Unveiling Destiny 2's Enhanced Festival of the Lost: A Giant Leap for Players

Highlights

Destiny 2's Festival of the Lost adds new features like Legend Haunted Sectors and Eerie Engrams, making events more rewarding and fun in the long run.

Adding an event-specific Memento could pose difficulties due to its promotion of FOMO and limited availability within a short period. The event's emphasis on wearing FotL Masks and the reliance on Eerie Engrams for the Memento might not be enjoyable for individuals who prioritize buildcrafting.

The seasonal events in Destiny 2 have faced challenges recently due to a lack of fresh content and the repetitive nature of grinding for power. This has diminished the value of certain features, like armor rerolling in Solstice, which would have been more impactful in the past. Additionally, the timing of these events typically occurs after the main story has concluded, and the rewards for participating may not always feel worthwhile or meaningful, especially for long-time players. However, Destiny 2's Festival of the Lost brings a breath of fresh air by introducing new features that aim to enhance the relevance and rewards of these events. The addition of Legend Haunted Sectors as a new game mode, along with the inclusion of Eerie Engrams as rewards for any Festival of the Lost activity, are positive changes that will make this particular event more enjoyable in the long term. Furthermore, these changes may serve as a template for future events. On the other hand, the introduction of an event-specific Memento may not be the best idea.

Why Destiny 2's New Festival of the Lost Memento is Problematic

Initially, Mementos in Destiny 2 were a compelling concept. They were rare drops that players could strive for in core activities like Gambit, GM Nightfalls, and Trials of Osiris. However, their implementation had several drawbacks. Firstly, they were limited to customized weapons, and each player could only possess one of each type. Obtaining additional Mementos was impossible if players already had one in their inventory.

Similar to the perplexing Glimmer cap in Destiny 2, this restriction made little sense at launch and remains unchanged. According to the latest TWID post, the upcoming 2023 edition of Festival of the Lost will introduce a fresh Memento that players can only acquire through the event's exclusive Eerie Engrams. This signifies that this rare drop will solely be available for a limited time during the festival. Considering the event's expected duration of three weeks, players must act promptly to obtain all the desired loot.

This poses a problem because not only will this Memento likely be restricted to one per inventory until it is used up, but it also reinforces Destiny 2's fear of missing out (FOMO), something that Bungie has been trying to combat. The fact that players only have three weeks to acquire and immediately spend Mementos for more creates controversy rather than enhancing the enjoyment of the Festival of the Lost event, unless Bungie increases the Memento limit.

Adding insult to injury, Destiny 2's Festival of the Lost heavily emphasizes wearing FotL Masks while completing activities to receive associated loot, which is disheartening for those who prioritize building customized characters. Additionally, since Eerie Engrams are the sole source of event Mementos and they drop more frequently from challenging Legend Haunted Sectors, players will have to devote more time to difficult activities with subpar equipment, all while feeling the pressure to complete them quickly to avoid missing out. As a result, the new FotL Memento may seem like a positive addition, but it actually hinders the game's progress.

Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.