Destiny 2 has been out for about a week. There are still plenty of secrets to uncover and stories to tell, but we’re starting to get a better idea of the information we wished we had at the onset of the Destiny 2 campaign. So we’ve put together a beginner’s guide for Bungie’s latest shared-world shooter, in hopes of making others’ journey to level 20 even more painless than our own.
Destiny 2 has great in-game tutorials, but much of the information below was never directly communicated to players. We’ve also included a few helpful reminders for players with MMO experience to help avoid some of the pitfalls we discovered along the way.
Equip The Rainbow
It’s easy to get caught up in the rarity of your equipment, but that isn’t really important until late game. Early on, ou’re not going to know how to make the most of the various perks and abilities bestowed by some gear. Just focus on keeping your strongest weapons and armor equipped, to raise your power level, and don’t worry about whether the icon is blue, green, purple or yellow.
Cover Is Key
Destiny 2 isn’t technically a cover shooter, but cover is definitely key to success. So much so that Titans can build temporary barriers anytime they’re standing on solid ground. You don’t always have to be standing behind cover, but you should always have some idea of where you’ll retreat to if/when the situation begins to deteriorate.
Pay Attention To Shield Colors
Destiny 2 does an admirable job of teaching you the intricacies of late-game firefights. But we don’t recall the game ever getting into the nitty-gritty of its color-coded shield system. Be sure to use energy and power weapons with damage types that match your opponent’s shield color. By doing so, you’ll deal more damage to the enemy in question and deal a bit of damage to surrounding forces when the shield bursts.
Infusion Is Your Friend
You’ll accrue exotic equipment much faster in Destiny 2 , but don’t break exotic items when your growing power level begins to make them feel a bit weak. Just infuse them -- via the Details screen -- with a more powerful weapon (of the same type) that you aren’t as fond of. I’ve bolstered my Graviton Lance from 105 (its starting level) all the way up to 265 by infusing it with other pulse rifles that I’ve stumbled across during my journey. Infusions aren’t free. They cost a bit of glimmer and a few legendary shards (only one if you’re dismantling a legendary item) but it’s well worth it to keep your favorite gear relevant throughout the life of your Guardian
Get Lost From Time To Time
Bungie made it absurdly easy to hop from one activity to the next in Destiny 2 , with no shortage of onscreen icons to shepherd players back and forth. But sometimes it pays to get lost. There’s plenty to do in Destiny 2 that isn’t tied directly to the campaign. Adventures, Lost Sectors and Patrols all provide players with other activities to complete, along with some decent rewards for doing so. All three activities are great ways to engage with Destiny 2 , when you feel like taking a break from the campaign and/or Crucible, and can help you make progress on a variety of goals -- from daily Challenges to faction reputation rewards -- in short periods of time.
Save Reputation Tokens For Level 20
If you’ve spent more than an hour or two playing Destiny 2 , you’ve probably noticed a growing number of faction-specific items (like EDZ Tokens or Dusklight Shards) in your inventory. While it can be tempting to begin turning them in now, especially since engrams grow with you, we’d suggest stockpiling your reputation items until level 20. Growing your power level past 200 is quite a slog and having a few (or a few dozen) purple engrams to crack open when you hit the level cap will make it much easier to get geared for Nightfall strikes and the Leviathan raid.
Hoard Your Leftover Gear
Every Guardian gets a Vault once they reach the Farm. But few actually use it before reaching the endgame, when the exotic grind begins. We suggest using your vault to hoard unwanted rare and legendary items. Several quests for exotic gear, unlocked at the end of the game, call for the dismantling of equipment. They’ll be much easier to finish if you already have a small stash of equipment you’re happy to destroy. The same goes for legendary and exotic engrams you can afford to let sit for a little while.
Other Tips
It’s OK to have a favorite gun, but don’t hesitate to swap to one that would better fit a situation you’re struggling with. You can always switch back when the fight is over.
Pressing Start+Touchpad (+ Select on XB1) instantly brings up the map screen
Hold down the trigger after firing some grenade launchers to “cook” the explosive (check perks on Details screen).
Check your Vault after finishing the campaign for any pre-order bonuses you haven’t already collected.
Challenges reset daily. So make sure to finish the ones you start before logging off for the day.
The treasure maps sold by Cayde-6 reveal different loot than the randomly-spawned and Regional chests spread throughout each patrol zone.
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Destiny 2 is currently available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game hits PC on Oct. 24.
Be sure to check back with Player.One and follow Scott on Twitter for more Destiny 2 news in 2017 and however long Bungie supports Destiny 2 in the years ahead.
