How Difficult is the Destiny 2: Lightfall Campaign?
The difficulty of the Destiny 2: Lightfall campaign is a nuanced topic, heavily dependent on your chosen difficulty level, your experience with Destiny 2, and your overall build. On Normal (Be Brave) difficulty, it’s generally considered manageable for most players, especially those familiar with the franchise. However, the Legendary difficulty presents a significantly steeper challenge, demanding strategic gameplay, effective build crafting, and a good understanding of combat mechanics. It has been described as harder than the Witch Queen campaign.
The Two Faces of Lightfall: Normal vs. Legendary
Lightfall offers two primary campaign difficulty settings: Normal and Legendary. Each provides a distinct experience tailored to different player skill levels and preferences.
Normal (Be Brave): A Classic Destiny Experience
The Normal difficulty is designed to be accessible to a wide range of players, including newcomers to Destiny 2. While enemies won’t be pushovers, they generally don’t require hyper-optimized builds or flawless execution. This mode is an excellent entry point for experiencing the story and exploring the new location of Neomuna. It’s a perfect starting place for players who want to play without being constantly challenged. Keep in mind that every enemy in Destiny 2 has a level, so if your power level is lower, that might pose a challenge.
Legendary: Forging Legends Through Trial by Fire
The Legendary difficulty is a different beast entirely. It significantly increases enemy health, damage output, and aggression. Players are consistently underleveled (-15 Power), forcing them to rely on their skills and teamwork to survive. This mode rewards strategic play, emphasizing cover, coordinated attacks, and effective use of abilities. Completing the Lightfall campaign on Legendary difficulty is the best way to get a healthy Power level advantage.
Factors Influencing Lightfall’s Perceived Difficulty
Several factors contribute to a player’s perception of Lightfall’s difficulty:
- Build Crafting: Destiny 2’s robust build crafting system allows players to tailor their Guardians to specific playstyles. Effective builds that synergize weapons, armor mods, and subclasses can significantly impact survivability and damage output.
- Subclass Mastery: Lightfall introduces the Strand subclass, a new way to manipulate the battlefield. Mastering Strand’s unique movement options and abilities is crucial for success, especially on Legendary difficulty.
- Teamwork: While the Lightfall campaign can be completed solo, teamwork makes the dream work. Coordinated fire teams can easily overcome challenging encounters by covering each other and focusing fire on high-priority targets.
- Previous Destiny Experience: Veteran Destiny players will naturally have an easier time with Lightfall due to their familiarity with the game’s mechanics, enemy types, and encounter design.
- Weapon Choice: Choosing the right weapons for the job is essential. Weapons with good range and damage output are preferred.
Specific Encounters: The True Tests
Certain sections of the Lightfall campaign stand out as particularly challenging, regardless of difficulty. These encounters often involve waves of enemies, challenging boss fights, or complex environmental puzzles. Two of the most talked about are the final two missions: Headlong and Desperate Measures.
Is Lightfall’s Legendary Campaign Worth It?
Absolutely! Completing the Lightfall campaign on Legendary difficulty offers significant rewards, including:
- Increased Power Level: Legendary rewards will give you a healthy Power level advantage.
- Exclusive Gear: Access unique and powerful gear that isn’t available on lower difficulties.
- Triumph Progression: Completing Legendary difficulty contributes to various triumphs, showcasing your skill and dedication.
- Bragging Rights: The satisfaction of conquering a challenging campaign.
FAQs: Demystifying Lightfall’s Difficulty
Here are some frequently asked questions about the difficulty of the Lightfall campaign:
1. What is the Power level requirement for Lightfall?
Every player who begins playing Lightfall will start at the Power level of 1600. As you complete missions in the new expansion, every piece of gear you gain will help your Power level increase to the soft cap of 1750. At 1750, you will need to gain Powerful gear from specific enemies and missions to get 1800.
2. What is the soft cap in Lightfall?
The soft cap in Lightfall is 1750. This means that you can easily reach this Power level by simply playing through the campaign and completing activities.
3. What is the powerful level cap in Lightfall?
The powerful level cap in Lightfall is 1800. Reaching this level requires more focused effort, such as completing Powerful and Pinnacle activities.
4. Is Lightfall Legendary easier than Witch Queen?
Opinions vary, but the consensus is that Lightfall Legendary is harder than Witch Queen. This is largely due to the introduction of Strand and some particularly challenging encounter designs.
5. Can you solo Lightfall campaign legendary?
Yes, you can solo the Lightfall campaign on Legendary difficulty, but it requires skill, patience, and a well-optimized build. If you are a player that knows how to get out of a sticky situation and stay alive, you can beat the legendary campaign solo.
6. Is Lightfall legendary easy?
No, Lightfall Legendary is not easy. It’s designed to be a challenging experience that tests your skills and knowledge of the game.
7. What happens if you fail a Legendary Lightfall mission?
If you fail a Legendary Lightfall mission, you’ll be sent back to the beginning of the encounter. This can be frustrating, but it encourages players to learn from their mistakes and adapt their strategies.
8. What is the easiest class to play in Destiny 2: Lightfall?
Some character guides suggest picking Titan as your first, and they agree that this class is the easiest to play. However, it’s better if you try each class out yourself and find the one that suits you best.
9. Does Lightfall campaign drop powerful gear?
Yes, clearing the Destiny 2 Lightfall campaign on legendary difficulty will give you a set of 1770 Power gear after the end of the campaign.
10. Can you skip the Lightfall campaign?
You can finally skip the campaign with your alts, but you’re going to have to pay. Destiny 2’s paid Character Boost is changing in Lightfall.
11. Can you complete Lightfall campaign without DLC?
No, you won’t be able to play any of Destiny’s main campaign missions beyond the first one for The Witch Queen and Lightfall before buying the expansion.
12. Is the Lightfall campaign good?
Destiny 2: Lightfall is a disappointing expansion with a campaign that falls flat on its face, an underwhelming new destination, and only a few new standout activities to take on.
13. Is Lightfall a bad DLC?
Without the good free update this DLC is by far the WORST DLC to be released. It sits next to Curse of Osiris and Shadowkeep, which makes it bad, but not so bad. It’s not terrible but it certainly feels like the pointless filler that it is just to sell strand.
14. How long does it take to complete Lightfall?
It should take between 5 to 8 hours to beat Destiny 2: Lightfall on normal difficulty. Expect the playtime to take significantly longer on Legend difficulty, though.
15. How does buildcrafting influence the Lightfall campaign?
Effective buildcrafting is crucial for success in the Lightfall campaign, especially on Legendary difficulty. Synergizing your weapons, armor mods, and subclass can significantly increase your survivability and damage output. Experiment with different combinations to find what works best for your playstyle.
Conclusion: A Challenge Worth Embracing
The Lightfall campaign offers a compelling experience for Destiny 2 players of all skill levels. Whether you choose to embark on a more casual playthrough on Normal difficulty or test your limits on Legendary, the campaign provides hours of engaging gameplay and rewarding challenges. With the right preparation, strategy, and teamwork, any Guardian can conquer the Witness and emerge victorious. Consider how games, like Destiny 2, influence learning; you can find more information about the intersection of games and learning at the Games Learning Society website.