Destiny 2: Renegades Review

Destiny’s earliest incarnation drew heavily on the science/fantasy roots established by Star Wars, nodding in various ways over the years to that mainstay of genre fiction. As an expansion, Renegades makes those inspirations far more explicit, borrowing directly from that galaxy far, far away to bring in the likes of lightsabers, Jedi, blasters, specific storytelling beats, and familiar costumes – albeit with distinct naming conventions. The suffusion of familiar Star Wars elements is sometimes odd and forced, and at times, it loses touch with some of the things that have always helped Destiny stand apart.

Nonetheless, the fun of some of those transplanted elements (especially lightsabers) is hard to deny. Moreover, on a more moment-to-moment level, Renegades represents a strong loop of storytelling, game modes, and upgrades that is a notable step up from Edge of Fate earlier this year. In total, it’s a strong batch of content that’s well worth exploring, especially if you’ve been away from the game for a time.

In the wake of the revelations in Edge of Fate, the Guardian is now contending with the godlike power of the Nine as they contrive to shape fate as they see fit. In particular, one of the Nine has exerted control over a Kylo Ren-esque individual who takes issue with the Vanguard and is preparing a doomsday weapon that will devastate the Guardians. As Wilhelm screams sound, trash compactors squeeze, and red energy blades clash against green, the narrative that ensues is fun but almost forcibly familiar, demanding you acknowledge each moment as a nod to Star Wars canon.

What saves it is the pace and action that drive everything forward. Your guardian is now a truly epic one-person army in their own right, and Renegades stacks up dozens of enemies in each battle to mow down. Bosses are potent and enjoyable; traversal puzzles are exciting, especially the lengthy temple visit to get your glowing blade; numerous seasonal and expansion rewards provide a steady stream of gradual, compelling upgrades.

The ample new social space is built around a lawless Cantina, and I enjoy the loop of different competing factions you bounce between from their home base around the bar. Venturing out into distinct play spaces on Venus, Mars, and Europa, the bounty hunting, smuggling, and other jobs you undertake feature varied and challenging objectives, especially as one climbs to higher difficulties. These jobs borrow concepts from the likes of Helldivers or extraction shooters like Arc Raiders, but the core action and shooting is unmistakably Destiny.  

Of all the Star Wars inspirations, the unqualified success in the mix is the introduction of the Praxic Blade, a lightsaber analogue that dramatically changes up playstyles for everyone, and features a variety of sought-after customization options. There’s an undeniable power fantasy to being a mythic warrior with a glowing blade in hand, and Bungie has really nailed what’s fun about slicing into enemies, throwing the weapon in wide boomerang-like arcs, and deflecting blasts onto foes.

While content organization has seen significant reworking in the last year, I quite enjoy the customizability available to tweak the many activities on offer. Bungie seems conscious that many players may have lapsed and might only now be returning, and much of the current game aims to resurface some great dungeons, raids, exotic missions, and other high-end content that a player may have missed, but with great flexibility in how challenging (and rewarding) that content will be. Alongside new fun chases, like the engaging new 3-person Equilibrium dungeon, there’s a lot to do, and a lot of it is immersive and thoughtfully crafted.

I’m not totally sold on the melding of universes that Renegades aims for, but I think the expansion as a whole offers many hours of satisfying exploration, build-crafting, and new rewards to discover. This isn’t the fundamental reinvention of Destiny that many fans seem eager for, but as a creative twist on expectation, it offers plenty of good times.