If you have been following Destiny 2 for the past five years, you will know that it has gone through a lot of changes. From them removing the base campaigns of the game, to them changing how your Light Level works, there has been a lot of controversy about if the decisions they made were good ones. Still, them making the game free is letting new people get into the game.
As of May of 2022, there are 4 expansions to the game that add new content. The DLC includes Forsaken, Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and The Witch Queen. Each one has its own campaign and planets to explore and some are better than the others. If you are going to play the game for a while, the expansions are totally worth a purchase since they will add new content to the game.
We will go over each expansion in this article and we will go over what they all added to the game. They all play a crucial role in making the game better so keep that in mind when looking at if you want to purchase any of them or not. The best possible thing you can do is to purchase all of them at once since you won’t have to worry about buying them later on.
What does the base game give you?
Before we get into the expansions, we want to talk to you about the base game. Obviously, the game is free. You don’t have to buy the expansions to have fun with the game. We will put a list below of everything that you can do without purchasing a single thing. The best part of getting the game for free is that you can try the game out before purchasing any new content.
You can play Strikes, which are missions with a couple of other players. This allows you to squad up with random people or even friends and play missions together. You can also play Crucible, which is the PVP part of the game. You can also free-roam on any planet and explore as much as you want to. If you are worried, just download it for free and try the game for yourself.
Here are the main things that the game lets you do without the DLCs:
- Explore most of the planets the game has to offer
- Play the prologues to all the DLCs
- Play Strikes
- Play Crucible
- Play Raids
- Play Gambit
Are the expansions worth the money?
When it comes to the expansions, you could look at it in multiple ways. You can look at it as extra content that adds to the already good game, or you can look at them as a way for the developers to suck more money out of the player. Either way, you are correct. Yes, the expansions aren’t the greatest things in the world, but it does make the game better.
The first expansion on the list is probably our favorite since it is near and dear to our hearts. We first pre-ordered the game on Blizzard back when the game wasn’t free and we loved the game to death. We played for hundreds of hours and bought all the expansions that came out afterward. Then Bungie put the game on Steam and made it free.
Once it went free, the game definitely went off the radar for us. Yes, we played the new expansions, but it never felt the same. The upside to the free-to-play title is that new players didn’t have to pay to play the game. Yes, it does suck what they did, but all we can do is look into the future and play what the developers have worked on for years.
Each DLC is actually pretty good since they did add new planets and a ton of new content. We will go over each one, what they are about, and the amount of content that each of them brings to the table. We will also go over if they are worth the money or not. It is up to you to determine whether or not you want to buy each one.
Here is every expansion you can get in the Destiny 2 right now and if they are worth it or not:
1. Forsaken
Following years of turmoil, The Reef has begun to degrade into lawlessness. Cayde-6 and the Guardian are sent to investigate the area and help alleviate the area’s major stresses. Upon landing at The Reef, a massive prison break occurs at the Prison of Elders, freeing some of the most wanted and dangerous criminals back into the galaxy.
How Long To Beat: Around 8-9 hours of campaign content
Forsaken is probably our favorite expansion since it was the first one we really got to enjoy. Yes, there were the Osiris and Warmind campaigns before it, but those have since been removed from the game entirely. Forsaken has you go to the Tangled Web and you have to hunt down a bunch of prisoners that escaped from prison.
It was the first DLC to add a brand new enemy type and it was absolutely incredible. The story for this DLC is actually very good and the amount of content packed into it is worth it. There are soo many armor sets to collect and many new weapons to collect. Plus, it added the Dreaming City which is an insanely cool area to explore.
If you are wanting to buy a single DLC, this is the one we would recommend, although the Witch Queen DLC also has a ton of content. It is totally up to you but we would totally recommend the Forsaken DLC for anyone who is new to the game.
Is It Worth It? – Yes. The longer campaign and the new planets that you can explore are absolutely worth the money.
2. Shadowkeep
The Guardian receives a mission from Eris Morn to return to the moon to defeat a new, unknown enemy. Upon searching for Eris Morn, the Guardian encounters Crota, Ghaul, and Fikrul but is saved by Eris Morn mid-battle. Afterward, the Guardian and Eris hunt down the answers to a new, mysterious threat.
How Long To Beat: Around 5-6 hours of campaign content
The thing about the Shadowkeep expansion is that it takes content that was used in Destiny 1. The Moon is the new planet and it just feels like they took Destiny 1 campaign content and threw it into Destiny 2. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does feel like content you have played before. If you can get this DLC for cheap, it might be worth the money.
It doesn’t add a ton of content and there isn’t much to collect when it comes to weapons and armor. The only thing it has going for it is the Dreambane armor set, but it is actually pretty easy to get. It is the shortest campaign of them all and it lacks the most content. If you bought it at full price, then we are sorry for you.
It is a fun campaign to play if you own all the other ones, but if you are going to purchase one expansion, this is not the best one to go for. The Moon is a cool planet to explore, but you can just explore it without owning the expansion. This DLC is not worth it at full price.
Is It Worth It? – No. The short campaign and the lack of gear content aren’t worth the money unless you get it at a very cheap price.
3. Beyond Light
Eramis, the Kell of Darkness, has occupied Europa with her Fallen army and the Guardians must respond. Travel to Jupiter’s frozen moon, hunt down Eramis, and prepare to wield the Darkness. It also introduces a new element: Stasis.
How Long To Beat: Around 7-8 hours of campaign content
Beyond Light is the first expansion to add a new sub-class. It also adds a whole new element to the mix: Stasis. It slows down the enemy so that you can unload the rest of your magazine into them. The story in this expansion is not terrible, but at least it is better than Shadowkeep’s story. It only adds one planet to the roster, but it is a very interesting one to explore.
It also adds a new ability to wield the Darkness itself. In the lore of the game, the Light is what gives the Guardian his power, but in this DLC, you get to wield the Darkness itself. It makes for an insanely fun expansion that is worth your time and money. Get some friends to play it with and you will have a blast.
There are also a ton of weapons and armor sets to collect, including a bunch of Exotic gear. Everything in this DLC was thought through, unlike Shadowkeep. You also don’t have to own any of the previous DLCs to get this one. This is definitely a good choice if you are looking for one expansion to play.
Is It Worth It? – Yes. The addition of the new sub-classes and the new planet make this DLC a great addition to your collection.
4. The Witch Queen
With the Witch Queen showing up on Mars, it is the Guardian’s job to head to Savathun’s Throne World and take down the Witch Queen once and for all. You will gain the help of Ikora Rey and Eris Morn to help in your efforts. A sprawling web of evidence lies before you. Shadows nip at your heels as you retreat into the Light, only to find the enemy waiting, bolstered by a power it does not deserve.
How Long To Beat: Around 13-14 hours of campaign content
The Witch Queen DLC is almost a sequel to the Taken King DLC from Destiny 1. Basically, the enemy from Taken King was Oryx and the enemy in the Witch Queen is his sister, Savathun. It is up to you to go to her throne and eliminate her once and for all. It has the longest campaign of them all and is worth the money.
They are planning on doing more DLCs in the future, but for now, this is the most recent one they have released. It adds a ton of campaign content, Strikes, maps for the Crucible, armor sets, weapons, and much more. This is the biggest expansion yet and if you’re looking for one to play, this is going to be the best option.
The expansion also brought around weapon crafting. Similarly in the Armorer’ Forge DLC, you can craft weapons by powering up these Forges, but in this, you can collect materials to craft all sorts of weapons. If you are holding off, the expansion goes on sale every once and a while, so make sure to keep an eye on the stores to see when it does.
Is It Worth It? – Yes. This is the longest campaign out of any DLC in the game and the amount of content packed into this one makes this DLC totally worth the money.
What do the DLCs add other than new campaigns?
As we said before, the expansions add all sorts of new content to the game. They add new Strikes, Crucible maps, Raids, campaigns, armor sets, weapons, Exotic gear, and soo much more. If you are looking to spend more time in the game, it is totally worth it to buy all the expansions. Do keep in mind though that hopefully, they don’t delete campaigns later on as they did before.
It would really suck if you purchase Forsaken and a year down the road they delete it as they did with the Red War, Warmind, and Osiris. They also eliminated over 4 planets already existing in the game, so that is why they are getting backlash. Just know that the expansions will add to the content you already own and is worth it.
If you are worried about spending a ton of money, always wait for a sale. The expansions are constantly going on sale on consoles and Steam, so make sure you are always looking for a good deal. If you want a singular DLC, then you should probably get the Witch Queen since it will give you the most content.