In Destiny 2<\/em><\/strong>, dungeons are designed to be self-contained experiences often relating to a wider narrative branch of the Destiny <\/em>universe, but built with their own gameplay mechanics, boss encounters and, most importantly for many, themed loot. The challenges faced within a dungeon require wits and a coordinated fireteam (although the most seasoned players can try to complete it solo), and conquering a piece of high-level content like this is one of the most rewarding Destiny 2<\/em> experiences.<\/p>\n With that in mind, they\u2019re also a marvel of game design. When you first enter a dungeon, almost everything is a mystery. There\u2019s no waypoint, no guidance \u2013 even finding the right way to go is a test of your intuition, and that\u2019s before you\u2019ve encountered any puzzles, enemies, or high-octane boss encounters.<\/p>\n Destiny 2<\/em>\u2019s newest dungeon, Vesper\u2019s Host, was introduced at the start of\u00a0Revenant <\/em>earlier this month and is an exciting continuation of the dungeon entries. Vesper\u2019s Host takes Guardians into the depths of an abandoned Braytech space station being damaged by a mysterious anomaly, and the setting takes an unnerving horror turn as you uncover its depths.<\/p>\n Inside this atmospheric new environment, you may come across a new set of armor, as well as a fresh pool of weapons that are exclusive to this dungeon. Among them is the returning Exotic Sniper Rifle Ice Breaker, an original Destiny <\/em>weapon that has finally returned to the game with a set of updated perks that complement the current Destiny 2<\/em> experience. With plenty of brand new and returning treats up for grabs, it\u2019s the perfect time to drop in and test your mettle against what lurks in Vesper\u2019s Host, and if you\u2019ve not been following the evolution of Destiny 2<\/em>\u2019s dungeons, you\u2019re in a for a pleasant surprise.<\/p>\n We spoke to several key designers and developers on the Destiny 2<\/em> team to break down some of the core elements of Vesper\u2019s Host,\u00a0 discuss what goes into drafting and crafting the dungeon experience, and ask about some of Vesper\u2019s Host unique additions that make it the most mechanically unique dungeon yet.<\/p>\n Delving In<\/strong><\/p>\n Before a dungeon can enter its granular planning stages, several high-level decisions need to be made about its setting, and how it slots into the catalogue of existing dungeons, according to Destiny 2<\/em> Design Lead Brian Frank. The team intentionally seeks to create contrast from one dungeon\u2019s theme and setting to the next. The last dungeon, Warlord\u2019s Ruin, took place in a brisk, fantasy-style arena, full of snow-capped medieval architecture \u2013 a starkly different setting to the hard sci-fi design of Vesper\u2019s Host.<\/p>\n \u201cGuardians have explored Braytech facilities before, and while previously it\u2019s felt very clean and sterile, a big environmental goal was to take something familiar and twist it into a new context that felt fresh and exciting,\u201d explains Ryan Baker, Senior Environment Artist on Destiny 2<\/em>. \u201cThere\u2019s a theme of space madness with the Fallen spinning this web compelled by an alien mind, something has broken containment and swept through the station.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really wanted Guardians to step onto the station and feel like finding an old crime scene after something terrible happened.\u201d<\/p>\n Destiny 2<\/em> also shines in its ability to show Guardians the way with environmental nods and intuitive level design, a shrouded ledge or a well-placed light that alludes to a correct path. However, this aptitude is not always used for good \u2013 players are often tricked by what appears to be the way forward, only to meet a quick end in a trap or down a hole. The peril is short-lived and of no consequence (unless you\u2019re aiming for a flawless run with zero deaths) but laying out believable paths to send players the wrong way also encourages exploration and quick thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cUsing Revenant\u2019s <\/em>horror theme, we can run with a film analogy [in Vesper\u2019s Host],\u201d Baker tells us. \u201cOur approach is like writing a script. Thinking of the environment as the player journey, we need to identify where to create tension or provide a moment of respite to take in the scenery and get your bearings. The same peaks and valleys come with a good horror movie, and too many traps, like jump scares, could become stale or even tedious. Within the context of the entire dungeon experience, including the surrounding encounters and major emotional beats, we can space traps out appropriately to always feel warranted.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA good example: The second encounter is frantic and intense. After clutching the win, Guardians will begin a spacewalk for the second traversal. It is a quieter moment to breathe and absorb the new environmental storytelling. Just as they get comfortable, we start raining down lightning bolts, ramping up the tension by introducing a new environmental hazard spewing from the anomaly.\u201d<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve made your way through the winding, haunting corridors of the station, chewed through waves of smaller enemies and familiarized yourself with the dungeon\u2019s mechanics, you\u2019ll land at a boss room. Boss encounters are a core component of dungeons \u2013 and there are usually three very different encounters throughout each.<\/p>\n As a basic overview, players will typically be presented with a one large enemy that is immune to damage, and engaging with a set of mechanics or goals will unlock a limited-time phase to deal as much pain as possible before the immunity returns. The aim is to repeat these steps until the threat is taken care of, which sounds easy enough, but on a first run, it\u2019s a tough battle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe start all encounter designs by defining an experience statement, which describes the player fantasy for the encounter in one sentence,\u201d explains Chris Manprin, Design Lead on Destiny 2<\/em>. \u201cThey are guideposts to help drive a number of key design decisions, including narrative, boss behaviors, puzzle mechanics, and map layouts.\u201d<\/p>\n With that in mind, Vesper\u2019s Host features a particularly interesting encounter \u2013 Raneiks, a Servitor that can shift its form between one large sphere and nine smaller ones. It\u2019s the first dungeon boss that places a premium on area of effect damage that can hurt several smaller targets at once, rather than solely hitting big enemy as much as possible, which is a first for Destiny 2<\/em>\u2019s dungeons.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the Raneiks Unified encounter, being swarmed was a core part of the experience statement,\u201d Manprin adds. \u201cThis theme resonates throughout many elements of the encounter design. Players are trapped in a confined space, filled with enemies, then when teleported outside they are immediately surrounded by Shanks. Raneiks bombards players with bombs, and even in death, Raneiks multiplies tenfold.\u00a0 Almost every element of this encounter \u2018swarms\u2019 the player.\u201d<\/p>\n The unique design of Raneiks also in turn inspires versatility in how Guardians choose to conquer it, which, for a game that features over 1000 unique weapons and countless perk possibilities, is always extremely welcoming. With multiple targets to damage, there\u2019s much more room to get creative with those high-level loadouts.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re always looking for ways to react to the evolving meta and create experiences that feel unlike anything players have encountered before,\u201d explains Julia Condemi, Designer on Destiny 2<\/em>. \u201cWith Raneiks, we wanted to build a boss that would reward players for using their knowledge of the game\u2019s sandbox and their collection of weapons in a way they hadn\u2019t thought about previously.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome to use your old reliable favourites, but this boss says, \u2018Hey, that Grenade Launcher you haven\u2019t used since you got it? Those Heavy weapons with the One for All perk you have collecting dust in your vault? Those might be great here!\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The Destiny <\/em>team also had another \u2018first\u2019 to consider during the launch of Vesper\u2019s Host. This is the first dungeon launch to include Contest Mode \u2013 which challenges players to complete the dungeon at a heightened difficulty within the first 48 hours of it being live. This mode has typically been reserved for Destiny\u2019s <\/em>raids \u2013 endgame content that challenges a full fireteam of six to complete. That said, the community is still extremely enthusiastic about dungeon completion at launch \u2013 seasoned players will still race to be the first to beat it, and the introduction of Contest Mode to Vesper\u2019s Host is an official acknowledgement of such and adds that necessary extra hurdle for Destiny 2<\/em>\u2019s most practiced Guardians.<\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to reinforce and amplify what was already happening in the community when a new dungeon launched,\u201d says Frank. \u201cGiven historical completion times for dungeons without Contest Mode, we knew the difficulty would need to be increased to make the event worthy of the caliber of teams making day one attempts. \u201c<\/p>\n The pressure of competition and a limited time to earn rewards sees these players rapidly develop and refine strategies for overcoming Vesper\u2019s Host\u2019s unique puzzle mechanics, but it\u2019s worth nothing that unlike Destiny 2<\/em>\u2019s raids, dungeons are designed to be completable solo. This is an incredibly aspirational achievement, the most difficult thing to do in the game by a significant margin, but possible.<\/p>\n \u201c<\/em>Every encounter is designed with the intent that a single player with mastery over the encounters, sandbox, and buildcrafting can complete it,\u201d says Manprin. \u201cMechanics that lean too far into coordination or complexity are modified with consideration for the solo experience.<\/p>\n \u201cThe addition of Contest Mode came with systemic changes to support it.\u00a0 We branched the difficulty settings for normal and contest, which allowed for tuning boss health independently between the two versions.\u201d<\/p>\n Dungeons are not built to be completed once \u2013 they\u2019re designed to be run multiple times and contain a varied loot pool of armour and weapons, as well as one Exotic weapon with a rare chance to drop when the dungeon is completed. In Vesper\u2019s Host, the Exotic drop is Ice Breaker, a reintroduction of an Exotic Sniper Rifle that dates all the way back to 2014\u2019s Destiny<\/em>.<\/p>\n Longtime fans of the franchise have been eagerly awaiting the return of the weapon, but the team felt Vesper\u2019s Host\u2019s final encounter made for the perfect place to finally earn it back.<\/p>\n \u201cWith us coming into Destiny<\/em>\u2018s 10th Anniversary year we\u2019ve been looking at Destiny <\/em>weapons players remember most fondly, and Ice Breaker is right at the top of that list,\u201d says Chris Proctor, Senior Design Lead. \u201cGiven how strong the weapon is in endgame PvE content, it\u2019s fitting it come from a challenging PvE source, and so Vesper\u2019s Host made a ton of sense.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe put some time into updating the design of the weapon to match the Destiny 2<\/em> sandbox, trying to retain the feel of the original, but making the loop more interesting and giving it the Exotic 2.0 treatment to bring it up to our Destiny 2<\/em> Exotic weapon quality bar. At the end of this design process, we had something we were excited to ship, incorporating high ammo uptime and a Solar and Stasis tie-in.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re itching for a new Destiny 2<\/em> challenge or you\u2019re a seasoned Guardian that\u2019s due another run to score the coveted Ice Breaker Exotic, Vesper\u2019s Host is available to play in Destiny 2<\/em>: Revenant <\/em>now.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/xxboxnews.blob.core.windows.net\/prod\/sites\/2\/2024\/11\/VespersHostArt1-1e4a9f2727f3781974fb.jpg\")
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<\/figure>\nA New Encounter<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/figure>\nA Worthy Contest<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/figure>\nBreaking the Ice<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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