Destiny 2: New Light is here, alongside the release of the game’s latest major expansion: Shadowkeep. For those players joining in for the first time, or those returning after a long hiatus, wrapping your head around what to do can be tough. Luckily for you, there are a few veteran Guardians around these parts who love nothing more than helping warriors join the fight!
What is New Light?
Destiny 2: New Light is a new free-to-play offering for would-be Guardians.
Simply put, New Light is the new free-to-play portion of Destiny 2. This allows players to dive in and experience everything that the first year of Destiny 2 had to offer. That means players gain access to the Red War campaign, the Curse of Osiris story and experiences, as well as the Warmind content. It also offers access to the Tangled Shore and Dreaming City – two locations included with Forsaken, the previous major expansion.
What New Light does not include are the high-end activities added to the game after Forsaken. So while you’re free to explore the Dreaming City, you can’t participate in the Last Wish raid, the Shattered Throne dungeon will be unavailable, and all of the raids and forges included with the various Seasons will be locked.
Finally, Shadowkeep – the latest piece of content for Destiny 2 – will be unavailable. There will be times during your New Light experience where you may be offered to purchase the expansion. It’s entirely up to you, and your decision will likely be affected by whether or not you have friends playing or if you like what you’ve been playing.
Recommended: Elite Atlas Aero Wireless PC Gaming Headset
The Turtle Beach® Elite Atlas Aero is the ultimate high-performance wireless headset for PC gamers and streamers with customizable audio and unmatched comfort.
Shop NowWhat Class to Play?
With three classes to choose from, picking the right one for you is easy!
When you first begin Destiny 2: New Light, you’ll be given the option to play one of three classes. While you can play all three classes, chances are you’ll spend a lot of time just playing one. Because of this, picking the right one for you can be a stressful choice.
The Warlock is your classic space wizard. This class excels at supporting your team through healing rifts. Their super abilities are often all about throwing out damage, whether it’s a chain lightning ability, throwing flaming swords, or hurling a big ball of dark energy.
The Hunter is ideal for any player that wants extra style with their hunting.
The Hunter is your precision class. A Hunter is great at one-on-one combat and keeping their ammo reserves high. A Hunter’s super abilities involve summoning an insta-kill fiery handgun, using an electrified staff like a warrior monk, or shooting out traps that lock down enemy units.
The Titan is your tank class. A Titan’s best weapons are its fists, hammers, and shields. A Titan’s super allows it to throw out explosive hammers, live a Captain America fantasy by hurling shields, or smash into combat with an electrified shoulder-charge.
In the end, no matter what class you play, you’re bound to have an incredible time. It’s also highly likely you’ll wind up dabbling in all three, and may even find a new favorite after hours of play.
Where Do I Start?
There’s a lot to do in New Light. Your first stop should be to explore the Tower!
There’s a lot to do in Destiny 2. There are a lot of activities, dozens of currencies, and a whole lot of mechanics. It can be overwhelming. For new players just entering with New Light, the best place to start will be with the New Light mission. This quest tasks you with going around the social space to speak with various vendors. After this, you’ll have incrementally larger goals.
New players should also familiarize themselves with the pause screen. This screen contains the destinations, maps, and most importantly, your quests. Check this regularly to see what your next goal is. Once you clear the Tower tasks, you’ll need to visit Earth, level up your Power, and otherwise start fighting back against aliens.
The Crucible
Test your skill against other players in the Crucible.
After you’ve had your fill of fighting AI-combatants, you might want to stick your toe into the Crucible. This is a great idea. The Crucible is where players fight one another for glory and rewards. There are a host of different modes you can play, but the best one for new players is Control.
Control is a simple mode where you must claim territories and get kills in order to score points. It’s the perfect blend of objective and kills. You can either stick with teammates and capture Control points or push out and hunt down your prey.
There are also various competitive Crucible modes. These pit highly-skilled players against one another in intense game modes that offer limited respawns. It’s a good idea to spend some time collecting top-tier weapons and getting really comfortable with how Destiny 2 works.
Destiny 2: New Light is going to be a bit overwhelming at first. There are new systems to learn, mechanics to remember, and a lot of waypoints to track. However, there’s also a rich community out there looking to help new players have fun. The most important tip above all else is to do just that, have fun. Go out and shoot some aliens, make some friends, and dive into the Destiny 2 experience. Who knows, perhaps next week you’ll be looking to tackle your first Leviathan raid!
Read More: Modern Warfare’s Open Beta Left Players Salivating For More
The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Beta may have come to an end, but most of us were left absolutely stunned and ready for the full experience in October.
