Bungie Steps it up

Destiny: Rise of Iron is nothing revolutionary. It doesn't carry the impact of the last expansion. What it does right, however, is breathe new life into the franchise and provide enough incentive for players to invest another 100 hours.

Destiny was all but barren when its third expansion, The Taken King, launched. A huge influx of players, both old and new, boosted the game to greater heights. And deservedly so; what started out as a bare-bones MMO-esque first person shooter became one of those games in which you could literally lose yourself. 

With a new year, came the thirst for new content and Bungie obliged duly. The premise of Rise of Iron is set around the Iron Lords, an ancient sect of powerful warriors who existed before the time of the Guardians. They were responsible for keeping the peace around the galaxy, tackling threats to humanity, and the preserving of secrets which would wreak havoc if they got out. The Iron Lords founded SIVA, an AI that could make anything. It was conceived with the intentions of advancing the progress of the human civilization. For year, SIVA was instrumental in the building of high-powered ships, sustainable mega-cities, and ground-breaking technology. However, the AI went rampant as it achieved an evil sentience and began destroying all that it strived to create. The Iron Lords had to intervene, and in this operation, they were driven to extinction. 

The game sees you, as the Guardian, help the last-surviving Iron Lord- Saladin. SIVA has returned from its confinement and is threatening to become a menace again. The Fallen have discovered its power and have begun splicing themselves with the technology. You will have to retake the old fortress of the Iron Lords known as Felwinter Peak and launch operations to put a stop to SIVA. 

The 5 story missions that are part of the bigger package are some of the most coherent and story-intensive in the entire game. The scale, the music, and the environment all culminate into a truly epic journey. The story will take you at least 4 hours to beat after which you have to prep for a lot of the new stuff. There are new higher light level strikes, a new raid, a new patrol zone with multiple missions, new exotic weapons and armour, and revamped Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris. To get yourself eligible for all these, you will have to grind. But grinding is not what it used to be in Destiny. The addition of new activities like Archon's Forge will ensure that you reach the higher light levels without feeling like your progress is trickling. 

Destiny: Rise of Iron builds upon a solid foundation and makes the game worth playing again. That is enough reason for older players to return as Guardians and the new content also provides a decent amount of incentive for newbies to pick the game up. 

Rise of Iron is out now on the PSN Store and Xbox Live Store. If you're new to Destiny, you can also pick up a physical copy of Destiny: The Collection (includes base game, Rise of Iron, and all previous DLC) from your preferred retailer. 

Shahrukh Ikhtear is a gamer who doesn't rage. A writer who doesn't read. A musician without a teacher. Full time procrastinator. You can reach him on Facebook: fb.com/sr.ikhtear and email: shahrukh.ikhtear@yahoo.com