Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris is a great addition to the core game, but small in scope. Read on.
The Curse of Osiris offers players new
enemies to battle, new zones to explore, and a look behind one of the
franchise’s most mysterious characters, the warlock Osiris. However,
there’s a lot of recycling going on, from expeditions that take you down
environments you’ve already exhausted and taking on mobs and gobs of
enemies you’ve already faced. Let’s be clear – the new stuff – from the
“retro” Vex, the concept/story behind the expansion, masterwork weapons,
and a sweet new raid experience (small and compact as it is), all works
well and is a great addition to the core game. But for players chomping
at the bit for more and more content after being perhaps a bit let down
at the offerings in the base game, this is a bite size snack that won’t
put a dent in that appetite.
The planet Mercury doesn’t have a lot to
explore once you punch out the associated story content. Discovering the
fate of Osiris and spending some quality time with his Ghost is fun and
you get to take on a few interesting challenges on the way, the
Infinite Forest with its semi-random properties and the incredibly tiny
lighthouse lose their charm quickly. It’s good stuff, it’s just over
real fast. Not surprising for a game that’s more focused on daily
activities and tasks, but it still feels a bit rushed.
With the expansion comes critical game
updates. Masterwork weapons give us something cool to chase after
instead of getting the exact same weapon over and over, and getting one
that fits your playstyle is extremely satisfying – the gear grind is
back, and it feels like it’s a big step forward toward achieving a more
consistent endgame that has players coming back every day, every night,
every week for new powerful options for their kit. Destiny 2 isn’t quite
there yet in this respect, but this is some reassurance that someday,
whether it’s in a content update or another expansion, that an
interesting and fair loot treadmill can provide the appropriate carrot
on a stick to keep players consistent.
Heroic adventures fall into the mix of
endgame activities players can engage in, and they are a much needed
boon toward the endgame. Much like masterwork weapons work for gear,
these are sort of a promise of future potential and a taste of
(hopefully) more to come.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
Reviewed for Xbox One