Destiny 2 is a massive game, packed with so many things to do and places to explore that it can feel daunting at first — even for Destiny veterans. Once you master the new mechanics, however, Destiny 2 is a sublime experience.
So here are five essential tips to get started in Destiny 2.
Raise Your Gear’s Power Level at Every Opportunity
The quest to reach level 20 is important for unlocking your Guardian’s subclass abilities and equipping better gear, but the true strength of your character is determined by their Power Level. Power is calculated as the average power of all of your weapons and gear. The game will slowly trickle more powerful items your way as you continue to equip gear. It’s good advice to not become attached to any weapons prior to hitting the level cap and to change into more powerful gear at every opportunity – even if the gear is a lower rarity than what you currently have equipped.
Unlock All Subclasses ASAP
In Destiny 2 the evil Ghaul has stolen the light and with it all your sweet super powers. In order to regain your lost powers, you’ll need to find unique class items and bring to the shard of the Traveler. Complete the subclass quests as soon as you receive the relics that trigger them, as you can only hold one relic in your inventory at a time. Relics for Subclass quests are commonly found in treasure chests and caches as you raise your level.
Jump to New Planets Immediately After Unlocking Them
After the fall of the Last City, you must journey across the solar system to reunite with the Vanguard leaders Cayde-6, Ikora Rey, and Commander Zavala. Hit new planets and complete the first story mission on each as soon as you unlock them. The ability to complete Challenges, perform Patrols, and engage in Strike Missions will be unlocked once all of the Vanguard Leaders are brought back to the EDZ. These activities will help you level up faster and gain better gear, so don’t get too distracted with Adventures and Lost Sectors too early!
Raise Faction Rep for Rewards
Instead of the Tower-specific factions from the first game, Destiny 2 has added new factions that are tied to the Vendor/Quest NPCs in each planet area: Devrim Kay on Earth, Sloane on Titan, Failsafe on Nessus, and Asher Mir on Io. There are several quick ways to raise rep, like completing Adventures, Patrols, and Public Events. You can also earn unique tokens for each planet that can be exchanged for rep. Each time you level up their rep, you’ll be able to claim a Bright Engram. However, you need to be level 20 before you can claim the legendary rewards. You can see the complete list of items that can be obtained through vendors by selecting the option to view rewards after you leveled up your reputation.
Take part in Public Events
Public Events have been overhauled in Destiny 2. Not only do their locations appear on your map in the Directory, but the icons also include countdowns to when the event begins. Public Events are a great way to gain powerful rewards and quickly raise faction rep. It’s important to note that each Public Event has its own Heroic Modifier that can be triggered by performing specific actions. Heroic Public Events grant better rewards but are much more challenging than their normal counterparts.