Destiny 2 Lightfall is already reminding me of the best era of Halo games

Remember when Bungie used to make Halo games? They were great, weren’t they? Some of the tightest, smartest shooters around – revolutionary in the way they opened up the corridors of the genre and popularised the use-the-weapons-of-your-enemy mechanic. Whether you were playing as Master Chief in the main trilogy or some plucky young upstarts in ODST or Reach, those games are packed tight with some of the most iconic moments in FPS history. And Bungie is drawing on that Legacy for its Lightfall expansion in Destiny 2.

Last year, at the launch of Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, I said Bungie knocked it out of the park in one of the best FPS campaigns I’ve played in years. The story was tight, the missions were well-paced and intriguing, the mechanics shunted into the game were fun and invigorating. It seems the developer is capable of bottling lightning for two years in a row, then, because the newest campaign, Lightfall, has done it again. In fact, I think it might be even better.

I am a true believer in Destiny. I think, outside of the content treadmill that sets in with the game’s seasonal stuff, it’s one of the most impressive shooters ever made. Ever. Yes, a big statement, but you cannot argue with the design and gunfeel of most of the weaponry. Pulling the trigger on pretty much any gun feels amazing, and using your powers to put enemies to bed will never get old. Summoning space magic down from on high to melt a boss’ health bar as you mate fills it with hot plasma? It’s the bombast that sci-fi dreams are made of.