Destiny: The Ice Throne

Destiny: The Ice Throne
Developer(s)	Bungie
Publisher(s)	Activision
Distributor(s)	Activision
Series	Destiny
Engine	Destiny Engine
Platform(s)	PS4, XBox One
Release date	25 April 2017
Genre(s)	First Person Shooter, Science Fiction/Fantasy, MMO Lite, Looter Shooter, Action RPG
Mode(s)	Multiple

“	The invasion has just begun.	„
	~ DLC Tagline

Destiny: The Ice Throne is a DLC expansion pack for Destiny. It was designed to rework the game from the ground up and change some original campaign content for the better. It was released in 2017 as Year 4 content and a second expansion, Dawn of Crimson, continued its storylines and changes.

Gameplay

The game now has an increased level cap, which is Level 60. The light level system has been altered slightly. Now light levels are not only locked behind high level gear, but also linked to your subclass progression. Every single ability unlocked on your subclass grants 5 Light Points each. The way to unlock subclasses has been completely altered. Now, old weapons and armor can be immersed in light using a new activity to get them to your current max light item of the same item type. This allows even commons to be brought up to the new 600 light level cap.

The weapons system has been modified as well. Now, weapons are not classified as primary, special and heavy, but instead as kinetic, energy and power. The ammo amount acquired by weapons on picking up ammo drops will remain the same, but a kinetic weapon will always need a kinetic ammo drop (white), a energy will always need a energy ammo drop (green) and a power will always need a power ammo drop (purple). Also new are the new golden ammo drops which are very rare and replenish all kind of weapons ammunition for 2 magazines worth per pickup. The new weapon system means that a sword only build is now possible. All previous weapons from Year 1, 2 and 3 have been updated to fit.

Locations

The game introduces three new locations, one being a social space and one located on Earth. The new areas are Mumbai Push, an area filled with a new House of the Fallen and two new enemy factions, one being the wild beasts, encompassing all hostile jungle creatures, and the Masons, a race of ancient builders. Another new area is Fort Obsidian on Deimos, home of the House of Obsidian and also the place of your new activity. This is a non combat social area as the House is allied with the Vanguard. Here is a Cryptarch, Battle Arena, a new activity, the Forge of Obsidian, another new activity and the Throne Room, where you may speak to the Kell, Feylorr the Wise. The last new area is the Frozen Forest, located somewhere in the Asteroid Belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Story

Original Campaign

The changes are mostly inconsequential to the story, but add more gameplay time and more depth to the characters. Instead of the opening cutscene, now there is a new one where 3 astronauts are readying to reach Mars and their landing. After this, Prologue Mission 1 beings, where you must successfully navigate your path to the Traveller without splitting from your team. You are equipped with a Khvostov and a Flare Gun for this mission, and may use the Flare Gun if split. After walking and listening to conversations, you reach the Traveller and a cutscene begins, showing the development of Earth, instead of just narration. The second prologue mission is played as a Guardian with Rare Weapons and armor all around, trying to defend a far off city being swarmed by Hive and Fallen. After this, a cutscene begins, narrating how the cities fell one by one, with only one last city remaining. The original campaign then begins. The later part of the campaign has also been changed slightly, to show a Vex invasion beginning on the Tower, just before the final campaign mission. You are forced to defend the Tower, after which it is urgent to end this threat. The last mission is then played as normal.

Other changes include a bit more dialogue from Zavala, Ikora and Cayde to help flesh them out, with them instructing you on missions instead of your Ghost. They will now banter, much like in the Taken King, but regularly. A few additional mission have been given alternate paths depending on your class, with Hunters having more risky routes with less mobs but lots of major enemies on the path with some platforming elements, while Warlocks have much smaller fights and with much more puzzles. Titans will face the classic battle with mobs and bosses formula of the original release, with this being a major overhaul to the campaign.

Ice Throne Storyline

Due to the various changes to the original campaign and to the gameplay, the new storyline lacks any new strikes and raids. It consists of a few story missions in which the Guardian will be sent to investigate the Mumbai Push area, and be forced to flee. After this, the Guardian will be sent to Fort Obsidian to bargain with the Kell, in which the guardian will be forced to fight the Kell in a darkness zone with no super, melee or grenade abilities. After successfully defeating the Kell, the Kell joins forces with the Vanguard and the House of Obsidian in Mumbai Push stop being hostile but instead help the Guardians. After this, the Guardina recieves an optional mission in which the Frozen Fire must be brought from the Cosmodrome, in the base of the House of Kings, to the Forge of Obsidian. On completing this, the player gains access to a frost based subclass. The Guardian must then accompany Cayde on a mission to analyze this new enemy species in the Mumbai area by collecting samples. Handing them over to Ikora, the Guardian then is sent to some extra mission, which include helping Feylorr, the Kell of the House of Obsidian to repair the Forge,or to practice fighting with no light in the Battle Arena. After doing any one of these (the other is still available) Ikora sends the Guardian to a set of coordinates in the asteroid belt. Upon reaching the area, known as the Frozen Forest, the Guardian will encounter several ruins that resemble the ruins of Mumbai Push and fight of several Masons and their creations. After this, you must stop their ruler, Kreix, who plans to claim Earth and the Fallen for his own by stopping him from sending the Frozen Forest to Earth. The mission involves entring the Ice Throne, and fighting Kreix, who does not die but instead runs away after being beaten, trapping the Guardians inside. After this, the player must survive waves of Masons, trying to find a way to break the portal through which they are entering, when Zavala comes to assist the Guardian to break the portal. After it is done, you return to Fort Obsidian, where Feylorr greets you and gifts you a Fallen Axe, and you are accepted as allies of Elinski.

Story Missions

• Scouting Mumbai: Face the creatures of the wild lurking in the ruins of this city turned forest.
• Heart of Obsidian: Can you convince the Kell to be your ally by dueling him? Even without your abilities?
• Frozen Fire: An ancient piece of the Forge of Obsidian, ripped by traitorous Archons. Perhaps you can benefit from helping the Kell? (Optional)
• The Ones Who Came Before: Find out more about the mysterious Masons and the reason they are in Mumbai Push. And Cayde is with you.
• Fixing the Forge: Stop the Cabal from destroying the Forge and help repair its damage. If Feylorr is pleased, he might even let you test it for free, just this once. (Optional) (Must do this or The Duelists)
• The Lightless Guardian: Fight the bravest Vandals and Arash to prove your dominance in the ring... without any light. (Optional) (Must do this or Fixing the Forge)
• The Frozen Forest: Find this mysterious place Guardian. End this threat.
• Return for the King: Go back to the Frozen Forest and lock away this opponent. He must not be able to fullfil his plans Guardian.
• A Humble Gift, A New Age: Become one of the Fallen. Accept their gift.

Battle Arena

The Battle Arena is governed by Arash Akul, a Vandal from the House of Kings who defected to the House of Obsidian. He offers some special gear as rewards and also sells some gear that helps in the Battle Arena. There are 3 types of battles, Normal, Heroic and Challenge. In normal, you fight Dregs, Vandals and Captains with no abilities and no super abilities in an endless Horde Mode. Every wave you survive gives you 100 Obsidian Reputation, which allows you to buy engrams from Arash. In heroic, you fight against them with no regenerating health and only your primary. This grants the same amount of reputation but gives 10% extra XP and every 10 rounds drops a legendary engram, with a 25% chance of an exotic dropping instead. Challenges occur every Wednesday on both modes, in which you fight Arash Akul in round 1 and the Kell in round 2. In normal challenge, round 1 drops a rare engram and round 2 drops a legendary while in heroic, round 1 drops a legendary engram and round 2 drops an exotic. These also give you 1000 Obsidian Reputation. Every week on Sundays in your first fight, instead of the regular rules, you fight a random strike boss with all abilities always charged and no weapons with no regenerating health. Success in this grants a rare engram and 250 Obsidian Reputation.

Forge of Obsidian

Forge of Obsidian is a new activity headed by Krommr, an Archon Priest. He sells items needed to forge, reforge and immerse items in light. In the activity itself, you most alone head inside a forge and throw enough obsidian shards into the furnace to heat it up. Every now and then you will need to add another to keep up the heat. Meanwhile, Obsidian Constructs will appear, preventing you from maintaining heat. When at maximum heat, you must reach the central chamber and throw the needed material into one of the three pits, each for one of the three activities, forging, reforging and immersing in light. In forging, you will need to put in the right amounts of the right materials and maintain the heat to create the item, after which Krommr will call you to hand you the item. In reforging, you put in an existing item and materials to increase its rank by one step, up to legendary. When done, Krommr will call you to hand you the item. If immersing in light, you will need to give another item of the same type and the item which you wish to immerse in light. This will stop your health from regenerating while in the Forge for that session. You will need the longest time to do this, after which your old item will permanently meld with the other to give your desired item the light level of the melded item. This replaces infusion. Once immersed in light, the item may not be reforged. Every session to the forge costs 1000 glimmer for 10 minutes. It takes 1 minute to heat the forge, 1 minute of ignoring it to cool the forge, 3 minutes to forge an item, 2 to reforge and 8 to immerse in light. Obsidian Constructs drop 100 Glimmer each.

Subclasses

Icesmasher (Titan)

Ignore you pain... someone else will feel it soon enough.

• Grenades:
  • Freeze Grenade: On impact, it creates a layer of ice, halving the speed of anyone in the central blast radius.
  • Frost Dagger: No explosion, deals triple the regular precision hit damage.
  • Snow Grenade: cover area with fine mist to prevent seeing through properly.
• Super:
  • Glacial Smash: Jump up and then land with icy fists, creating an explosion of ice around you and creating a mist in the area to prevent seeing through.
  • Lingering Pain: The mist deals Frost damage equal to level every second.
  • Frozen Bones: Enemies hit by the explosion takes 10% extra damage from you.
  • Redirect: While mid-air, gain the ability to aim your landing.
• Melee:
  • Frosty Fist: Freeze enemies who are punched, halving their speed.
  • Avalanche: Using your melee on a frozen enemy doubles damage.
  • Icy Shell: When not killing your target with this, gain a ice shield that protects you from all damage for 2s.
  • Killstreak: Killing an enemy with a normal melee reduces your cooldown to half for 2 minutes.
• Misc. Perk I:
  • Best Served Cold: Killing enemies using Frost Abilities grants +5% XP.
  • Cold Blooded: Be invisible on the tracker. Enemies cannot see you in mists.
  • Stand Tall: Taking damage from Majors, Ultras and Bosses resets your grenade and melee cooldowns.
• Misc. Perk II:
  • Channel: When all abilities are fully charged, take 10% less damage, deal 10% more damage, heal 10% faster.
  • Cold Shoulder: Enemies will not target you as a first choice. This applies to enraged enemies.
  • Destroyer's Dash: Using your melee or grenade while sprinting triggers a short line in front of you to take a huge amount of Frost damage.

Weapons

Auto Rifles

Common
Brevieth K2R: 100-450 Light
Every guardian needs to remember his roots
Available through engrams, from Arash Akul, Feylorr and from the Forge.

Rare
Suros Polyshot: 213-389 Light
Rapid. Lightweight. Precise. SUROS
Has perk rolls to boost speed, stability and fire rate.
Available from engrams, Arash Akul.

Hakke Oblong Assault: 125-402 Light
A hard hitting fully auto rifle. Distinctly Hakke.
Has perk rolls to maximize range, impact and stability.
Available from the Arena engrams and from the Forge.

Enemies

Two new enemy factions have been added, with one House of the Fallen added called the House of Obsidian.

Reception

Destiny: The Ice Throne received mixed reception. It was praised my many to give solo endgame content and improve upon the original campaign through the changes, but was criticized for its lack of strikes, raids and due to forcing old players to replay the original campaign after paying 40$ to enjoy something they had payed 60$ for. Hardcore fans were split due to the lack of new raids and strikes and the introduction of two very appreciated modes. The story was also appreciated for showing of what the Vanguard could do on the field and show Fallen as more human, but blasted for feeling incomplete and not reaching the heights of The Taken King's. The replacement of the infusion system with the Light Immersion was widely appreciated.