At times, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep feels way too far away, and at others, that release date is hurtling towards us like a Striker Titan that just activated Thundercrash. Shadowkeep will return Guardians to the Moon, which has seen quite a change since we first landed there back in Destiny 1. With all the time that has passed and the new nightmares that Eris Morn unearthed, this very familiar environment will be twice the size of the original Moon destination and have some significant differences. Bungie showed off some of these differences and new areas in a developer’s insights video, as well as teasing out plenty of new mysteries to be uncovered.
Check out the full developer’s insights video below:
The changes Bungie’s making to the Moon aren’t just aesthetic. They are designed to tell a story, starting all the way back from when humans first colonized the Moon long before the Collapse. Much of Destiny’s story is told through lore and worldbuilding, and it seems like the lunar surface will have a narrative woven throughout.
Eagle eyed Guardians have also noticed a number of other interesting details scattered throughout the video, no doubt bread crumbs placed by Bungie to get the community talking ahead of the September 17 release of Shadowkeep. One facet that keeps popping up is what the community has come to call “shadow Guardians,” eerie ghostly floating figures dotted across the landscape. This latest video features them more prominently than we’ve ever seen before, and they will clearly play an important role in whatever story Shadowkeep has to tell.
The Fallen Ketch that once floated over the surface of the Moon now lies in a wrecked heap on the ground, and the surviving Fallen scavengers have taken up refuge within its shattered husk. We get a closet look at the twisted red Hive fortress that’s been built on the surface as the Hive emerge from the depths. Bungie also takes the opportunity to show a few before and after shots that compare original familiar locales with what they look like now. As a Destiny 1 player, this brought back a wave of nostalgia and made me even more excited to return.
There are also a lot of new guns to see, including the return of a Destiny 1 fan-favorite, Monte Carlo. And finally, new Sparrows are on their way, and one looks like it might just be inspired by the Mega Man-like hand-mounted fusion rifle, Jotun. Bungie also points out that they are trying to instill the same sense of mystery and wonder that came along with the original moon landing that happened 50 years ago. With the anniversary of that event approaching on July 20, it was a perfect opportunity to release more information about Shadowkeep’s version of the lunar surface. Don’t forget Guardians: Moon’s haunted.
