Lightfall carries a tremendous burden. Like the four Destiny 2 expansions that preceded it, Lightfall has to simultaneously shake up the Destiny formula, reinvigorate the player base, and attract a new generation of Guardians to the game. On top of that, it also has to raise the stakes higher than they’ve ever been - but not too high. The Witness, our ultimate enemy, has arrived on our doorstep. We’ve been preparing for this for years and we’re still not ready. This is the beginning of the end, but it’s not the end - that happens next year in The Final Shape. Lightfall is Destiny’s Infinity War, and it has to walk a careful line between ‘Things have never been this bad’ and ‘But they can get so much worse.’
I’ve not yet finished the campaign, but even from the opening cinematic it’s clear that we are totally out of our depth as it immediately sets us on the back foot. There’s a lot of hamfisted and contrived ways to tell the audience that our heroes are in big trouble, but Bungie’s writers show a lot of restraint and consideration in establishing the bounds of Lightfall’s story. They could have made us watch a beloved character die to quickly sell the severity of the situation, but they chose a more subtle and nuanced path - one that will resonate a lot more with Destiny players than a cheap death ever could. Lightfall’s Season of Defiance campaign begins with an emergency rendezvous at the Farm, which quietly and effectively tells you everything you need to know about how bad things have gotten.
Six years ago, the Red Legion came for the Traveler. Dominus Ghaul and his Cabal army invaded the solar system, destroyed our base of operations at The Tower, and put the whammy on the Traveler so bad that the entire Vanguard lost our connection to the Light. Stranded and powerless, we retreated to an outpost at the edge of the EDZ to lick our wounds, regroup, and figure out how to stop Ghaul. The Farm was little more than a couple debilitated shacks and a fire pit, but it became our home when we needed it. It was all we had when we had nothing else to lose.
When the Red War ended, we left the Farm and never looked back. Aside from one secret mission with Mithrax to recover one of Destiny 2’s greatest weapons, Outbreak Perfected, the Farm became abandoned - nothing more than a symbol of when we were at our lowest point. At the start of Beyond Light, the Farm was removed from the game entirely.
Six years later, we find ourselves retreating to the Farm once again, and we’re clearly in a lot more trouble than we were last time. We still have the Light - plus a few more powers - but the Red Legion is nothing compared to the ancient threats we face now. Going back there after all these years is a reminder of everything we’ve been through, and a symbol of the dangers that lie ahead.
It’s changed a lot since we were last here. The main building, which was already in a state of disrepair, has completely collapsed. The soccer field is also gone, apparently having been demolished by explosions during our air battle with the Black Fleet. We still made time to goof around and kick a ball during the Red War, but as The Final Shape approaches, the time for fun and games is over.
It is even more depressing than it was the last time we were here, but at the same time, more hopeful too. This time, we aren’t alone in our fight against the Darkness. The Farm is filled with our allies now - the Mara Sov’s Awoken, Caital’s Legionaries, and the Eliksni House of Light. When we first arrive, we join a meeting with Mara, Mithrax, and Devrin - three heroes from three different worlds - to plan an assault on a Pyramid Ship and rescue our ally, Amanda Holiday. We didn’t come here to hide, we came here to act. As desperate as the situation is, we’re not going down without a fight.
So much has happened in the years since Ghaul invaded and the Traveler woke up, and returning to the Farm brings us right back to the beginning. There’s so many exciting things to discover on Neptune, new allies to find, and new powers to earn, but back at home we’re given the chance to reflect on how far we’ve come and how much we’ve been through. Returning to the Farm is a small detail in the grand scheme of things, but it's a place that carries a lot of weight in Destiny history, and it’s exactly where we ought to be when the world crumbles down around us.