Because Destiny 2 is a looter-shooter, one of the greatest challenges for Bungie has been making content both engaging if played in a loop and rewarding at all levels of skill. Many of Destiny 2's Seasons introduce mechanics and activities that aim to do that, trying to hit a balance between quantity and quality of loot and a fun experience. The prime example of this logic is the seasonal content from Season of Opulence, which introduced an activity called Menagerie to Destiny 2 where players would encounter lots of enemies per run and get to pick the loot they wanted.
This approach is something Bungie tried to replicate in many ways since Season of Opulence ended, but Menagerie couldn't stay in the game as it was. Something similar was created with Destiny 2's Umbral Engrams that had several decoding options for players to choose from, making it so just playing the game would be rewarding. With the 30th Anniversary Pack that launched yesterday, Destiny 2 finally found the perfect balance of great loot and diverse, fun gameplay that it needed after Menagerie, perfecting the formula with the new activity Dares of Eternity.
Why Destiny 2's Dares of Eternity is so Successful
Destiny 2's Dares of Eternity begins as a sort of game show, with Xur and Starhorse (the popular equine that has been taking over social media) being hosts and players the participants. When entering Dares of Eternity it's very clear from the start that Bungie has put a lot of love into building a vibrant new activity referencing Destiny 2 memes while offering plenty of interesting mechanics. There is a certain allure to Dares of Eternity that tempts players to play one more round.
Dares of Eternity is good because it also features plenty of secrets, with the map itself requiring players to look at things from a different angle, play with heights, and discover new things. The encounters are randomized between a few different enemy types, and no run is exactly the same, taking players up against old acquaintances from the franchise's past like the Hive Prince Crota. Destiny 2's seasonal activities have tried to be more like Menagerie, but they either lacked enemy density, interesting mechanics, or good loot. Dares of Eternity has all three.
The activity itself is more or less rewarding depending on what difficulty people play on, with Legend Dares of Eternity being significantly more challenging but also potentially much more rewarding. Players can run into Lightning Rounds at the end of the activity, making them fight for zone control against powerful enemies. Completing this bonus encounter rewards players with three loot chests that can all drop new weapons, armor pieces with great rolls, and Strange Coins to use on Starhorse's bounties for even more loot.
At the end of the activity, Destiny 2 players also get Treasure Keys, which they can use to get weapons or other great goods. They also have agency over what they can get depending on their Dares of Eternity reputation rank. The overall system is made in a way that rewards players the more they play, but also the more they risk with their bounties and the activity puzzles. Dares of Eternity is now one of the most enjoyable pieces of content in Destiny 2, and luckily it's also free to play for everyone.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.