Destiny 2: Shadowkeep Critic Reviews

Destiny 2 has never felt, looked, or been in a better spot than it is with Shadowkeep. This is not only the most accessible Destiny has ever been, but with the introduction of New Light, it is also more in-depth than ever with a new focus on hardcore players. Shadowkeep is an elegant blend of nostalgia mixed with the discovery of a new direction for the universe of Destiny. If you have ever been on the fence about Destiny, it's a perfect time to try.

If you were ever curious about Destiny 2, Shadowkeep is the perfect entry point. If you are a reneged player that struggled with content doubts, there’s no better time to come back. And if you are neither of the aforementioned, you probably should be. Shadowkeep is everything every player wanted from Destiny 2, and in true Bungie fashion, it was delivered with a bang – which presumably emanated from the servers as they exploded on launch night.

Bungie's latest release is a good expansion on its own, but the way it sets the stage for the future of the Destiny franchise is its most impressive feat.

Shadowkeep isn’t cheap however and how much you put into it will determine how much you want to and will get out of it. The base game is $54.95 which for a stand alone expansion isn’t exactly cheap. The most value for money, based on what you can get out of it is actually the digital deluxe edition at $99.95. I think Destiny 2 is on the right path now that they’ve split from Activision. And I’ll be keenly watching their progress.

Shadowkeep sounds like a love letter to the fans. Lots of plot revelations, a beautiful moon to explore and many new challenges, this expansion has many qualities, despite a very short campaign.

Shadowkeep levels up Destiny to its best. It isn’t perfect, but there is more content than ever before and more options to enjoy it, and gameplay-wise still has no rival.

Shadowkeep is taking its first steps in a newly focused Destiny that might not offer a lot, but strongly delivers on what it does. While it's hard to say whether Bungie can maintain this promised trajectory for the course of the expansion, the signs so far are encouraging.

A good expansions that shines in its most difficult activities, but that does not offer enough content to keep the community engaged for a very long time. The new path taken by Bungie is very promising, though.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep is another solid expansion for Bungie's addictive looter shooter. It's a mixed bag, building on the solid foundations of Destiny 2: Forsaken with some ideas working better than others. This is a new era for Bungie though, with an ambitious vision of a game that's constantly evolving from week to week, and the first glimpses of this already giving me real optimism for its future.

Shadowkeep represents a shift in the fundamentals of Destiny 2, and that has only improved the game. Returning to the moon is full of spooky fun, and while Shadowkeep might not be as huge as Forsaken, it still provides some impressive additions to the world that will take time to fully explore. More meaningful choices in Shadowkeep are pushing me to think beyond just packing my most powerful guns and shooting everything in my path. These are improvements that represent a giant leap forward for Destiny 2.

Where Shadowkeep’s story will take us remains to be seen, but the inclusion of Destiny’s core mechanics in a brilliantly revamped location has reinvigorated Destiny 2 just as it was starting to get a little stale.

This expansion marks a sea change for the series, from one that keeps players begging for scraps to one that sets players up for a feast.

Destiny 2: Shadowkeep pulled me back in after two years away from my guardian with the promise of ever-evolving seasons and new content to play once more. The initial offering was very light on story and loot but I can only hope to see more content come in subsequent Shadowkeep seasons.

There's certainly enough new content here to keep fans interested. Shadowkeep's lunar surface is no Dreaming City, but it holds enough new surprises to make it worth checking out.

Shadowkeep drags out the well-known instead of delivering new impulses.

As of right now, Shadowkeep is a mix of hits and misses and feels a bit incomplete in certain areas. It does just enough though to keep the dedicated player invested while they wait for more content to trickle out throughout the year.

Shadowkeep is an expansion that’s brimming with potential that it’s actually poised to capitalize on. Its campaign may be a lukewarm retread through the franchise’s history, but the endgame loop is feeling more robust than ever. If the game’s first post-launch update is any indication, Shadowkeep promises a compelling reason to return to Destiny 2, putting more emphasis on world discovery than an endless loot grind.

The militancy that the now independent Bungie shows with Shadowkeep is promising for the future of Destiny 2. The new locations look beautiful as always and although the story of the expansion ends abruptly, Bungie shows that there is a clear vision for the next few years.

With the start of this new Destiny season, almost the entire game has been redesigned. That results in the most promising Destiny in years. Shadowkeep is primarily a content injection. Unfortunately, that content leans a little too much on recognizable Destiny missions and enemies.

Forsaken had a fantastic campaign that Shadowkeep doesn't quite match, but all of the enhancements for Year 3 of Destiny 2 help balance it all out.