Destiny 2’s latest subclass, Strand, has been highly anticipated by players since its initial reveal. Unfortunately, its delivery inDestiny 2’s Lightfall expansion has left many feeling underwhelmed and disappointed. Bungie had promised that obtaining Strand’s Aspects and Fragments would be easier than what it was like earning Stasis in the Beyond Light expansion. While this is true to a point, Bungie’s approach with the Darkness subclass slows the progress of earning every Strand ability and Fragment, more than it should have.
One of the main issues with the Strand subclass is its overall availability. ThroughoutDestiny 2’s Lightfall campaign, players are given several opportunities to use the subclass temporarily, but only on a superficial level. Even worse, players don’t get full access to the Strand subclass until after completing the Lightfall campaign. This means that players have to wait until the endgame to fully experience the subclass, which is a significant letdown for those who have been eagerly awaiting its release. Meanwhile, most of the time, the temporary Strand sections of Lightfall don’t even let the player experience any of what their subclass' Aspects and Fragments can do.
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Unlocking Lightfall’s Strand Only Grants Players Two Aspects and One Fragment
When players do finally get access to the Strand subclass, they only get two Aspects. This limitation only allows for certain kinds of builds with no extra choices, which is disappointing since other Light and Darkness subclasses have three or even four Aspects to mix and match within the two Aspect slots. This lack of options makes the Strand subclass feel stifling, especially when compared to other subclasses that offer players more flexibility and creativity, and it mirrors the experience of Stasis at launch. The same can be said of the fewExotic armors inDestiny 2that fully synergize with Strand.
There just isn’t enough for players to make multiple interesting playstyles around Strand. Another issue with the Strand subclass is the Fragments. Players are given only one Fragment once the subclass is unlocked, and they must spend many hours earning Strand Meditations tounlock all Strand Fragments inDestiny 2. Initially, these Fragments were time-gated by Bungie, but after player feedback, the company released all of them to be earned at any time. Thankfully, each class' Aspects give a total of four Fragment slots, allowing for some fairly robust Fragment customization.
Strand’s Grapple Cooldown Makes the Ability Unreliable in Destiny 2
Strand’s grapple ability inDestiny 2has also been plagued with issues. The grapple cooldown is not low enough when out of combat, making it frustrating for players who want to use it frequently for traversal outside areas designed for it with Strand points to grapple to. Additionally, the grapple can be canceled early due to a bug or geometry, which can cause players to fall to their deaths or get stuck in awkward positions. These issues make the ability feel clunky and unreliable, a significant drawback for those relying on it for mobility and combat.
Destiny 2’s Strand subclassultimately falls short of player expectations due to its limited availability, lack of options, and frustrating issues with the grapple ability. While the subclass has the potential to be exciting and unique, it currently forces players to grind a whole lot just to obtain the Fragments and experiment with them to make builds, and while the changes do help, they are not enough. Bungie should address these issues if it wants more players to see the Strand subclass as a worthwhile addition to the game. Hopefully, Bungie will consider more player feedback and make the necessary changes to improve the subclass and give players the experience they deserve.
Destiny 2is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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