Summary
- Season of the Wish in Destiny 2 has had a rough start, with Week 6 being a low point due to recycled content from the Forsaken expansion.
- Players are required to complete multiple runs of the Blind Well, a activity that many players are already tired of, which has become a sore spot for them.
- Bungie's practice of recycling content to fill a void may be causing some players to lose interest, and they should consider ending the last season on a hopeful note.
Destiny 2's 23rd and final season, Season of the Wish, apart from having what is arguably one of the game's best seasonal activities to date, has had a rough go of it since its launch on November 28, 2023. Each of the season's story quests has been interesting from a narrative standpoint but has at times failed to deliver in terms of overall content. Now, Season of the Wish's story might have just hit its lowest point in 6 weeks.
Bungie has never been shy about recycling content and assets in Destiny 2, and it still does so despite some backlash from the MMO's players. While reusing content isn't inherently bad, and instead it can help the development process in many ways, sometimes it just doesn't work. A great example is Week 6 of Season of the Wish's "Wishing All the Best" storyline, which pulls players back into a Destiny 2 expansion released over 5 years ago.
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Week 6 of "Wishing All the Best" Recycles Forsaken Content
Week 6 of "Wishing All the Best" Leans Heavily on Forsaken Content
Week 6 of Season of the Wish takes players back to Destiny 2's Dreaming City to activate the dormant Oracle Engine, which first became accessible in Forsaken upon completion of the expansion's campaign. To take advantage of the Oracle Engine's benefits in Forsaken, players could purchase a weekly bounty from Petra called "Gateway Between Worlds," which required them to complete a certain number of Blind Well runs to obtain an Offering to the Oracle. This offering could then be turned into the Oracle Engine and exchanged for gear and a special quest. As it turns out, Season of the Wish's Week 6 activities aren't all that different.
Upon their arrival in the Dreaming City, players must travel to the three corners of the city and defeat enemies and/or destroy Vex Oracles to collect a new resource called Prismatic Telemetry. Once players collect enough Prismatic Telemetry, they are required to complete multiple runs of the Blind Well. After completing enough runs of Destiny 2's Blind Well, players then receive an Offering to the Oracle, which, just as in Forsaken, can be presented to the Oracle Engine. The entrance to the Queen's court is then opened, and players reach the concluding moments of the quest.
Week 6 of "Wishing All the Best" Might Be a Little Too Much Like Forsaken
Destiny 2's recycled content isn't always bad and can lead to some good game design choices. However, at this point in the franchise, reusing it to this extent might be another step Bungie is unknowingly taking toward losing long-term player trust and interest. Firstly, traveling to and through each of the three corners of the Dreaming City can feel like a bit of a slog — especially the Spine of Keres, which doesn't allow Sparrows past a certain point and has enemies that are spread out across great distances.
Secondly, the Blind Well has become a bit of a sore spot for many Destiny 2 players. When it first launched in Forsaken, players were encouraged to do the activity countless times due to the expansion's gameplay loop, so the last thing they want to do is to run it again over 5 years later. Furthermore, even running a heroic version of Destiny 2's Blind Well only nets players 55% completion toward the week's quest objective, which means they are required to run it at least twice before progressing.
If Bungie expects its players to remain committed to Destiny 2 until The Final Shape releases in June, it might want to re-examine its practice of recycling content just to fill a void. Many players have found it difficult to maintain interest in the game during Season of the Wish because of its lackluster content, despite its excellent seasonal activity and Dungeon. As this is the last season of Destiny 2, Bungie should ensure its players end on a hopeful note for the future, rather than the doubt that old content may become the foundation of new releases.
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OpenCritic Reviews
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Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian's look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.
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