Destiny 2 remains one of the biggest titles in the looter-shooter genre, but it’s far from alone. The scrappy Warframe was free-to-play long before Destiny, and as a similar kind of game it provides an interesting contrast. I haven’t been playing Warframe for nearly as long as I’ve been a Destiny 2 player, but the time I’ve spent with it has shown me that Bungie could learn a thing or two from the game we at Fanbyte lovingly describe as “wet Destiny.” Here are five lessons Destiny 2 could learn from its acrobatic cousin.
1. We Don’t Need Power Level
Warframe doesn’t really have anything comparable to Destiny 2‘s power level system. But that doesn’t mean there’s no progression system. Every character and weapon has its own level, but they cap out fairly quickly. From there, there’s a prestige mechanic that lets you reset an item’s level in exchange for being able to equip more mods to it. As a result, the endgame is build-focused rather than simply about grinding for power. When new content drops, there’s no artificial power gating to prevent players from jumping right in (looking at you, Prophecy dungeon). And it works! We don’t need power level anymore. Destiny 2 could work just fine without them, with some minor tweaks.
2. Melee Weapons Are Fun
Yes, Warframe is a very different game than Destiny 2 thematically and mechanically speaking, and its focus on melee combat is part of that. But with Bungie’s recent changes to swords and especially the introduction of the Falling Guillotine, we’ve seen how much fun melee combat can be in Destiny 2. The game will always be primarily about shooting, but adding some more close-range options would be appreciated, especially paired with bosses that don’t simply yeet you away when you try to do anything but stand back and shoot.
3. People Like Investing in Their Gear
Warframe has detailed cosmetics options for each piece of equipment and frame, ranging from adding charms and bits of armor to tailoring color palettes. It even lets you name some of your own gear, including the ship you can build after a lengthy quest. In Destiny 2, ships, sparrows, and ornaments are simple cosmetics, and that’s ok — but if Bungie wants us to really care about our Guardians and their stories, then being able to really customize them on a granular level would help out a great deal.
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4. Keep Content Relevant
A nice thing about Warframe is that more experienced players will often get value out of helping newbies through low-level content. You can always use more credits and resources, and the game is pretty generous with them even in less punishing missions. Conversely, higher-level players don’t get a whole lot out of running a lot of content in Destiny 2. It doesn’t have to be that way, though — something as simple as playlist strikes dropping lots of planetary resources rather than useless blues would give experienced players a reason to come back to the full range of activities in the game, rather than simply running the same few Pinnacle activities over and over.
5. Wet
Just make everything like, 60% wetter-looking.
