Highlights

  • Destiny 2's Final Shape campaign is a standout with emotional moments & deep character development.
  • Future episodes must focus on character growth and take big risks like Cayde-6's death.
  • Destiny 2's new episodic format needs to maintain player engagement by honing in on character narratives.

The following contains MAJOR spoilers for Destiny 2 's Final Shape campaign.

There have been several notable campaigns in Destiny 2, from Forsaken to The Witch Queen, each adding another layer to the game's overarching narrative and giving players a fresh drive to move forward. Now, Destiny 2's latest expansion is here with The Final Shape, and its campaign might be one of the best things to happen to the game since The Witch Queen. With some of Destiny 2's most emotional moments, the deepest dives into the game's familiar cast of characters, and an all-consuming threat looming over the horizon, The Final Shape's campaign is justifiably deemed the culmination of ten years of Destiny.

After The Final Shape, Destiny 2 will begin focusing on its new episodic format, which will see episodes regularly added every eighteen weeks. Each episode will be split into three six-week acts that together make up the larger narrative being added to the world of Destiny 2. Unfortunately, these episodes might have a tough time following The Final Shape's epic campaign, especially if they end up being more like Destiny 2's former seasons than something different altogether. As such, Destiny 2's episodes will need to ensure they do enough to hold players' attention throughout the year.

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Why Destiny 2: The Final Shape's Emphasis on the Guardian-Ghost Bond Matters More Than Ever

Destiny 2: The Final Shape brings Ghosts to an unprecedented role of prominence in its campaign, shedding light on the bond they share with Guardians.

How Destiny 2's Episodes Can Live Up to The Final Shape

Destiny 2's Episodes Need Plenty of Character Development

Destiny 2's Final Shape campaign gets a lot of things right, but the key takeaway is its thorough development of characters that have been around for the last ten years. For example, Cayde-6 hasn't just made a return as a bit of fan service. Instead, he is used as a catalyst for Crow's growth, who desires to make amends for killing Cayde as Uldren Sov in Forsaken. It is eventually revealed that Crow actually wished Cayde-6 back from the grave because of the immense guilt that plagued him, all thanks to Riven, and the campaign eventually sees the two fighting alongside one another in pursuit of The Witness. The Final Shape also doesn't neglect to dive more into Commander Zavala's past, exploring the grief of losing his son and his waning faith in The Traveler.

If Destiny 2's episodes hope to stand any chance at following The Final Shape, they shouldn't neglect the character development that makes the game's latest campaign shine. The Final Shape's epilogue briefly dives into other characters like Mithrax and Caiatl, so the upcoming episodes could do even more with those The Final Shape didn't have a chance to hone in on. This will ultimately give their stories more meaning to the overarching narrative of Destiny 2 and ensure players walk away remembering it.

Destiny 2's Episodes Can't Be Afraid to Take Big Risks

Another thing Destiny 2's episodes should consider doing is taking big risks. Bungie knew that killing off Cayde-6 in Forsaken would be a big risk, and it turns out it was, as the decision has divided the Destiny community ever since. Add to that the fact that Cayde-6 has now been resurrected in The Final Shape and those who believe the former Hunter Vanguard should have stayed dead are torn by his return. Despite Forsaken killing off a beloved character, it has gone down in history as one of Destiny 2's best expansions, second perhaps only to The Witch Queen and now possibly The Final Shape. This isn't all due to Cayde's death, but it certainly contributed.

Destiny 2's episodes shouldn't be afraid to take big risks, just as Forsaken and The Final Shape did with Cayde-6's death and resurrection, respectively. Another beloved friend meeting their end would undoubtedly be as big a risk as they come, but there are plenty of other ways each episode could take a leap of faith to try something Destiny 2 has never done before. This would all help ensure Dsetiny 2's episodes succeed beyond the standard that has now been set by The Final Shape.