Destiny 2: Episodes Fail to Trim the Fodder that Haunted Seasons for Years

Bungie’s alternative to Destiny 2’s exhausted Seasonal approach was launched on June 11, yet players remain unconvinced that Episodes offer anything beyond a simple name change.

The events of The Final Shape lead directly into Echoes, where players can engage in two unique gameplay activities: Breach Executable and Enigma Protocol. The vendor Failsafe also offers a variety of new rewards, including the coveted Timeworn Wayfarer.

The package deal closely follows the seasonal model of Destiny 2, but this similarity should not be seen as a negative. Players on Reddit have provided feedback stating that their main concerns revolve around time-gated content and unnecessary tasks, which are commonly criticized aspects of Seasons.

“Despite the transition to Episodes, many users expressed their disappointment in the continued use of fodder in the game. One user stated, “I had hoped that we would be moving away from these mindless Public Events and Lost Sectors that we’ve been playing for years as a prerequisite for progression – it’s a bad mission design.”

Episode: Echoes centers around Nessus, an older Destiny 2 patrol area from 2017.

Upon its release, many assumed that each Act in Echoes, which consists of multiple episodes unlocking at specific intervals, would be playable in its entirety rather than being released in weekly installments.

“One response expressed that they wouldn’t even mind if Episodes were not weekly time-gated in the same manner as Seasons, with identical lore unlocks and voice communications at the end.”

Similar thoughts were expressed by others, with one person responding: “I’m tired of the repetitive weekly stories and Holo Projector nonsense. I would prefer a campaign like Warmind or Dark Below, rather than having it slowly released over two months.”

The critiques mentioned are centered around Echoes’ current progression system, however it should be noted that there are two additional Acts for the Episode that have not been released yet. It is uncertain if these Acts will differentiate Destiny 2’s new method of delivering content from its previous approach.