Beyond Light vs. The Witch Queen: Which Destiny 2 Expansion Reigns Supreme?
Choosing between Destiny 2’s Beyond Light and The Witch Queen expansions is a common dilemma for new and returning players alike. Both offer significant content, but cater to different aspects of the Destiny experience. So, which is better? The answer isn’t straightforward; it depends on what you value most in the game. However, The Witch Queen emerges as the superior expansion overall, primarily due to its unparalleled campaign, engaging story, and excellent raid. While Beyond Light introduced the incredibly versatile Stasis subclass, its campaign and overall content don’t quite match the consistently high quality of The Witch Queen. Beyond Light serves as a great starting point, but Witch Queen provides a more compelling, and polished overall experience. Let’s delve deeper into the specifics to understand why.
The Allure of Beyond Light: Stasis and a New Beginning
The Power of Stasis
The most significant draw of Beyond Light is the introduction of the Stasis subclass. This subclass offered a revolutionary shift in gameplay, granting players the power to freeze and shatter enemies. Its utility in both PvE and PvP is undeniable, arguably more broadly useful than any single Exotic weapon introduced in The Witch Queen. For new players, Stasis provides a unique and engaging experience from the outset, and it adds significant depth to gameplay. The article mentions “Stasis, which is more useful in most Destiny 2 activities than any individual Exotic from 2022’s expansion” and this holds true due to the sheer versatility.
A Solid Entry Point
Beyond Light serves as a compelling starting point for new players. Its narrative takes players to Europa, an icy frontier with its own compelling mysteries, which can be engaging. The campaign provides a decent introduction to the Destiny universe. It allows players to experience new powers, locations, and gear that would allow you to jump straight into the next expansion and not feel like you have missed anything. It immerses players into the lore before they tackle the more complex story of the Witch Queen.
Is it Still Worth the Investment?
The article suggests that Beyond Light is a worthwhile purchase, especially for existing Destiny fans. However, it highlights the alternative of using Xbox Game Pass for PC or Xbox to experience the expansion, which is still a great option if you are new and not entirely invested into the game and still want to try it. While the expansion might be older, it still offers value, especially for the Stasis subclass.
The Reign of The Witch Queen: Storytelling Excellence
A Superior Campaign
The Witch Queen truly shines in its campaign. It’s widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, campaign in Destiny history. It presents a complex, captivating narrative with compelling characters, particularly the titular antagonist Savathûn. The article notes, “The Witch Queen represents the best expansion that Destiny has ever received – from the fantastic campaign to its world-class raid“. The Legendary campaign mode adds another layer of challenge and replayability. The story and mission design are significantly more engaging than Beyond Light’s, offering a more memorable and rewarding experience.
The Vow of the Disciple Raid
The Vow of the Disciple raid further cements The Witch Queen’s position as a top-tier expansion. This raid is praised for its mechanics, environment, and difficulty. It’s a standout among Destiny raids, rivaling some of the best from previous expansions. A top-tier raid is often the difference between a good expansion and a great one.
Overall Content Quality
While Beyond Light has its strengths, The Witch Queen provides a consistently higher quality of content. From its compelling story to its engaging raid and exciting new weapons, it offers a well-rounded and unforgettable Destiny experience. It’s clear that the development team poured extra care into this expansion. The positive reviews consistently echo this sentiment, highlighting its narrative depth and innovative gameplay elements.
Why is Lightfall a Controversial Topic?
It’s important to touch on Lightfall, the expansion that followed The Witch Queen. The article suggests that Lightfall is considered a downgrade compared to The Witch Queen, with many criticisms directed towards its story and limited new content. Lightfall has been described as “filler” content, designed to sell the Strand subclass rather than progressing the narrative. This is a key factor in understanding why players should look to The Witch Queen first over more recent content if story is important. It also demonstrates why The Witch Queen is often still recommended, even after newer content has come out.
The Verdict
Ultimately, while both expansions are worth experiencing, The Witch Queen is the better investment for a richer overall Destiny 2 experience. Its stellar campaign, exceptional raid, and consistently high quality of content make it a must-have for any Destiny fan. Beyond Light excels with the introduction of the Stasis subclass and is a good starting point for new players but cannot match the all-round quality that The Witch Queen brings. The Witch Queen provides a more meaningful and rewarding experience, solidifying its place as a high point in Destiny’s history, and is the DLC that should be a priority for anyone looking to experience the best Destiny has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Should I do the Beyond Light campaign before The Witch Queen?
It is beneficial to play the Beyond Light campaign before The Witch Queen, as it will give you access to Stasis and will give you a stronger grounding into the Destiny universe for new players.
2. Is Beyond Light still worth buying?
Yes, Beyond Light is still worth purchasing, especially for access to the Stasis subclass. It is a great introduction to the world. However, for the best value, consider the Legacy Collection which includes this expansion alongside The Witch Queen and Shadowkeep.
3. Is Lightfall better than Witch Queen?
No, The Witch Queen is widely considered superior to Lightfall. The former boasts a much more compelling campaign and engaging mission design than the latter.
4. Is The Witch Queen worth getting?
Absolutely! The Witch Queen is considered one of the best Destiny expansions, offering a great campaign, amazing raid, new abilities, and exciting weapons.
5. What Destiny 2 DLC is the best?
Many consider Destiny 2: Forsaken to be the best expansion, but The Witch Queen is a close second. It offers an experience that is not only fun, but also tells an engaging story.
6. Can I solo The Witch Queen campaign?
Yes, you can solo The Witch Queen campaign. Destiny’s story campaigns are designed to be playable solo, with the option to play with a team.
7. Should I do The Witch Queen campaign on legendary?
Yes, it’s highly recommended to play The Witch Queen campaign on Legendary difficulty for a more challenging and rewarding experience.
8. Is Witch Queen worth it after Lightfall?
Yes, The Witch Queen remains a solid expansion and is still worth playing for its engaging content, even after the release of Lightfall.
9. What content is being vaulted with Lightfall?
Seasonal content added during The Witch Queen’s year of Destiny 2 is being removed, but not full expansion content.
10. Is Lightfall beginner-friendly?
Lightfall is designed to be more beginner-friendly, but its story is not as well-received, thus making it harder to recommend over previous expansions like The Witch Queen.
11. What does The Witch Queen unlock?
The Witch Queen unlocks a new campaign, a raid, Exotic weapons, Exotic armor, and access to all four seasons available during Year 5 (Risen, Haunted, Plunder, and Seraph)
12. What Exotics are in Beyond Light?
Beyond Light introduced exotics like Duality (Shotgun), Ticuu’s Divination (Combat Bow), Cryosthesia 77K (Sidearm), Lorentz Driver (Linear Fusion Rifle), and Ager’s Scepter (Trace Rifle).
13. Why is Lightfall getting negative reviews?
Lightfall receives criticism for its lackluster story, poorly implemented elements, and limited new content. It’s also criticized for feeling rushed.
14. What Destiny 2 DLC do I need?
The Witch Queen is considered a must-have DLC, but the Legacy Collection offers good value by including Beyond Light and Shadowkeep as well.
15. Will Beyond Light be removed from Destiny 2?
No, campaign content like Beyond Light is not expected to be removed, only seasonal content is.