Let me start by asking you a question.

If you had to boil down why you play Destiny into only one specific aspect, what would that be?

If the answer to that question is the narrative, then unfortunately Lightfall is not for you. The writing is sloppy and tone deaf, the character development is non-existent and by the end of the campaign you'll know less about what's going on than when you started.

So why do I still recommend Lightfall?

Well if the answer to the former question was gameplay, then I am happy to report that, at least in that department, Bungie did not disappoint.

Lets take a second then to talk about what they got right.

Strand is a refreshing addition in terms of it's playstyle, providing more variety to how you can approach combat and contrary to popular belief, is a very viable subclass in endgame content The new Tormentor enemy type is well designed, unique and challenging. Not to mention when they show up, they genuinely make combat more tense and engaging, even more so than Lucent Hive in Witch Queen. Neomuna is also an interesting location to explore and a welcome departure from most of the ruined settlements found on other planets. The level design and AI tuning done in the campaign, makes for one of the more challenging DLC experiences I've played in Destiny, especially on Legendary. Also some of the changes Bungie has made to the build crafting system with the addition of Loadouts are things Destiny players have been asking for for years.

So then... Lets address the elephant in the room. How does the sloppy narrative effect the overall experience?

Well don't get me wrong... I would definitely prefer it if both aspects, gameplay and narrative were equally as strong in this new DLC. Especially with the successful balance Bungie had found in that regard with Witch Queen. But unfortunately that's not what we got here.

Was my enjoyment of Lightfall affected by this?

Sure! Absolutely! However not nearly enough to ruin my overall experience of what Lightfall had to offer.

Okay look... Let me level with you for a second.

I'm the kind of Destiny player that reads almost every Lore tab and has probably watched almost every My name is BYF video... Even the ones over 3 hours long. 😂 I am a big fan of the narrative universe that Bungie has created. This game definitely has great stories to tell and deserves better then what we got with Lightfall. That being said, at the end of the day, the narrative takes a back seat for me in favor of fun, challenging and engaging gameplay.

So in summary, if you are interested in a thought-provoking, well thought out narrative that answers the questions that previous DLCs established, then sorry to say, this isn't it chief. However if you're able to move past the cheesy dialogue and seemingly rushed story, Bungie's gameplay devs definitely have done something right here with Lightfall and it is clear that aspect was prioritized over everything else. As a result I had a blast and if you are anything like me, you most likely will too.