• Latest
  • Trending
Destiny 2: The Final Shape review

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Review – Bungie Plays It Safe for Nostalgia-Fueled Outing

Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning Review

‘Final Reckoning’ Nears $550 M While Budget Questions Linger

8 hours ago
Jon Watts The Fantastic Four

Jon Watts Explains Pandemic Fatigue Behind Fantastic Four Exit

8 hours ago
Love Island USA Hannah Fields

Inside the Vote That Sent Hannah Home—and Why Viewers Aren’t Over It

8 hours ago
Chicago P.D. Drops Toya Turner

Chicago P.D. Season 13 Starts Without Newest Detective as NBC Confirms Cast Cut

9 hours ago
Love Island USA Season 7 Review

Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

The Carters Hurts to Love You Review

The Carters: Hurts to Love You Review: Angel Carter’s Courageous Testament to Surviving Family Dysfunction

Rematch Review

Rematch Review: Sloclap’s Ambitious Football Experiment Falls Short of Goals

Got to Get Out Review

Got to Get Out Review: The Most Interesting Broken Game on Television

The Bear Season 4 Review

The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

Scarlett Johansson

Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Share Viral Kiss as Dinosaur Franchise Roars Back

21 hours ago
Sovereign

Offerman’s Radical Turn Powers July Thriller Sovereign

21 hours ago
Brokeback Mountain

Eastwood Anecdote Reopens Debate Over Brokeback Mountain’s Oscar Upset

21 hours ago
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Gazettely Review Guidelines
Friday, June 27, 2025
GAZETTELY
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning Review

    ‘Final Reckoning’ Nears $550 M While Budget Questions Linger

    Love Island USA Hannah Fields

    Inside the Vote That Sent Hannah Home—and Why Viewers Aren’t Over It

    Chicago P.D. Drops Toya Turner

    Chicago P.D. Season 13 Starts Without Newest Detective as NBC Confirms Cast Cut

    Scarlett Johansson

    Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Share Viral Kiss as Dinosaur Franchise Roars Back

    Sovereign

    Offerman’s Radical Turn Powers July Thriller Sovereign

    Brokeback Mountain

    Eastwood Anecdote Reopens Debate Over Brokeback Mountain’s Oscar Upset

    MasterChef

    Sri Lanka Fires Up Its First MasterChef as ITN Takes Format into 71st Territory

    Low Life

    Disney+ Dives Into 1970s Treasure Hunt With K-Drama Low Life

    Denis Villeneuve

    Denis Villeneuve Takes the Helm of Bond 26 in Amazon’s Franchise Reboot

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Jon Watts The Fantastic Four

    Jon Watts Explains Pandemic Fatigue Behind Fantastic Four Exit

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

    The Carters Hurts to Love You Review

    The Carters: Hurts to Love You Review: Angel Carter’s Courageous Testament to Surviving Family Dysfunction

    Got to Get Out Review

    Got to Get Out Review: The Most Interesting Broken Game on Television

    The Bear Season 4 Review

    The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

    Daydreamers Review

    Daydreamers Review: Saigon’s Stylish But Stumbling Vampires

    Most People Die On Sundays Review

    Most People Die On Sundays Review: Resisting the Cathartic Release

    Surviving Ohio State Review

    Surviving Ohio State Review: The Weight of Witness

    Countdown Season 1 Review

    Countdown Season 1 Review: Assembling the Parts of a Soulless Machine

  • Game Reviews
    Rematch Review

    Rematch Review: Sloclap’s Ambitious Football Experiment Falls Short of Goals

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review: Forging a Path Through the Past

    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movie and TV News
    Mission Impossible - The Final Reckoning Review

    ‘Final Reckoning’ Nears $550 M While Budget Questions Linger

    Love Island USA Hannah Fields

    Inside the Vote That Sent Hannah Home—and Why Viewers Aren’t Over It

    Chicago P.D. Drops Toya Turner

    Chicago P.D. Season 13 Starts Without Newest Detective as NBC Confirms Cast Cut

    Scarlett Johansson

    Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey Share Viral Kiss as Dinosaur Franchise Roars Back

    Sovereign

    Offerman’s Radical Turn Powers July Thriller Sovereign

    Brokeback Mountain

    Eastwood Anecdote Reopens Debate Over Brokeback Mountain’s Oscar Upset

    MasterChef

    Sri Lanka Fires Up Its First MasterChef as ITN Takes Format into 71st Territory

    Low Life

    Disney+ Dives Into 1970s Treasure Hunt With K-Drama Low Life

    Denis Villeneuve

    Denis Villeneuve Takes the Helm of Bond 26 in Amazon’s Franchise Reboot

  • Movie and TV Reviews
    Jon Watts The Fantastic Four

    Jon Watts Explains Pandemic Fatigue Behind Fantastic Four Exit

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review

    Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

    The Carters Hurts to Love You Review

    The Carters: Hurts to Love You Review: Angel Carter’s Courageous Testament to Surviving Family Dysfunction

    Got to Get Out Review

    Got to Get Out Review: The Most Interesting Broken Game on Television

    The Bear Season 4 Review

    The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

    Daydreamers Review

    Daydreamers Review: Saigon’s Stylish But Stumbling Vampires

    Most People Die On Sundays Review

    Most People Die On Sundays Review: Resisting the Cathartic Release

    Surviving Ohio State Review

    Surviving Ohio State Review: The Weight of Witness

    Countdown Season 1 Review

    Countdown Season 1 Review: Assembling the Parts of a Soulless Machine

  • Game Reviews
    Rematch Review

    Rematch Review: Sloclap’s Ambitious Football Experiment Falls Short of Goals

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review

    Chronicles of the Wolf Review: Forging a Path Through the Past

    JDM Japanese Drift Master Review

    JDM: Japanese Drift Master Review – When Mechanics Meet Manga

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review

    Blood Bar Tycoon Review: A Bloody Good Idea, Poorly Executed

    Ghost Frequency Review

    Ghost Frequency Review: All Atmosphere, No Conclusion

    Death Stranding 2 On the Beach Review 1

    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review – Kojima’s Outback Odyssey

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review

    RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Review: The Detective Who Couldn’t Investigate

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review

    Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest Review – Revisiting a Sunken Legacy

    TRON: Catalyst Review

    TRON: Catalyst Review: More Style Than Substance

  • The Bests
No Result
View All Result
GAZETTELY
No Result
View All Result
Destiny 2: The Final Shape review

Big Boys Review: Supporting Lives We Don't Often Witness

Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter Review: Victim Voices Rise Above a Murky Narrative

Home Games Reviews Games

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Review – Bungie Plays It Safe for Nostalgia-Fueled Outing

Bungie has always dazzled visually, but The Final Shape's script stumbles as much as it stands out. Relying on fan service eclipses the risks needed to fuel potential new players' passion.

Naser Nahandian by Naser Nahandian
1 year ago
in Games, PC Games, PlayStation, Reviews Games, Xbox
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on PinterestShare on WhatsAppShare on Telegram

For over a decade now, fans have followed Guardian’s epic adventures across the universe. From ancient planets and mysterious moons to enemy bases and ascendant realms, Destiny’s science fiction world has enthralled. Through eight expansions and seasonal stories, players witnessed humanity’s battle against formidable foes while exploring fascinating sci-fi mysteries. Now at last, Bungie brings this first saga to its conclusion with Destiny 2: The Final Shape.

Within the expansion, Guardians journey to the Traveler’s inner realm—a surreal landscape comprised of places visited before. It’s here that they face the long-teasing Witness, who threatens to reorder the very fabric of reality. With such high stakes, excitement was high. Yet upon entering, some felt a nagging sense of familiarity, like a favorite vintage shirt grown thin. While visuals delighted as always, mechanics showed their age, and story beats followed patterns.

This is not to say that Final Shape lacks sparkle entirely. Moments surprise, and characters connect as ever. Its prismatic class also shakes up abilities in fresh ways. However, too much relies on the tried, sometimes to the detriment of innovation and surprise. For dedicated fans who stuck through ups and downs, Final Shape gives an enjoyable action-packed ride but may leave wishing Destiny’s epic tale rewrote its finale with courage to challenge creative boundaries one last time.

The Inner Traveler

Entering the Traveler brought both wonder and worry. Wonder at its surreal landscapes, torn from fond memories and stitched into a new world within the old space god. Worry, though, as familiar faces returned with troubles following.

Cayde, for one, was a welcome sight, his spirit lifted by Nathan Fillion’s voice once more. Wit and warmth as ever, and brightness when needed most. Others came with less cheer. Zavala seemed strained, and Ikora aggravated, both feeling further from their true selves. As places passed, mirroring moments past, echoes of errors left tensions rising anew.

Journey’s end grew nearer, with an old enemy expected yet still unsatisfying. Malevolent masses given motive proved too mechanical, wants too plain compared to patience paid. Grandstands got busy, rather than answers being offered after eons of waiting. Resolutions arrived swiftly, solutions simple when complexity could’ve repaid dedication.

Climaxes can’t appease characters if they act out of character. Actions must align with what’s been established, or else interest isn’t piqued; it’s pitied. Potentially perfect pages were plagued, as was this player, by predictable plot points that felt programmed more than passionately penned. Players, like travelers, want wonder without worry—lives filled with lively people and purposeful places. For this final flight, familiar faces felt flat, and the best was brought back just to be borrowed once more.

Our Powers Unleashed

In Destiny 2: The Final Shape, Bungie has peeled back restrictions on Guardian abilities like never before. We are no longer confined to a single elemental path for our classes but can now freely blend techniques from each. This philosophical system encourages experimentation as we seek out synergies between distant elements. Through novel combinations, we find new strengths, and insurmountable challenges help us hone untapped powers.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Review

As our Guardian walks the twisting paths within the Traveler, a mysterious force tugs at their light. An ethereal meter balances between two extremes: one pole anchors us in the familiar virtues of solar and arc, while the other beckons with a dark allure. When aligned in full, balance unleashes potential beyond our wildest imaginings. In those frenzied moments, ability and weapon become one, complementing partners in a cosmic dance.

Yet progress is hard-won against cunning foes. Shielded enemies force disruption to planned strategies with prismatic barriers impervious to raw violence. Their protection shields can only break under the harmonized song of discordant forces singing in unison. Creative solutions must be found to weave together fire and frost, electricity and gravity, into a cohesive melody strong enough to pierce any defenses.

Destiny always expands our reach, though not without cost. New horizons open only through toil; comfort is relinquished for hardship that seeds deeper knowledge. Within uncertainty lies opportunity, if we accept each challenge’s lessons. And so The Final Shape trains us to wield Light and Dark as one, molding experience into might through struggles against far-flung galaxies’ most sinister evils. By the storm’s end, our powers will be truly unleashed.

Traveler’s Vistas Bring Nostalgia and Wonder

Venturing deep inside the Traveler treats players to vistas like none other. Environmental artists outdid themselves by crafting surreal forests and gloomy tunnels that lurk in endless corridors. Gorgeous beyond belief, these fantastical realms immerse fully.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Review

Memories become terrain in thoughtful ways. Visiting Destiny 1’s Tower, bright with plant life, evokes fondness for a simpler era. Roaming Io, where the Traveler last stopped before humanity’s fall, awakens recollection. Designers balance nostalgia beautifully, tempering recollection with uncanny edges hinting at the witness’s influence.

Each mission receives care to suit its story. Fights happening where characters first formed foster connections to struggles seen through new lenses. Bosses facing off among cherished scenery strengthen stakes. Levels flow naturally from plot points, avoiding contrivances that yank players elsewhere mid-scene.

Post-campaign, landscape connectivity suffers some. Locales crafted for singular purposes lack wider context alone. While splendid individually, pieces together compose scatters hotly without the main plot linking them. Further narrative fleshing out these remains might remedy this and grant reason to revisit freely once the book is closed. Yet for the story being told within, environments enthrall and transport successfully.

Enter The Traveler’s Core

What marvels await within the great sphere? Despite some technical troubles along the way, the journey proves worthwhile for those with patience and light to guide their way.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Review

Textures come in varying levels of detail as environments shift and change between nostalgic familiarity and unearthly mystery. Though jarring at times, these were but minor blemishes amid otherwise breathtaking vistas better suited to artwork than gameplay. More frustrating were connection issues blocking campaign progress, yet these proved temporary and but one story in a larger tale of adventure and victory over darkness.

While graphics dazzle, fluid visuals flow, and prismatic abilities empower, players sense the wear of technology against times’ tests. Yet what matter design limits against the heart’s desires? Within, challenges suit abilities gained through past battles as old faces meet and familiar dances weave anew, refreshed purpose driving foot and fist as surely as fading suns fuel renewal’s promise come the morning.

Trials may try skills and tools alike, but where light guides, obstacles become not bars to bars but steps to see more clearly paths ahead, unseen vistas lighting hope that beyond what’s known, more wonders may yet be.

For all limiations’ noted faults, dreams drive ever on. Through struggle and beauty shared in kind, stories live that feed our souls and lift our sights to mysteries that last beyond all platforms’ mortal spells. What starts in one place matters less than where it leads—not graphics’ quality but quality of days. So journey on and see what more this tale will show!

Evaluating Destiny 2’s Epic Finale

While The Final Shape wraps up an important saga, the future remains uncertain. Bungie aims to continue exploring this rich universe, but keeping audiences invested poses new challenges.

Destiny 2: The Final Shape Review

On one hand, the campaign excels at crowd-pleasing nostalgia. Generations of guardians will grin at long-lost places resurfacing within the Traveler. Beauty like this shows the artists’ mastery, recreating iconic spots in dazzling new ways. Yet relying so heavily on the past also feels restrictive. With each visit to familiar locations comes an itch for wholly original worlds.

The story, too, leaves threads unraveled. Answers provide closure, yet they spawn questions. Resolving major arcs satisfies, but prolonging others risks convoluting the plot. Live service models thrive on ongoing intrigue, yet constant cliffhangers risk weariness if novelty does not emerge. Only time will tell if mystery or conclusion proves best for the long haul.

Of course, the gunplay alone might sustain the franchise for years. Destroying foes through skill remains a joy; mechanics are smooth as silk. But even the finest shooting grows stale without a compelling purpose driving the action. On this edge, destiny balances, as all virtual worlds must, between respecting legacy and birthing legacy.

Overall, The Final Shape delivers a blockbuster finale befitting the saga’s scale. Yet in the beginning a new phase, difficulty also begins. By honoring the past, does the future get charted? Or will new horizons expand the palette sufficiently? For a universe so rich, the limits feel exciting to ponder. With the shape of things unknown, all possibilities remain.

The Review

Destiny 2: The Final Shape

7 Score

While Destiny 2: The Final Shape features breathtaking environments and slick combat, its reliance on nostalgia and an uneven narrative hold it back from greatness. However, Bungie's passion for this universe still shines through. For dedicated fans, this expansion delivers a blockbuster conclusion to an epic saga, making it a satisfactory finale if not a new beginning.

PROS

  • Breathtaking visuals and environments
  • Fun, engaging combat mechanics
  • Satisfying conclusion to the 10-year storyline
  • Fan service and nostalgia for returning players

CONS

  • Overreliance on nostalgia and familiar mechanics
  • Uneven, predictable storyline
  • Fails to take risks or feel wholly original
  • Shortcomings of aging engines and technology

Review Breakdown

  • Overall 0
Tags: Bungie Inc.DestinyDestiny 2: The Final ShapeJosh MosserMichael SalvatoriMichael SechristPieter SchlosserSkye Lewin
Previous Post

Big Boys Review: Supporting Lives We Don’t Often Witness

Next Post

Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter Review: Victim Voices Rise Above a Murky Narrative

Try AI Movie Recommender

Gazettely AI Movie Recommender

This Week's Top Reads

  • Alma and the Wolf Review

    Alma and the Wolf Review: Ethan Embry Shines in a Flawed Fever Dream

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Boglands Review: Shadows and Whispers in the Irish Mist

    2 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Marshmallow Review: These Woods Hide Unexpected Secrets

    4 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Smoke Review: The Year’s Most Unpredictable and Unsettling Show

    7 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mix Tape Review: A Story Told on Two Sides of a Cassette

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Outrageous Season 1 Review: Champagne and Cyanide

    1 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Art Detectives Review: The Case of the Brilliant Man and the Underwritten Woman

    195 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Must Read Articles

Love Island USA Season 7 Review
Entertainment

Love Island USA Season 7 Review: Summer’s Hottest Guilty Pleasure Returns

9 hours ago
The Bear Season 4 Review
Entertainment

The Bear Season 4 Review: A Contemplative, Cathartic Final Course

18 hours ago
Surviving Ohio State Review
Movies

Surviving Ohio State Review: The Weight of Witness

23 hours ago
Countdown Season 1 Review
TV Shows

Countdown Season 1 Review: Assembling the Parts of a Soulless Machine

24 hours ago
M3GAN 2.0 Review
Entertainment

M3GAN 2.0 Review: When Silicon Valley Nightmares Meet Summer Blockbuster Ambitions

1 day ago
Loading poll ...
Coming Soon
Who is the best director in the horror thriller genre?

Gazettely is your go-to destination for all things gaming, movies, and TV. With fresh reviews, trending articles, and editor picks, we help you stay informed and entertained.

© 2021-2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

What’s Inside

  • Movie & TV Reviews
  • Game Reviews
  • Featured Articles
  • Latest News
  • Editorial Picks

Quick Links

  • Home
  • About US
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Review Guidelines

Follow Us

Facebook X-twitter Youtube Instagram
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Movies
  • Entertainment News
  • Movie and TV Reviews
  • TV Shows
  • Game News
  • Game Reviews
  • Contact Us

© 2024 All Rights Reserved for Gazettely

Go to mobile version