subclasses let you tune your role, and perk combinations give you reasons to keep experimenting instead of locking into one setup forever.

The loop is especially good at making small sessions count. You can finish a few bounties, clear a weekly challenge, or chase a specific drop and still come away with materials, better rolls, or a clearer path toward your next upgrade.

Short Sessions To Endgame

Destiny 2 is structured so you can choose your level of commitment each time you log in. Public events, seasonal activities, and matchmade strikes are easy to jump into, while dungeons and raids ask for communication, mechanics knowledge, and more deliberate coordination.

That range is what gives the game its staying power. You can treat it like a reliable routine of bite-sized objectives, then gradually push into tougher content once your gear and confidence catch up, without feeling like earlier time spent was wasted.

Progress That Fits Your Time

Destiny 2 is good at making even a short session feel productive. You can run a strike, clear a few bounties, finish a seasonal step, or jump into patrol content and still come away with materials, weapons, reputation, or power gains that matter later.

That structure gives the game a strong sense of momentum without demanding a full evening every time. If you do want a longer stretch, the same character keeps building toward bigger goals instead of splitting your effort across disconnected modes.

Gunplay Worth Logging In For

The biggest reason to keep coming back is how good the action feels minute to minute. Destiny 2 has a rare mix of responsive aiming, satisfying weapon feedback, and abilities that add just enough flair without drowning out the shooting.

That balance makes routine activities stay enjoyable longer than they would in many loot-driven games. Even familiar missions benefit from trying a different weapon type, subclass setup, or exotic piece and seeing how it changes your rhythm in a fight.

Depth When You Want It

Destiny 2 works at more than one intensity level. You can stay in matchmade activities and get a steady stream of rewards, or dig into dungeons, raids, and tougher challenges that ask for planning, communication, and a better handle on your build.

That range is what gives the game long-term value. It lets you play comfortably most days, then push into harder content when you are ready, which makes the climb toward stronger gear and smarter loadouts feel earned rather than forced.

Main Story Playtime

A focused run through Destiny 2‘s core campaign content usually lands around 12 to 16 hours. Progress moves through story missions launched from orbit, with downtime in the Tower between steps for gear changes, vendor pickups, and quest turn-ins, so the flow naturally alternates between action and brief reset points.

Most missions and strikes fit well into 20 to 40 minute blocks, which makes the game unusually flexible for a shooter with ongoing progression. You can log in, clear a campaign step or two, sort your drops, and leave without feeling like you stopped in the middle of a huge chapter.

Completion and Replay Time

If you stay beyond the main story, Destiny 2 can easily stretch from 45 hours for a broader character build and seasonal run to 180 hours or more if you chase exotic quests, raids, dungeons, triumphs, crafted weapons, and multiple subclasses. A lot of that time comes from weekly milestones, rotating activities, and the steady pull of better rolls on familiar gear.

Replay is built into the structure rather than saved for a postgame mode. Strikes, Nightfalls, seasonal activities, patrol zones, and endgame group content stay relevant because rewards refresh, builds evolve, and different classes can change how the same activity feels from one week to the next.

Trailer

A Quick Look at Destiny 2

Curious what Destiny 2 is all about? The trailer gives you a great first look at the world, the vibe, and the kind of story you're stepping into.

Destiny 2 Trailer
Videos

Related videos for Destiny 2

These videos give some tips and pointers on getting started with Destiny 2

Destiny 2 - Before You Buy

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Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - 15 Things YOU NEED TO KNOW Before You Buy

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The brutal truth about Destiny 2 Renegades

Mr. Fruit
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Screenshots

Screenshots of Destiny 2

Want to see what Destiny 2 actually looks like in-game? These screenshots will hopefully give you a feel for what the world of Destiny 2 is like.

Destiny 2
Destiny 2
Destiny 2
Destiny 2
Destiny 2
Extras

Downloadable Content for Destiny 2

DLC just means more of a good thing. Here are some for Destiny 2

Destiny 2: Lightfall
Destiny 2: Lightfall
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
Destiny 2: Shadowkeep
Destiny 2: Forsaken
Destiny 2: Forsaken
Destiny 2: Warmind
Destiny 2: Warmind

Destiny 2: Lightfall

What’s Included

Destiny 2: Lightfall is a full expansion, not a small add-on. It adds a new campaign set on Neptune in the city of Neomuna, introduces the Cloud Striders, and brings in the Strand subclass with new movement and crowd-control abilities. It also includes a new destination to explore, new gear to chase, and access to the Root of Nightmares raid.

Is It Worth It

Yes, if you want a major chunk of new playable content and a new subclass that changes how combat feels. Strand is the main reason Lightfall matters, since it affects much more than just the campaign. The story had a mixed reception, so it is not the strongest expansion if narrative is your main draw, but it still fits naturally into the ongoing Destiny 2 experience and offers enough to justify itself for active players.

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen

What’s Included

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen is a major expansion released in 2022. It adds a full campaign centered on Savathun and her Throne World, including a Legendary difficulty option that gives the story more weight and challenge. It also introduces the weapon crafting system and the new Glaive weapon type, which both became important parts of the wider game.

The expansion also opened access to a new raid, Vow of the Disciple, plus new gear, quests, and activities tied to Savathun’s Lucent Hive. In terms of story, it is one of the more focused and memorable Destiny 2 expansions.

Is It Worth It

Yes, this is one of the most worthwhile expansions for Destiny 2. The campaign is strong by Destiny standards, the setting stands out, and weapon crafting gives it value beyond just finishing the story once.

If you want a solid solo or co-op campaign and content that connects cleanly with the rest of the game, this is an easy recommendation. It feels substantial rather than disposable, especially compared with smaller seasonal add-ons.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light

What’s Included

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is a full expansion, not a minor add-on. It adds the Europa destination, a new campaign focused on Eramis and the Fallen, and the Stasis subclass for all three classes. It also introduced new gear, Exotic weapons and armor, and the Deep Stone Crypt raid.

This was also a major turning point for the game’s systems and story, with Stasis changing combat options in both PvE and PvP. Europa remains one of the stronger patrol spaces in the game, with solid atmosphere and a clear identity.

Is It Worth It

Beyond Light is worth it if you want another proper campaign and access to Stasis, which is the biggest reason to own it. That subclass alone makes it feel more substantial than smaller DLC packs, especially if you like experimenting with builds.

It matters less if you only want the latest endgame or are trying to follow the current story in order. As an older expansion, it is no longer essential, but it still fits naturally into Destiny 2 and offers a meaningful chunk of playable content.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep

What’s Included

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is a full expansion built around the Moon, which returns as a patrol zone with new activities, lost sectors, and public events. It adds a campaign focused on Nightmares, a new dungeon called Pit of Heresy, the Garden of Salvation raid, new exotic gear, and a fresh set of story missions tied to Eris Morn.

It also came during a broader shift in how Destiny 2 handled seasons and progression, so some of its original context has changed over time. The core Moon content, campaign, raid, and dungeon are the main reasons to pick it up now.

Is It Worth It

Shadowkeep is worthwhile if you want another campaign and one of the game’s stronger atmosphere-heavy destinations. It is not the most essential expansion, but it does offer a solid mix of story, endgame content, and useful gear sources that fit naturally into the wider game.

If you mainly want the best current narrative arc or the biggest gameplay shake-up, other expansions may matter more. If you like exploring at your own pace and want more Moon-based content, Shadowkeep still holds up as a good optional add-on.

Destiny 2: Forsaken

What’s Included

Destiny 2: Forsaken is a major expansion built around a revenge story after the death of Cayde-6. It adds a new campaign, two destinations called the Tangled Shore and the Dreaming City, new enemies in the Scorn faction, and a large batch of Exotic gear. It also introduced the hybrid PvE/PvP Gambit mode and the Last Wish raid.

Is It Worth It

Forsaken was one of the biggest turning points for Destiny 2, and it still matters if you want one of the game’s strongest story arcs and a lot of memorable endgame content. If you mainly play for narrative, exploration, and varied activities, this is a meaningful upgrade rather than a small side add-on. It fits naturally into the wider game, though its value depends a bit on what parts remain available in the current version.

Destiny 2: Warmind

What’s Included

Destiny 2: Warmind is the second year-one expansion, set on Mars and focused on Ana Bray and the AI Rasputin. It adds a short campaign, a new patrol zone on Hellas Basin, extra strikes, new gear, and the Escalation Protocol public event, which was designed as a tougher wave-based activity for groups.

It also continues the early Destiny 2 story in a more focused way than the base game, with a sci-fi mystery angle and some useful lore if you care about the wider universe.

Is It Worth It

Warmind was a meaningful add-on at release, but today it is mostly notable as an older expansion rather than essential content. The campaign is brief, and a lot of its value came from being another stop in Destiny 2’s early roadmap.

If you are looking at legacy Destiny content, it is a decent side chapter with a better setting than Curse of Osiris, but not a must-buy on its own. It fits naturally into the game, though its practical value now depends heavily on current availability and what parts remain playable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have Questions About Destiny 2?

Do I need to know the earlier Destiny story before starting Destiny 2?

No. The game explains its current factions, characters, and threats well enough to follow the main beats, even if some older references will pass by you. If you enjoy lore, there is a lot to dig into later, but it is not required to start.

How much of Destiny 2 can I play solo?

A lot of the game works fine alone, including many story missions, patrol areas, public events, and several matchmade activities. The biggest exceptions are raids and some higher-end challenges, which expect a coordinated group and clearer communication.

What is the basic structure of Destiny 2 outside missions?

You spend most of your downtime in social spaces like the Tower, where you pick up quests, claim rewards, manage gear, and visit vendors. From there, you launch activities from a map screen rather than walking through one giant open world, so the game feels more like a connected set of destinations than a single continuous map.

Is Destiny 2 hard to get into if I am not great at shooters?

It is generally approachable at the start because normal activities give you room to learn movement, abilities, and weapon types without demanding perfect aim. Difficulty climbs sharply in endgame content, but you can enjoy a large portion of the game before needing tight builds or high-level mechanical play.

What does the free version of Destiny 2 actually include?

The free version lets you try the core feel of the game through selected activities, playlists, and some destinations, so it is enough to see whether the combat loop clicks with you. Most major story campaigns, newer seasonal content, and many of the headline endgame activities are tied to paid expansions or other purchases.

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