What is going on?

For the reason that launch of Future 2, many questions within the house shooter’s lore historical past have been answered, however many extra have been equally opened. Sadly, it appears that evidently Bungie has struggled to regulate to its “new” launch schedule, with Lightfall supposed initially to be the closing chapter of the “Mild and Darkish saga” — a story which has been ongoing for the reason that launch of the unique Future in 2014.

Because it now stands, this saga is anticipated to finish someday in 2024 with the discharge of the closing growth The Last Form concluding the story’s 10-year span of content material. With so many questions left to reply, does this negatively affect our expertise of Lightfall? Briefly sure, but additionally no.

Future 2: Lightfall (PC [reviewed], PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Collection X)
Developer: Bungie
Writer: Bungie
Launched: February 28, 2023
MSRP: $49.99 / $99.99 for Lightfall + Annual Go

Future 2: Lightfall is the seventh growth of Future 2 and the eleventh growth within the Future franchise. It follows the story of “The Witness” who’s threatening the photo voltaic system, or Sol, the Final Metropolis, which is the one remaining secure house for humanity, and “The Traveler”, which is a mysterious large sphere related to the Mild. Assisted by its latest Disciple, Emperor Calus, The Witness hopes to trigger a second collapse and destroy humanity for good. However first, it should discover a mysterious object referred to as the Veil.

Lightfall opens with a chaotic cutscene that sees a number of the Vanguard reminiscent of Saint-14, Amanda Holliday, and others racing by way of the sky in ships, making an attempt to battle off the Witness’ fleet of pyramids that surrounds the Traveler. With a mere flick of its wrist, the Witness decimated a Guardian and their Ghost, in addition to sending out a shockwave to destroy a number of ships dotted by way of the sky. Seeing the carnage, the Traveler fired an enormous beam of Mild on the pyramid ships and the Witness.

This terraformed all surfaces it touched however didn’t have an effect on the Witness who floated by way of the beam untouched. The Witness then connects mentally with the Traveler and unveils its secrets and techniques together with the planet of Neptune and the hidden metropolis of Neomuna, which homes the Veil. The Witness calls upon its latest disciple, Calus, for support and Osiris begins to grasp what the Witness has seen. He orders the Vanguard to Neptune to defend Neomuna and work with its leaders, the Cloud Striders, to guard the Veil.

Coping with historical past

Your first responsibility as a Guardian is to hijack an enemy ship and set it to self-destruct earlier than quickly exiting with Osiris. Throughout this mission, we discover ourselves nose to nose with a terrifying new enemy, a Tormentor. Because it grabs me, limiting my motion and making use of a suppressing impact to all my skills I’m genuinely petrified of this new creature. I spend the remainder of the marketing campaign on edge, ready for extra to seem, and so they do. Bungie has balanced the Tormentor appearances so properly that I’m by no means fairly positive when one will flip up, and once they do, it’s all the time horrific. Studying their uncovered weak point areas and coping with them effectively as a fireteam is paramount to survival, and they’re the most effective new additions to Future 2.

As we progress by way of the occasions of Lightfall we will’t assist however assume that this should really feel very alienating to new gamers. There’s lots of lore, some defined and a few not. What’s the Veil? Nicely, nobody appears to know precisely. Future has all the time targeted on storytelling, worldbuilding, historical past, and complicated relationships, all of that are troublesome to maintain up with even for die-hard followers of the sport. It seems that the Veil, an object of paracausal energy, has been hidden in Neomuna for the reason that first Collapse, and Savathun, The Witch Queen‘s protagonist, is liable for hiding it. The Witness sends Calus to Neptune to search out it and arrange a hyperlink between it and the Traveler.

The Witness and Calus initially supposed to make use of one thing referred to as the Radial Mast to attach with the Veil, though nothing about what this really is or the way it got here to exist is defined which is greater than  a little bit irritating. Regardless, we quickly discover ourselves in a room preventing off large tanks, Calus’ Shadow Legion forces, and making an attempt to destroy the Radial Mast to stop the Witness from making this connection.

Wielding new powers of Darkness

All through the marketing campaign, which is out there at both regular or legendary issue, we’re launched to Strand, the brand new Darkness subclass. Utilizing Strand, Guardians can grapple by way of the air, hooking onto enemies earlier than slamming down on them inflicting them to blow up. Strand presents Guardians with excessive mobility and while the brand new subclass can take a while to familiarize yourself with, when it clicks it’s extremely satisfying. Osiris is your trainer as you discover ways to wield Strand and a troublesome train in studying how you can greatest make the most of Strand within the marketing campaign is repurposed within the actions accessible after its completion within the type of a time trial.

The construct crafting overhaul featured in Future 2: Lightfall signifies that it’s easier than ever to search out one thing that works exceptionally properly, and by day two I had already created a Strand Hunter construct that might nearly infinitely droop teams of enemies, rendering them helpless to my relentless bullet fireplace. Defeating these suspended enemies spawns Tangles which might be shot to trigger a blast radius of harm or thrown for the same impact. Strand is just not constructed to depend on one or two skills to trigger big injury, however somewhat to wield the battlefield to your benefit, stringing a sequence of results collectively to devastating results. While you notice this, it turns into one of many strongest subclasses within the recreation.

Neomuna, the lifeless metropolis

Touchdown on Neomuna for the primary time is awe-inspiring. Its neon-draped streets are essentially the most fashionable Future has ever regarded nevertheless it’s deathly quiet. Because the Cloud Strider Nimbus explains, all of its residents have uploaded themselves to a metaverse of kinds. Of their place are some fragmented yellow figures — at first I assumed this was some kind of bizarre futuristic grass, however no, they’re imagined to characterize Neomuna’s inhabitants.

Nimbus is a shiny, generally clumsy, typically goofy new character. They start the marketing campaign as Rohan’s protege and finish it because the protector of Neomuna. Nimbus might be used to supply context and story across the Veil and Neomuna however they only… don’t. Having mentioned that, their voice actor is each incredible and fascinating and I’ve nothing however reward for them.

I’m an avid Future 2 fan, I play nearly each day with my clan, and I’m struggling to see how this growth would usher in new gamers. And even then, will mentioned newcomers keep past the marketing campaign to find what the Veil is, what the Witness does subsequent, and the way this decade-long saga will come to an finish in 2024? I wouldn’t blame anybody that doesn’t. Personally, nevertheless, I undoubtedly must see the tip of this saga.

Previous to Lightfall, I felt Future was at its strongest level ever. The narrative was distinctive, the character growth was unmatched by some other FPS, and the long run appeared each terrifying and wildly thrilling. After Lightfall, I’m nonetheless intrigued to see what occurs subsequent, however I believe that lies solely with my hundreds of logged hours and private emotional funding that will not exist for brand new gamers. There’s a lot potential in Future for newcomers, nevertheless it isn’t simple to search out, and Bungie typically doesn’t assist them alongside the best way.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}