Destiny 2's Final Shape event shows off Prismatic subclass & first new enemy race in a decade
It's a strange time to be a Destiny 2 player. Lightfall was a disappointment for a few reasons, while seasonal content has since started to feel more than a little predictable.
The Final Shape, the last entry in the game's "Light & Darkness" saga that began in 2014 with the first game, has a lot riding on it - with reports suggesting it's "make or break" for developer Bungie. And yet, not unlike a Guardian popping their Super against insurmountable odds, this week's Final Shape gameplay showcase is like a light in the darkness.
Everything revealed in the Destiny 2 Final Shape gameplay stream
Subclasses have been part of Destiny from the very beginning, as players move between Solar, Arc, Void attacks and abilities in the earliest days, to Stasis and Strand in Beyond Light and Lightfall respectively.
With The Final Shape, Bungie is introducing a truly surprising new option to the mix - Prismatic. Part subclass, part blend of subclasses, Prismatic will let players combine Light and Darkness subclasses into wild new build options.
These will tie into new Exotic Class Items that will add random rolls of perks, sometimes from other classes.
It really does feel like Bungie has thrown its hands up and said "want to break the game? Go break the game", and it'll be fascinating to see what the community will create using these tools. And, in case you'd forgotten, each class is still getting a new Super in the expansion, too.
Perhaps the biggest surprise, though, was the introduction of a new race for the first time since the Fallen, Hive, Cabal, and Vex debuted in 2014. Sure, Taken were sort of new, but essentially just new versions of existing enemies, while Scorn were basically Fallen with some extra tricks.
The Dread are a new set of combatants that range from flying units that can nullify your powers, to new Strand and Stasis opponents. They're all a bit spooky.
The future of Destiny
Click to enlargeWhile Final Shape will cap off the current Destiny 2 story arc, Bungie has previously confirmed new story "episodes" will follow after.
Still, after previously revealing multiple expansions in one go, players (myself included) had started to feel a little like the game, and maybe the franchise, was starting to wind down.
In an appearance at the start of the livestream, Luke Smith, Executive Creative Director, said "facing the Witness is not the end of Destiny 2, and it's definitely not the end of Destiny".
"After you face the Witness, we're going to tell you what's coming to Destiny 2, and beyond".
A Reddit user who correctly predicted Prism's name and characteristics has also suggested Destiny 3 may be in development under the codename "Payback".
