Summary
Destiny 2’s new Prismatic subclass is undoubtedly one of the best features of the latest expansion, The Final Shape. With it, players can wield the powers of both the Light and the Darkness, using a unique combination of abilities from every subclass they’ve learned up to this point. Similarly toDragon’s Dogma 2’s Warfarer vocation,Destiny 2’s Prismatic subclass allows players to build a powerhouse of a Guardian, and these builds can grow even more powerful with the addition of the game’s new Exotic class items. However, to unlock the Prismatic subclass, players will first need to playThe Final Shape’s campaign, which sees them acquiring the subclass fairly early on.
Although players can unlock the new Prismatic subclass not too far into The Final Shape’s campaign, they won’t unlock every Prismatic Fragment automatically. Instead, they must venture off the beaten path many times throughout the campaign to find the missing Fragments and flesh out their Prismatic build. This is a new form of subclass progression forDestiny 2, and it’s already not a popular one. That being said, there is an undeniable benefit to it, even if the whole system initially seems to be a bit of a pain.
The Pros and Cons of Destiny 2: The Final Shape’s Prismatic Progression System
The Final Shape’s Prismatic Progression System Encourages Thorough Exploration
In The Final Shape, the subclass progression system is much different from what it has been before. In Lightfall, the expansion before The Final Shape, players couldunlock Fragments for their Strand subclassby earning Strand Meditations and spending them at the Pouka Pond. ForDestiny 2’s normal subclasses — Void, Solar, and Arc — players can visit Ikora Rey in the Tower and unlock those Fragments there. This is a very dependable system, as it simply requires players to obtain the resources necessary for purchasing the Fragments and then spend them on whichever Fragments they wish to unlock. UnlikeDestiny 2’s other subclasses, the Final Shape’s Prismatic Fragments require a bit of exploring.
As players progress through The Final Shape’s campaign, they will regularly come across opportunities to obtain more Fragments for their Prismatic subclass in special chests. These are often found after challenging encounters and boss fights, but others can only be found by looking in the most unlikely places. One Prismatic Fragment, for instance, is hidden in a crashed plane on the mountain duringthe Ascent mission in The Final Shape. Hiding the Fragments like this encourages players to explore the Pale Heart a bit more than they might initially think they should, and since the Pale Heart is more than worth exploring, this part of the Prismatic progression system works. Unfortunately, there is a downside.
It’s Possible to Finish The Final Shape’s Campaign Without All the Prismatic Fragments
The biggest issue with The Final Shape’s Prismatic progression system is that it’s possible to make it through the expansion’s campaign without all the Fragments for the Prismatic subclass. When players are first granted access to thePrismatic subclassduring the campaign, it might feel exciting at first, but it quickly becomes noticeable just how unreliable it is without all of its Fragments unlocked. This makes the fact that it’s possible to miss all the Fragments during a playthrough of the campaign a massive letdown, especially since it would mean playing through the campaign again. Furthermore, there is sometimes no indication of where the Fragments can be found, so players have to be extremely thorough, get lucky, or look their locations up online before venturing into the campaign.
Some of the Prismatic Facets in Destiny 2 cannot be unlocked during the campaign in any case, and players will have to wait further.
While there is certainly a benefit to The Final Shape requiring players to seek out theFragments for their new Prismatic subclass, it’s unfortunate that it’s possible to make it to the end of the campaign without obtaining all of them. Perhaps Bungie will eventually alleviate this issue by making each Fragment more readily available, but for now, players may just have to face the music.
Destiny 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian’s look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.An Immersive StoryYou are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.Guardian ClassesChoose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.
