Destiny 2 Forsaken Prince

The original Destiny was in a rough state before The Taken King swooped in and sorted out so many of its problems. The big expansion was the definition of a turning point for Bungie's shooter -- it laid the foundations for a much more enticing experience, and expanded upon the stuff that the game actually got right. With Destiny 2, it feels like we may be in that same situation all over again.

Destiny 2: Forsaken is certainly a Taken King-sized expansion. It features a relatively lengthy story, large new maps to explore, new co-op Strikes, and a truckload of new equipment. It also pushes a raft of welcome gameplay updates, and the result is a promising reintroduction to the world of Destiny.

Destiny 2 Forsaken Bow

Now we don't want to jump the gun and say that Forsaken is going to have the same impact as The Taken King -- it's still too early to tell. Heck, when Destiny 2 launched, we thought it was finally going to be smooth sailing for the series -- how wrong we were. But so far, Forsaken has that same feel. It's injected a bit of swagger back into Destiny 2, and we're being bombarded with new things to do every five minutes. It's pretty much how we'd like Destiny to feel a lot more often.

So, what are our big takeaways right now? Well, we know that the new combat bow weapon type is bloody brilliant. Bungie once again delivers a masterclass in shooter satisfaction, providing a fresh armament that feels deliciously deadly. Popping heads with one of these things is nothing short of glorious, and the developer's absolutely nailed the sensation of firing such a nimble weapon.

Destiny 2 Forksaken Patch

We've also been left impressed by the main story missions so far. The opening shootout through the old Prison of Elders sets the tone perfectly, and Cayde-6's unfortunate demise gives everything a bit of weight -- something that Destiny's storytelling has sorely lacked for a long time. Forsaken's aiming for a grittier, darker tone, and it's a surprisingly effective change of pace. Everything's slightly grimier, a little more morally grey. You're not just a hero defeating the -- yawn -- darkness, you're a rogue Guardian who'll stop at nothing to get revenge. It's a lot more fun, is what we're trying to say.

For the first time in months, Destiny 2 has truly grabbed our attention. Forsaken seems to offer so many new things, and all of them -- again, so far -- have delighted us. Should the same mistakes have been made with Destiny 2? Should they need to be fixed with a $40 expansion? No, definitely not, but we can only preview what's in front of us, and we're having a great time with the expansion. Let's just hope it stays that way.

Have you tried Destiny 2: Forsaken yet? What are your thoughts? Draw your shiny new bow in the comments section below.