With brand new locations to explore and brand new activities, Destiny 2 offers players a staggering amount of things to see and do. But Bungie's first-person shooter certainly has some stand-out moments.
There are some events and missions that just stand a cut above the rest, taking players' breath away, giving them a heart-pumping jolt of adrenaline, and just giving everyone a reason to smile. Here are the eight best moments in Destiny 2.
*spoilers for Destiny 2's story campaign follow*
8 1. Witnessing the Tower's Destruction
Seeing the Tower get destroyed is a tremendous experience. Players must fight their way through the iconic location from the original Destiny as it falls to pieces around them.
While the fight to save the original Tower is in vain, it starts the game off right. The fact that some of the 'Homecoming' mission can be fought alongside other players is also impressive and highlights what the series is all about.
7 2. Meeting Failsafe
Few characters in Destiny 2 stand out quite like Failsafe, the Golden Age Computer Core that resides on the Exodus Black on Nessus. Sweet and helpful one moment and sarcastic and bitter the next, Failsafe is everybody's wise-cracking, computational BFF.
Failsafe is involved in a few of the game's activities, including one that sees Guardians go on a heart-breaking mission to look for her missing crew. But the AI shines in 'Looped,' where players have to rescue Cayde-6. Failsafe spends the majority of the mission suggesting that Cayde-6 is a useless idiot, an assertion that some Destiny 2 fans may agree with.
6 3. Getting to Drive a Tank in 'Payback'
Destiny 2 NPC Amanda Holliday features in the game a lot less compared to characters like Failsafe, but she makes her moments count. Specifically, she provides back-up in the Payback mission, flying in to gift Guardians with a tank.
With this tank, the mission becomes a playground, as players can missile Cabal to smithereens, not unlike what they did to the Tower. This incredibly cathartic mission is one of the game's most memorable moments.
5 4. Braving the Heat on The Almighty
1AU, the mission that sees players take out The Almighty ship, is a pretty spectacular mission for a lot of reasons. But one of the most iconic sections of the activity (and of Destiny 2 itself) is when players have to head outside, braving the extreme heat given off by the sun.
The heat and light will burn Guardians to a crisp if they aren't careful. So players must stick to the shade, battling enemies through the sun's rays to get back to safety.
4 5. Visiting the New Tower for the First Time
When Destiny 2's campaign is all said and done, it's time for players to reap the rewards. Namely, Guardians gain access to a brand new social space in the form of the rebuilt Tower.
While the Tower does contain plenty of fun Easter eggs, just being there is a gift enough. Visiting it for the first time is a unique experience as players get to see all of the other players who have also put a stop to the Cabal's destruction.
3 6. Completing Your Very First Heroic Public Event
Public Events are a great way to hoover up some additional loot, but it's the Heroic Public Events that test a player's mettle. While they aren't as organized as Destiny 2's other end-game events, they do require plenty of teamwork, and they aren't easy to complete either.
Heroic Public Events may be tough but the rewards are valuable and it's a good way for players to get used to the teamwork and coordination that the game so often asks of them.
2 7. Beating a Nightfall Strike With Seconds to Go
Nightfall Strikes are another example of Destiny 2 end-game fun, as players have a certain amount of time to complete a Strike, complete with modifiers that make it even more difficult to get the job done.
Nightfalls can be a grueling exercise in teamwork and time management which makes completing them with just seconds to go all the more thrilling. Securing a clutch victory with less than 30 seconds on the clock is enough to give even the most unphased players an exhilarating sense of relief.
1 8. Seeing the Scale of the Leviathan Raid
That map of the Leviathan Raid may have outlined just how large this end-game activity may be, but Destiny 2 players may not realize the sheer scale of it until they witness for themselves. Even the first, walkway section of the Leviathan Raid, with its stone-faced guards and its opulent color scheme, is an awe-inspiring experience. It quite literally is a grand entrance, in every sense of the phrase.
Bungie has plenty more plans for Destiny 2 in the coming months, from the Dawning holiday event to the game's DLC season pass add-ons. These will likely provide even more incredible, memorable moments but so far, the first-person shooter offers more than enough ways to keep players thoroughly entertained.