With the 30th Anniversary Pack and The Witch Queen patches, it became clear that Bungie wants Destiny 2 players to craft their own builds - and now their weapons, all to give them more agency over what their characters can do. As such, Destiny 2’s Exotic weapons and armor pieces became all the more important, as their unique perks and traits change the way the game is played. In terms of worldbuilding, Exotics are also a fantastic tool to build on existing lore, telling new stories or providing more depth to some characters. In a roundtable interview session with Game Rant, Destiny 2 concept artist Dima Goryainov spoke about it means to give new life to certain characters, and why Exotic designs matter.
RELATED: Destiny 2: How to Get First Vow of the Disciple Chest Solo
Why Destiny 2’s Exotic Items are Often Tied to Storytelling
Exotics in Destiny 2 are often tied to specific locations, characters, or events, and they can tell a story of their own through lore tabs, unique quest steps, or dialogue. An example is Dead Man’s Tale from the Presage mission, which launched in Season of the Chosen and explored the events onboard the Glykon; a Cabal ship adrift near the Tangled Shore where Emperor Calus carried out Scorn experiments. In this case, the lore tab associated with Dead Man’s Tale explores the relationship between the gun’s previous owner, Katabasis, and their Ghost, providing more context to the events on the Glykon in the process.
There are many other examples in Destiny 2 regarding how Exotics are used to tell stories, and how stories are used to introduce Exotics. This logic is further emphasized by Raid-exclusive Exotics and loot, according to Goryainov, as they often give voice to characters that players will never meet. They may also be tied into the events of the game in terms of design, both for gameplay and aesthetics.
Because there are many layers to Destiny 2’s stories and how they are told, it doesn’t come as a surprise that the purpose of Exotics goes above and beyond providing unique items. Sometimes, Goryainov said Exotics can be a good way to learn more about characters from the franchise’s past, or legendary Guardians in the stories of old.
This has branching effects on the game and its community as well, as the imagery of Felwinter that Goryainov focused on is now associated with the iconic in-game Exotic just as much as lore tabs on the character. Even in fan art, Felwinter is always depicted with his helmet on because that’s a distinctive trait players know about, showing how impactful even the design for Exotic items can be on Destiny 2’s narrative.
Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE: Destiny 2: Vow of the Disciple Raid Symbol and Callouts Visual Guide
