Critics are largely satisfied with Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, which debuted on October 1. Destiny's newest DLC boasts plenty of new content and debuted alongside a free-to-play version of the game called New Light. However, some players are finding Shadowkeep's gear and weapon drops lacking.
Whenever a large-scale, ambitious expansion like Shadowkeep launches, players expect to be able to chase enticing new weapons and gear as they progress through the story. Instead, some players report that they are finding too many recycled weapons from previous expansions in the game. This is disappointing as it removes the thrill of working hard for a rare drop.
Thematically, it feels off to find weapons and gear from previous expansions in the new Moon area. Some players comment that previous expansions, such as The Taken King, felt as though they were bursting at the seams with new blue weapon drops. This perception may partially be due to some veteran players being so invested into the game that they instantly recognize recycled gear, but it's evident nonetheless. Newer players don't notice at all, and that's certainly a good thing for Bungie given its goal of attracting new consumers to the game.
Unfortunately, the issue here is that while the new content is fantastic, chasing new and exciting gear and weapon upgrades goes hand-in-hand with the Destiny experience. If players see their power level increase but are leveling up with older weapons, it shatters the player's ability to fully immerse themselves in Shadowkeep. Like in MMORPGs, new expansions and new raids demand powerful new gear to reward players for clearing the hardest content. As has been the case in some games, focusing too much only the power level of a character takes away from the fantasy.
The question, then, is how much emphasis Bungie should place on developing brand new gear and weapons for an expansion launch? Veteran players are presumably the game's strongest supporters and will stick with Destiny 2 for the long haul. But Bungie is putting these gamers' loyalty in jeopardy if the longtime players feel like they are seeing the same drops over and over again.
These feelings may be short-lived, however, as the newest raid in the game, the Garden of Salvation, unlocks for play this Saturday, October 5. Only the best and most ambitious players will be sufficiently prepared to take down what lies within upon launch. However, over the coming weeks, more and more players will move through the expansion and play the raid, hopefully finding gear and loot appropriate to the theme of the Shadowkeep expansion.
Assuming the newest and most thematically-charged gear and weaponry appears as a raid reward, initial player concerns will be short-lived and should not affect Destiny 2's long-term prospects.