Three years after its release, there is still a surprising amount to say aboutDestiny 2. After a bevy of seasonal updates, the game has become something completely different from its starting point. Yet, even as players view the approachingBeyond Lightexpansion with skepticism, there are still ties and references back to the game’s origins.
The biggest selling point ofDestiny 2is the image of a game that keeps on giving. New equipment and quests constantly arrive for the game’s layered combat, both in terms of PVP and PVE. The story continues throughout as well, with quests given to players by in-game NPCs. The result is a science-fiction world that feels like it is really continuing, albeit without end in sight. With so much already in the rear-view mirror, callbacks to the game’s past are often the purview of fans. But not always.
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The finale ofDestiny 2’s very long Exodus mission is a quest called Evacuation. Players will have tolearn the steps to beat Evacuation, which are many, if not too long. There are four sets of three missions, each given by a different prominent NPC and taking place on a different world. The ones given by Brother Vance take place on Mercury. After completing them, Vance tells the players something interesting. Vance once met Osiris, who advised him to sing, and now Vance says he will sing of hope for the future. This is actually a reference to a Paul McCartney song titled Hope for the Future that tied in with the firstDestiny.
The tie-in music video that went along with Hope for the Future saw a Ghost projecting McCartney in various locations aroundDestiny. The song revolved around a theme of hope, of a time when people reached the stars and the problems of the past were left behind. Hope, sings the song, shines brightest in the darkness. It seems a fitting message to lead intoDestiny 2’s next expansion, another reason whyExodus is the perfect lead-in for Beyond Light.
It’s not too surprising thatDestiny 2is referencing the originalDestinynow, since Beyond Light will be a big deal for a few reasons. Hope seems to have been a big theme for a while inDestiny’s story. In fact, it wasrumoredDestiny 2would be subtitled “Forge of Hope"for a while, though this never materialized.
Sadly, the main reason this reference hits so hard is that so much ofDestinyand its sequels' original identities are vanishing now. TheBeyond Light update is cuttingDestiny 2’s content in half, so many players may soon feel nostalgic for all the wrong reasons. Hopefully, there is still hope forDestiny 2’s future, but only Beyond Light will tell.
Destiny 2is available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia.
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