The Ultimate Guide to Destiny 2's Patrol Zones - Uncover the Best Havens in the Game!

Highlights

The article highlights that open-world destinations in Destiny 2 have evolved with each expansion, offering a variety of encounters, secrets, and bosses for players to enjoy.

The Earth patrol zone known as The EDZ lacks distinctive content and purpose, appealing mainly to experienced players seeking a sense of nostalgia.

In contrast, despite its monotonous gray environment, the Moon presents a plethora of golden-age technology, offering replayable activities such as Alters of Sorrow, and enticing Guardians with numerous collectibles to discover.

The consequences of Destiny 2's Season of Arrivals may have changed the nature of open-world destinations in Bungie's online shooter, but this does not diminish the quality of the current content.

With each expansion, the game introduces a new immersive world for players to explore, creating a peaceful experience suitable for solo players. Each patrol zone offers a diverse range of encounters, secrets, and challenging bosses for players to discover. Those who embark on these endeavors may even be rewarded with triumphs or rare exotic loot, provided they have the knowledge to uncover these hidden treasures.

8 The European Dead Zone (EDZ)

The EDZ has faced significant challenges in recent years, primarily due to the decline of The Red War campaign. As a result, its relevance has been reduced to just two revamped strikes and a location for Xur. Many previous rewards, such as emblems and weapons, have become unattainable. The release of the Beyond Light DLC in Destiny 2 introduced a new Earth patrol zone called The Cosmodrome, which shares a strikingly similar visual style.

In contrast to this fresh destination, The EDZ struggles due to its lack of clear direction and unique content. Apart from evoking nostalgia, The EDZ holds significance primarily for veteran players who wish to relive past experiences with Devrim Kay.

7 Nessus

Nessus has lost its significance and relevance in terms of content and story with the sunsetting in 2020. However, it does have an advantage over the Earth-based patrol zone due to its unique and intriguing environment. The planet is characterized by its bright red and ominous appearance, featuring unusual geometry and fascinating structures created by the Vex, who tried to turn it into a Machine World.

Additionally, Nessus is home to the beloved vendor Failsafe, an AI who constantly switches between two contrasting personalities. While Failsafe has remained largely unchanged since the game's release, she adds an entertaining element to the few strikes she still appears in. This helps to transform what could have been an insignificant destination into a welcome break from the intensity of most modern activities.

6 The Moon

Destiny 2's major antagonist, The Darkness, was first unveiled on The Moon during the Shadowkeep expansion. This showcased the true power of this enemy as Guardians battled against 'nightmare' versions of their fallen adversaries.

Beyond the storyline, The Moon presents a plethora of golden-age technology that paints a picture of a future similar to Starfield. Ruined NASA-like bases and haunted outposts add to the immersive experience. While some players may not be fond of the gray landscape, it marks a positive step forward. The Moon offers replayability through the Alters of Sorrow activity and collectibles that continue to be sought after by Guardians to this day.

5 The Cosmodrome

The Cosmodrome was permanently added to Destiny 2 with Beyond Light, replacing The Red War campaign as the new player experience. Initially, it was only available as a mission-only location with the 2019 New Light update, but later expanded into a fully-fledged patrol zone in 2020.

While it may seem similar to The EDZ and provide limited content for veterans, The Cosmodrome is an essential location for newcomers to Destiny 2. Here, they can learn the game mechanics while engaging in battles against the iconic Hive and Fallen factions, amidst the remains of Earth's apocalyptic ruins. Additionally, the derelict shipyard is home to several steps in acquiring a sought-after returning exotic, making it an attractive destination for players at all levels.

4 Europa

Jupiter's icy moon, which serves as the setting for the 2020 Beyond Light DLC, had high expectations to meet following the removal of a significant amount of content from Destiny 2 due to Bungie's sunsetting. In comparison to previous locations, Europa struggled to match the diversity they offered, as it mainly consisted of a desolate frozen landscape occasionally interrupted by Vex structures or Braytech installations.

However, exploring the patrol zone becomes highly rewarding when searching for hidden secrets, with collectibles tucked away in every corner and a powerful exotic weapon waiting for those who seek the truth about one of Destiny's longest-standing allies. As it was released just a year before The Witch Queen expansion revamped the interaction with patrol zones, Europa's significance is gradually diminishing. Nevertheless, for those still interested in finding Penguins, exo-bodies, or a remarkable number of Fallen Brigs, there is a wealth of activities to engage in.

3 The Dreaming City

The Dreaming City, the second location introduced in the Forsaken expansion of Destiny 2, stands out among other patrol zones like The EDZ and Nessus. While these base-game zones have lost their direction, The Dreaming City remains captivating due to its unique time loop. Every three weeks, the destination undergoes changes, with secrets, NPCs, and events shifting accordingly. This perpetual cycle provides players with a compelling reason to revisit the patrol zone, despite the fading story significance.

2 Neomuna

The 2023 Lightfall expansion fell short of expectations upon its release. However, it did offer players one of the game's finest patrol zones. Neomuna, the futuristic city of Neptune, stands out from the dilapidated ruins and extraterrestrial structures commonly found in Destiny 2 patrol zones. Instead, it immerses Guardians in a cyberpunk metropolis teeming with the encroaching forces of Darkness.

Neomuna builds upon the newer destination and vendor systems introduced throughout 2022. Players who explore its events and lost sectors are rewarded with hidden secrets and valuable loot, making it a vast improvement over previous patrol zones. Yet, it is not without flaws; notably, the bustling city feels strangely empty. Nevertheless, this is not a major drawback since Destiny 2 patrol zones rarely feature numerous allied characters. If fans can overlook this aspect, they will be captivated by Neomuna's towering skyscrapers and vibrant neon lights.

1 Savathun's Throne World (Court Of Savathun)

The Throne World of the Witch Queen is a remarkable achievement. Its launch in 2022 transformed destination vendors into a functional progression system, gradually revealing new areas of the map. This allowed players to unlock a plethora of hidden content that fully utilized the Hive Lightbearer enemies introduced in The Witch Queen expansion.

With its diverse array of swamps and white gothic castles, the Throne World stands out as one of the most visually stunning locations. It exudes an eerie atmosphere that perfectly complements the events and campaign. Among all the patrol zones in Destiny 2, Savathun's Throne World stands out as a destination that expertly builds upon past successes, creating an exceptional experience for players.

Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.