Bungie appears to have done something very, very right with Destiny 2: Season of the Witch, according to the community. After a number of fumbles stemming from Lightfall‘s release onwards, it looked like the studio just couldn’t catch a break with Destiny 2. Now, thankfully, things appear to have settled down, and players seem pretty happy with Season 22’s key novelties.
The excitement comes from the destinythegame subreddit, where players posted dozens of trending threads doting over some of Season 22’s best offerings. The Savathun’s Spire activity has already been singled out as a particularly notable highlight, endeared for its high enemy density, interesting mechanics, and solid threat escalation from beginning to end.
It’s not just gameplay hitting a high note in Season 22, either. Users like Voltax1999 and DerCatrix shared praises and jokes about major story beats and character arcs. In particular, Eris Morn’s attempt to become a genuine Hive God rivaling Savathun, Xivu Arath, and even the late Oryx himself—may Deep rest his Oversoul—has captivated fans. Both threads received thousands of upvotes, delivering some much-needed positivity to a scene that’s been gloomy as of late.
Ultimately, the community’s response to Season of the Witch reads as a major Bungie win. Given the new season just launched on August 22, maybe take some of the fanfare with a grain of salt. But considering the humble community expectations for Season 22, Bungie may well be onto something here.
Season of the Witch and Player Feedback
Earlier this month, Bungie’s Joe Blackburn commented on the game’s troublesome state. Judging from his tweets, the studio finally seemed ready and willing to take some community critique to heart. Just note Blackburn’s comments were more recent, so the feedback mentioned may not play a part in Season 22’s quality. Though perhaps that’s all the better and, hopefully, a signal things are looking up for Destiny 2.
After a rough period, it’s welcomed news that some key seasonal mechanics, like Eris’s deck of Hive playing cards, disguise Bungie’s extremely well-trodden progression tropes. The new system is, technically, the same thing in place seasons prior, but Bungie’s improved upon it through thoughtful tweaks. There’s innovation present in Season of the Witch that hasn’t been there in quite a long while. If Bungie keeps it up, the community may be on board again by the time The Final Shape launches in February 2024.
Published: Aug 24, 2023 02:11 pm