Destiny 2: The Final Shape Reviews
This is as close to perfect as a Destiny expansion can get. If my biggest complaint is “I don’t love the new shader icons” and “the Ritual Pathfinder system should be tweaked,” I think we’re doing well. Instead, The Final Shape represents a stunning finale for a plot arc a decade long that’s not just a huge event for Destiny itself, but the entire industry, as I simply do not think that has another comparison point in the history of gaming, provided you’ve been on this ride for this long. Bungie left everything on the field and delivered on all fronts.
As the universe celebrates the prevention of its extinction, there is much debate about what awaits the future of Destiny and our Guardians. After all, the universe is a big place, and threats unknown or unresolved are bound to rear their heads sooner or later. There might be uncertainty in where the Guardians go from here, but there is also comfort in the certainty that this is not the end, but a new beginning – one where each Guardian makes their own fate.
I liked to tell myself that I didn't believe in perfect 10/10 games. To me a perfect game is something everyone, unanimously, can say has no issues. No shortcomings. However, Destiny 2: The Final Shape is perfect. Everything that Bungie has done these past nine years has come together in a video game version of Avengers: Endgame. The stakes, the action, the quality of storytelling, and of course the emotion has all merged into the best expansion, no, game I have ever played. If you have ever in the last decade been interested in or cared about Destiny, The Final Shape is a must play. Period.
Destiny 2 The Final Shape is a masterpiece of a finale to the ten year story of the Light and Darkness saga. With a powerful, moving narrative, exceptional character payoffs, inspiring gameplay and gorgeous visuals and sound design, it triumphs as an unmatched expansion for the game.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape ties up a decade's worth of story, conflict, and relationships in the most engaging and emotionally satisfying way possible. Bungie's best-in-class narrative team has outdone itself, the combat and gunplay sit at the pinnacle of the FPS genre, and I've ultimately never played anything like it.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape is a poignant tribute to the franchise's journey since its debut in 2014. It breathes new life into the existing classes with the versatile Prismatic subclass, introduces fresh enemies and locations, and weaves a narrative that'll likely tug at the heartstrings of even the most casual players. With more seasonal and story content on the horizon, Destiny 2: The Final Shape propels the series to new heights, solidifying its position as one of the top PVE multiplayer shooters in the gaming world.
The Final Shape is a sentimental love letter of the social and community aspects of gaming. The power of creating a group of friends and playing something together. The stories you experience in-game and out of it. It’s not just the culmination of memories of the expansions and seasons of the last 10 years, but also the people we met along the way. It’s so rare for games to get to this moment – a climax of a decade of storytelling – and it’s practically unheard of to have it end so satisfyingly. Bungie did what seemed impossible with The Final Shape – they nailed it.
New Guardians may have plenty of questions as to what’s going on, but if you’ve spent any time with the franchise in the past, this is worth coming back for - the Final Shape is the new gold standard for Destiny.
After ten years, you’d think I would feel it’s time to hand up the cape and move on, but this series is just too much fun, and this expansion has proven that. If Bungie continues to deliver on this level of quality, Destiny 2 will have a long and exciting future ahead, paving the way for a potential Destiny 3.
Bungie absolutely needed to stick the landing with The Final Shape, and by all accounts they've done just that.
Destiny 2 is back, baby. The Final Shape's exhilarating and heart wrenching main story quest, beautiful and twisted new destination, terrifying new enemy faction, and plethora of insanely powerful gear solidify this as the new peak of the Destiny experience.
What Bungie has accomplished with The Final Shape in the face of tremendous hurdles and unreasonable expectations is nothing short of remarkable. It’s a powerful and satisfying story, with the mechanics, art, design, and polish to back it up. This is Bungie’s best work in the Destiny era, and sets a lofty new bar for live service expansions. In a challenging market, Bungie have proven they’re still among the best in the business. I can’t wait to see what’s next.
As a solo player there were many moments where Bungie was clearly leaving my ilk behind. But on the other hand, they've finally unleashed the power fantasy and given players the tools to be the space wizard gods we've always dreamed of. The narrative the campaign delivers is a worthy and satisfying conclusion to all of those years spent loving this game. With Bungie already starting walking back some of the changes that hurt solo players the most, it's fair to say The Final Shape probably eclipses The Witch Queen as the best this game has ever been. Ten years on and we've arrived at the summit the journey deserved.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape is another achievement amidst Bungie's countless triumphs. An ending delivering on its seemingly impossible promises with inventive and unique new additions that prove Bungie are far from done with Destiny. While that future remains somewhat uncertain, The Final Shape does offer certainty in its sheer quality and commitment to creating unforgettable player experiences.
The Final Shape campaign is the magnum opus of the franchise. It's obvious that the pacing of the story and gameplay were given an abundance of care, which elevates the entire experience. The story provides longtime fans massive payoffs, and succinctly wraps up the epic journey we've been on for so many years. Lastly, the new additions of the Dread enemy faction and Prismatic subclass made playing through the campaign a delight. I will say that as a whole, this campaign is the best in the Destiny franchise, and hearkens back to Bungie's golden age of campaigns in their Halo days.
The Final Shape is by far the best expansion for Destiny 2 to date.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
It's simply the best Destiny 2 expansion-both a satisfying conclusion to the series' first saga, and a compelling shooter packed full of stuff to do.
The Final Shape is a concentrate of content, beautiful ideas and interesting innovations from both a technical and mechanical point of view. Now more than ever, Bungie teaches the gaming industry how to create a GaaS expansion ten years after the release of the first Destiny chapter.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Destiny 2: The Final Shape delivers on much of what this series has promised, bringing exciting new challenges and a satisfying ending to its decade-long story.
With a confident and satisfying campaign, a fascinatingly well-designed destination, and several standout endgame pursuits, Destiny 2: The Final Shape is an excellent offering for veteran and returning players of the FPS. Even with some classic endgame grinding repetitiveness, it's an incredibly well-executed expansion that nicely rounds off a decade-long journey, making it Destiny 2's best.