Destiny 2's story is about Light and hope, even though it might not always feel like it
Bungie "owes" players a story about The Darkness in Destiny "but that’s not this game".
In Destiny 2, the proverbial has hit the fan and it is just slopping about all over the shop. Everything from Destiny as you know it has been destroyed, including the Guardians' link with the Light.
We got quite the drop of info from the reveal last month, and this time around Bungie will be telling the story through gameplay, rather than delivering the lore via Grimoire cards.
In a recent interview with GameSpot, Bungie shared a few more tidbits on the story, but if you're expecting the loose ends from Destiny to be tied up, think again.
“We’ve never really said what [The Darkness] means," says game director, Luke Smith.
“Ultimately, we do owe our players a story there – what is The Darkness? – but that’s not this game.
"We wanted to remove as much of the extra terminology as possible and focus on telling the Destiny 2 story. In so doing, allow Destiny 2 to usher in the rest of the saga. It’s going to start some threads that we intend to carry through.”
Destiny 2's focus is on light, "and what happens when it’s taken from you, and the lengths that Guardians will go to get it back.
"We’re exploring the relationship between the player and the Ghost in terms of Light, and Ghaul’s coveting of the Light. As such, we wanted to carve off other things that we didn’t think were important to the release, such as words like The Darkness.”
It seems that exploring The Darkness will be left for another entry further down the line, which is why the Cabal are the perfect pick for the main aggressors, as they "have nothing to do with the Darkness," explains project lead, Mark Noseworthy.
"They are not of the Darkness, or its representatives. The Hive are the closest, because they worship the Darkness – but you can worship a thing that you are not.”
Update: In an interview with Kotaku, Smith admitted Bungie originally didn't have a real explanation for what the Darkness was, and is ret-conning the first game's references to all enemies as "minions of the Darkness".
Ghaul's backstory will be suitably fleshed out, and he's bringing his mentor, The Consul, along for the ride, voiced by Frank Langella, of Skeletor, Dracula, and Robot and Frank fame.
But despite losing the light and having all of their stuff trashed, ultimately, Destiny 2 is a story about hope.
“It’s been horrible for humanity, and in the beginning of Destiny 2 things go from bad to worse,” says Smith.
"There may be times where the content feels dark and hopeless, but Destiny as a franchise is always going to be about hope.”
Destiny 2 is scheculed for release on September 8 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.