Summary
There’s much to be excited about regarding the upcoming content drops forDestiny 2. While the hotly anticipatedThe Final Shape DLCwill be available on June 4, Into the Light is a free update that recently came to the game. While the origin of Into the Light may have stemmed from necessity, one of its defining features makes it particularly appealing, and it could serve as an inspiration forBorderlands 4.
The upcomingDestiny 2Into The Light DLC was originally conceived as an appetizer for its successor, as The Final Shape’s release was delayed. However, this update turns out to have an ace up its sleeve, as it includes an “Onslaught” horde mode in which the Witness throws every bit of its firepower at the Guardian to keep them from reaching their stronghold atop the Traveler. A horde mode can be an experience that players keep coming back to in an intricately-designed first-person shooter such asDestiny, and the concept would work equally well inBorderlands 4.
Destiny 2’s Horde Mode Should Inspire Borderlands 4
How Destiny 2’s Onslaught Mode Came To Be
Destiny 2’s The Final Shape was delayedto June 2024, leaving a gap for players seeking interim content. The result of this gap is Into the Light, a free content update that sees the Guardian throwing its full forces against the Guardian in the Last City, a desperate attempt to keep the Guardian from puncturing its foothold on the Traveler. These forces come in the form of an “Onslaught Mode,” in which enemies arrive in 15–20 waves at a time.
The benefits of a horde mode to a world such asDestinyare clear. While the intricate narrative arcs ofDestinynecessitate some pretty straight-forward gameplay activities, the"Onslaught Mode" of Into The Lightpromises something fresh from a gameplay standpoint. It allows players to experiment with different builds and an “endless battle” free of conventional mission limitations, with exciting rewards available in the form of updated weapons pulled straight from Shaxx’s vault.
According to Bungie, the release of Into The Light will include an Onslaught Challenge, available for the first 3 teams to 50 Legend waves. Having similar challenges in a Borderlands equivalent of Onslaught could also be a possibility if Gearbox wanted to embrace the concept.
How Onslaught Mode Can Help Borderlands 4
While this endlessly replayable mode is certainly welcome inDestiny 2, it can be equally beneficial forBorderlands 4. The nextBorderlandsinstallment currently lacks a release date, but there’s always a desire for more plasma-blasting battles across Pandora and other planets, so when the game finally arrives, it would be great to see a horde mode included as one of its major features.
Borderlandshas flirted with horde mode-like gameplay mechanics in the past, as theBorderlands 3Circles of Slaughterincluded increasingly difficult waves of enemies, yet this endgame activity had specific end points and goals. A pure horde mode would allow players to take advantage of the best ofBorderlands: building Vault Hunters, fighting hordes of Bandits and creatures, and Crimson Raiding for fun and loot. Players could fight increasingly difficult waves of enemies, with every mob from the game mixed in, as opposed to the faction-specific Circles of Slaughter. Special traps and upgrades could also be included, like Onslaught’s Decoys, Tripwires, and Turrets. Additionally, a larger pool of exclusive weapons to chase than what the Circles of Slaughter offered would help keep the mode active.
Regardless of whetherBorderlands 4features a horde mode of its own, the Onslaught mode featured inDestiny 2’s Into the Light is an exciting addition to the series. It also serves as a much-needed teaser for The Final Shape in June, which will undoubtedly be massive for the Bungie title.
