Bungie's Latest Expansion on 'Star Wars': A Mixed Bag of Destiny's Best and Worst
Renegades, Bungie's latest expansion for Destiny 2, has been touted as a unique and engaging collaboration with the Star Wars franchise. While it brings some much-needed changes to the game's mechanics, it also reinforces some of its worst habits.
One of Renegades' greatest strengths is in its narrative. Working closely with Drifter and a ragtag crew, the story delves into a mysterious threat: a cult led by Dredgen Bael, voiced by Dan Da Da and Aleks Le, who's on a collision course with the Imperium to harness a powerful superweapon capable of wiping out Guardians.
BaeI and Aunor Mahal are compelling characters in their own right, driven by character and theme rather than just spectacle. The story is full of nods to Star Wars, from the Death Star equivalent of Nightfall Station to Bael's anguished screaming and mask. It feels like a love letter to both the game and its new partner.
However, this narrative magic can't save Renegades' core systems, which are still in need of overhauls. New players may find themselves lost in the gearing and progression systems, which have been radically overhauled since their last foray into the world. Even seasoned veterans will feel a bit disoriented by some of the changes.
Renegades is at its weakest when it fails to convey these updates clearly, leaving new players scrambling through confusing tutorials and narrative-heavy gameplay mechanics. The Lawless Frontier, a new game mode designed to be a primary activity pillar after completing the campaign, feels more like a series of disconnected missions than an immersive Star Wars experience.
While Renegades is not perfect, it's a reminder of what Destiny can do when it's firing on all cylinders – even with some stumbles along the way. It showcases Bungie's ability to adapt and evolve, but it also serves as a harsh reminder that even with collaborations like this, the game still has work to do.
Ultimately, Renegades is a double-edged sword: laser or otherwise. At its best, it's an example of unique and engaging collaborations in our pop cultural landscape. At its most frustrating, it feels like Destiny as we know it – good at some things, but inconsistent elsewhere. If you're a Destiny die-hard, it's worth seeing what Renegades has to offer. However, if you're looking for your Star Wars fix, this might not be the best place to start.
Renegades, Bungie's latest expansion for Destiny 2, has been touted as a unique and engaging collaboration with the Star Wars franchise. While it brings some much-needed changes to the game's mechanics, it also reinforces some of its worst habits.
One of Renegades' greatest strengths is in its narrative. Working closely with Drifter and a ragtag crew, the story delves into a mysterious threat: a cult led by Dredgen Bael, voiced by Dan Da Da and Aleks Le, who's on a collision course with the Imperium to harness a powerful superweapon capable of wiping out Guardians.
BaeI and Aunor Mahal are compelling characters in their own right, driven by character and theme rather than just spectacle. The story is full of nods to Star Wars, from the Death Star equivalent of Nightfall Station to Bael's anguished screaming and mask. It feels like a love letter to both the game and its new partner.
However, this narrative magic can't save Renegades' core systems, which are still in need of overhauls. New players may find themselves lost in the gearing and progression systems, which have been radically overhauled since their last foray into the world. Even seasoned veterans will feel a bit disoriented by some of the changes.
Renegades is at its weakest when it fails to convey these updates clearly, leaving new players scrambling through confusing tutorials and narrative-heavy gameplay mechanics. The Lawless Frontier, a new game mode designed to be a primary activity pillar after completing the campaign, feels more like a series of disconnected missions than an immersive Star Wars experience.
While Renegades is not perfect, it's a reminder of what Destiny can do when it's firing on all cylinders – even with some stumbles along the way. It showcases Bungie's ability to adapt and evolve, but it also serves as a harsh reminder that even with collaborations like this, the game still has work to do.
Ultimately, Renegades is a double-edged sword: laser or otherwise. At its best, it's an example of unique and engaging collaborations in our pop cultural landscape. At its most frustrating, it feels like Destiny as we know it – good at some things, but inconsistent elsewhere. If you're a Destiny die-hard, it's worth seeing what Renegades has to offer. However, if you're looking for your Star Wars fix, this might not be the best place to start.
I think Bungie is getting close to perfecting their whole Destiny thing, but we need more polish, ya know? Like, I love how Renegades brings a fresh storyline and some sick Star Wars vibes 
. Dan Da Da and Aleks Le bring so much life to Dredgen Bael's character! 
But, for real, the gearing and progression systems can be super confusing even for veterans. It's like they forgot we're trying to have fun here, not stress ourselves out with menus and stats 
. And don't even get me started on how some new players might feel lost in all the changes... I think Bungie could've done a better job of explaining things through tutorials or something? Anyway, if you're a Destiny fan like me, it's worth checking out, but if you just wanna play Star Wars for once, maybe skip this one 
.
️. But at the same time, I'm not sure if the new mechanics and systems are really needed... I mean, who needs all these changes to the gearing and progression system? 
Can't they just stick with what works, you know? 
The tutorial is super confusing too - like, seriously, can't new players figure it out on their own? 
Overall, it's a decent expansion, but I don't think it's going to blow anyone away 
.
i wish they would have done a better job explaining everything in a way thats not so convoluted. and whats up with the lawless frontier game mode? feels like a bunch of disconnected missions rather than an actual immersive experience 
overall, im just meh about renegades atm 
! Working closely with Drifter and his crew really brings the story to life. But, man, those core systems? Still got some kinks to work out 
. New players are gonna feel like they're trying to navigate a whole new game mode, which can be super frustrating 
. That being said, it's still Destiny at its best (or worst, depending on how you look at it) 
.
And don't even get me started on the Lawless Frontier. More like Lawless Pain