Destiny 2 is bringing a lot of changes and improvements to the formula, and a lot of those are centered around the three classes that make up the Guardian Vanguard. Warlocks, Hunters, and Titans make a return, but the way they will perform this time around is a bit more defined, providing much more recognizable RPG archetypes.
One of the ways that Bungie is facilitating this in Destiny 2 is through the use of class abilities. These are class specific skills that help to accentuate a particular class’ strongest use. Take the Titan for example. While the Defender definitely lived up to its name, the Titan was never really the tank that many expected. The Warlock could take just as much punishment and even heal a bit faster, plus the self-revive ability made it much more suited for risky engagements that required drawing enemy fire. However, thanks to the class ability that allows Titans to summon a wall of light to halt incoming damage, the bulky Guardian class is now a prime choice for taking the lead into dangerous territory, setting up shop in open areas, creating choke points, and shutting down aggressive enemy pushes.
The Warlock’s class ability is a pool of light that can either heal ally Guardians who stand in it, or increase their attack and defense. It allows for the Warlock’s magic to be used in much more of a supporting role in Destiny 2. It’s still a DPS machine that specializes in dealing with large groups, and the newly introduced Dawnblade subclass is all about delivering massive damage over a wide area.
The Hunter is probably the least changed, though definitely refined over its vanilla Destiny counterpart. Hunters pride themselves on mobility and being crackshots, and that remains the same in Destiny 2. Dodging is a class ability that lets the Hunter get out of a sticky situation through sheer mastery of mobility. The Gunslinger class gets updated to dish out more shots rapidly, upping the damage output considerably. The Hunter’s new subclass, the Arcstrider, feels like an expanded upon Bladedancer that trades safe distance and gunfire for acrobatics and high damage. It maintains the focused DPS that you would expect from a Hunter while continuing to feel right at home between the Warlocks and Titans of Destiny 2.
We were able to get hands-on time with each of the classes in Destiny 2, and we’ve provided more detailed breakdowns for each of them:
Bungie is definitely onto something with Destiny 2 and how it’s changing its classes to have a more defined purpose. What’s great is that they still maintain a sense of freedom that never makes anything feel rigid. The classes just reward specific play styles a bit more, yet you can still leave your mark on them. It will be interesting to see how they end up working together with more updates and new additions.
For more on Destiny 2, keep it locked to Twinfinite. Until next time, safe travels, Guardians.
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