Destiny 2 Forsaken Preview: Riot in the Prison of Elders

On a recent trip to Seattle, I had a chance to mark something off my bucket list: spend some quality time at Bungie. While I spent the day playing Destiny 2 Forsaken and I have a bunch of things to discuss and videos to share, this first post will consist of only impressions from the first mission. I won’t be discussing any spoilers except the big one: the death of our beloved Hunter Vanguard. That said, Cayde-6’s death is hardly a surprise at this point so feel free to read on knowing you’re safe from the one enemy more dastardly than the fabled Architects: spoilers.

Forsaken‘s first mission, Prison Break, takes place in a location those of us who’ve played the original Destiny are quite familiar with: The Prison of Elders. Now, some of you may be thinking — like I was — that this isn’t a big deal because we’ve seen the location already thanks to House of Wolves. Well, what we’ve seen previously is but a drop in the ocean. The PoE is enormous; the prison riot we’re there to help stop is at least equal in scale and insanity. Seriously, we have seen some sh*t in Destiny‘s last four years, but this mission leaves an impression, jam-packed with all sorts of unsavoury types.

The combination of all the main enemy types that have deserved a stomping since Ghost uttered the words “Eyes up, Guardian” give the first mission a real ‘greatest hits’ quality. Obviously, the enemy races don’t all get along, so you can pick a few off in the chaos while they are all fighting each other in a total free-for-all. Think of it like a crazy version of the ‘enemy is moving against each other’ destination event but set in a sci-fi prison filled with monstrosities. Top it all off with your sidekick, the charismatic robot cowboy whose time is running short, and Prison Break astounds.

It’s really a crazy feeling to be making your way through this excitement knowing what’s to come. Imagine if an action movie was capable of subtly being able to make you feel emotional while experiencing the thrill of mandatory explosions. There’s a lot here that feels familiar but you can never shake the fear and anticipation of what’s coming.

Shanks whizz by you, almost knocking you down; weapons and cannons fire from every direction and you’re right in the middle of it all with a lot on your mind. It’s fun and crazy but the whole time you know something terrible is about to happen. Everything’s about to go and there’s nothing you can do to stop it — so you just try to enjoy the ride and make the best of this last hoorah.

And what a send-off Prison Break is. This is Cayde-6 at his best, during his final hour. There’s no holding back — even with the sense of impending doom, Cayde is having fun until the very end. Forsaken‘s first mission is light and funny right up until it’s not, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Prison of Elders is cool, its music is amazing and everything holds up to the quality we have come to expect from Destiny (down so some standard Destiny tropes that have been thrown in). There’s very little sneaking around with this mission; when Cayde does something, he does it loud and makes a show if it. For this one last time, Cayde allows himself a partner; you finally get to come along for the ride. Strap yourself in for an emotional rollercoaster tomorrow — kick some ass and try not to cry.

Destiny 2 Forsaken unlocks at 3.00 am AEST on 5 September on Windows PC, Xbox One and PS4 here in Australia.

Shane Wall was flown to Bungie HQ by Activision Blizzard in order to play Destiny 2 Forsaken early. Accommodation and meals were also covered by the publisher. Says Shane, “I want to say a huge thanks to Activision for sending me to Bungie for this opportunity and another one to all the staff at Bungie for hosting a great event, especially Deej, who went out of his way to help me put something special together for a friend, purely because he’s an awesome guy. I have no idea what we did to deserve you Deej; never change.”