Destiny 2 has undergone tremendous growth since its launch in 2017, and its newest expansion, The Witch Queen, provides an invigorated focus on endgame content. Among its very best features are its raids, the six-player adventures that offer the most challenging gameplay Destiny 2 has to offer.
While Bungie's raid team usually creates memorable experiences, not all raids are made equal in of fun, difficulty and rewards. Of the five raids currently in the game, a few lack some key features while others stand out as the pinnacle of the endgame experience.
Garden Of Salvation
Garden of Salvation dropped with Shadowkeep, which took players all the way back to a fan-favorite destination from Destiny, the Black Garden. Here, players were to team up to take down a rogue Vex incursion worshipping a mysterious, dark presence.
All in all, Garden isn't a bad raid, but it certainly doesn't hold a candle to some of the other raids currently in the game. First off, it can be fun to run through the first couple of times, but after about a dozen completions, it lacks the same replayability value that keeps players coming back to this kind of content. The main mechanic of the raid is a tether that players must use together to activate pillars around each encounter, which is great in concept, but pretty buggy in execution. In of loot, the main attraction is the exotic quest that rewards players with Divinity, a great trace rifle for endgame content. Despite the stunning environment, there are plenty of other raids that prove to be superior.
Vault Of Glass
With the introduction of the Destiny Content Vault (DCV) in Beyond Light, Bungie not only took away a swath of old content but promised to add some legacy content from years past. The first major entry in this regard was Vault of Glass, the original Destiny raid that had been remastered with some updated mechanics, challenges, and pursuits.
What Vault of Glass got right was the updated mechanics, which proved to be surprisingly difficult for veterans and new players alike. In the remastered version, players must now pay more attention to memorization and timing during each encounter, which adds a valuable layer of difficulty. The raid loot comprised of remastered weaponry as well, including the exotic Vex Mythoclast. This was also fans' first introduction to Master raids, which requires a higher power level and some increased rewards. While the concept has received a mixed reception, Vault's Master difficulty relied too much on champion enemies and not enough on a mechanical challenge. While still being a great offering from the DCV, it still doesn't match up to having a brand-new entry for the endgame.
Deep Stone Crypt
After a long content hiatus, Beyond Light was released in 2020 and dropped a pretty solid raid with Deep Stone Crypt (DSC). After years of lore teases and in-game hints, players finally had the chance to dive into the fabled laboratory and uncover the secrets hidden within the birthplace of the Exos.
Some raids are evaluated on more objective metrics, like loot and difficulty, but Deep Stone Crypt stands out simply because it's fun. Its encounters are not terribly difficult to learn, which makes it a great starting point for newer players looking to get into endgame content. The raid team at Bungie always shows off some awesome environments as well, and DSC is no exception. From the frozen underground of Europa to a literal trip through space, the visuals paired with its incredible score make for one of the best experiences aesthetically. While the exotic is lackluster, the Succession sniper and Heritage shotgun roll with raid-exclusive perks that still make them some of the best special weapons in the game. Replayability is high, but the main criticism comes from the fact that the enemies are mostly pushovers, requiring very little combat mastery or thoughtful build crafting.
Vow Of The Disciple
Destiny 2's newest raid, Vow of the Disciple, is without a doubt one of the best raids in franchise history. For the first time, players are finally given an opportunity to explore the mysteries of the Darkness Pyramids and face some of the most unique combat encounters ever introduced.
This raid can't be mentioned without first highlighting its environment, which is unlike anything seen previously. The Pyramid is just as haunting as it is beautiful and touring what is basically an alien museum urges players to stop and take in every inch of its grandeur. Mechanically, the raid features a whopping 26 symbols for players to learn and communicate on the fly, which makes it one of the few raids requiring every player to master each encounter. All of this culminates in an utterly insane final boss, Rhulk, whose design sets the standard for content to come. Akin to traditional MMO bosses, Rhulk actually moves around a dynamic environment and poses a real threat to the player. The loot is solid, but it unfortunately debuted in sandbox that favors other weapon types. Regardless, if this raid is any indication of what players might see in Lightfall, the game is certainly in good hands.
Last Wish
Even after four years of annual expansions, updates, and seasonal content, one raid still represents the pinnacle of Destiny 2's raid content. Last Wish is truly a spectacle in game design, achieving the perfect blend of difficulty, fun, rewards, and mechanical complexity.
Anyone lucky enough to witness the World's First race back in 2018 knows exactly why this raid stands above all others. It's the longest raid but it never drags on, as each encounter is wholly unique and builds upon that which was taught from each challenge along the way. As players ascend towards the spire atop the Dreaming City, the environment, bosses, and encounters tell an amazing visual story that captures the feeling of a hero's journey. Better yet, as players begin to master the symbol callouts and timing of each part, the encounter can be sped up, which offers a sense of reward that is missing from a lot of other raids. Each of the weapons available has unique and powerful perk combinations, and the exotic weapon One Thousand Voices stands as exactly what a raid exotic should be. Given the talent of Bungie's raid team, Last Wish could certainly be topped, but it currently remains the game's very best.
