How to get back into Destiny with the Rise of Iron expansion
Destiny is approachable, even if you haven't played since before The Taken King was released.

Destiny's second expansion, Rise of Iron was just released and it's a ton of fun whether you've been playing since day one, or you're just getting started. There is a third category of Destiny players: the lapsed, the folks who played the original game and then wandered away before the first expansion was released.
So you're hearing how great the new expansion is and you want to get back into Destiny? Here's what you need to know.
Returning is easy
Bungie has made it really easy to return to the game, even if you've been gone for two years. The main aspects of Destiny remain unchanged; basically... shoot everything. If you need a refresher before you jump into the new campaign, you can continue where you left off when you stopped playing.
Granted, doing so means you'll mow through the waves of baddies with ridiculous ease, but it means that you can remember where all of your controls are. This might not be necessary, but it is handy in a pinch.
Tokens are your friend
Jumping directly into Rise of Iron can be daunting. After all, it's a level 40 campaign. If you log back in and realize that you're only level 16, you might get discouraged. After all, who wants to grind through dozens of levels just to be able to play the new content?
Have no fear, because Bungie has you covered. When you first log in, you'll have access to a Token that can automatically level you up to 40. You'll get access to a full set of new guns, and armor that will pop your light up to 300. This inventory isn't the best that you can get, but it will set you up to get started.
Your character's class will also level up and allow you to choose which abilities and subclass you want to run with. While you certainly don't have to use the token, it does ensure that you can jump directly into Rise of Iron without having to play through all of the other content that is available.
Just remember one thing: that token is only usable one time. You can choose to either use it on an existing character, or a new character, but once you use it, that's it. You should be sure that the class you decide to level up is the one you really want to play with, because there's no take-backsies here.
There is new content everywhere
When Destiny first arrived on the scene, it wasn't exactly overflowing with content. So when you get back into it, things can be a bit overwhelming. You've got all of the missions that you remember from two years ago, as well as the brand new Rise of Iron content, The Taken King from last year, and more.
Both Taken King and Rise of Iron also include side quests and content that isn't directly tied in to the campaign. Even if you haven't played Taken King you'll still run into Taken enemies lurking in areas that they didn't initially inhabit. If anything this makes returning to a game you already know more fun because you aren't just repeating the original game.
Welcome back
So there you have it — Rise of Iron brings a lot of new content to Destiny, but it hasn't fundamentally changed the game. And you get to level right on up to 40 if you're not already there. If you let Destiny fall by the wayside, there's never been a better time to pick it back up!
Windows Central Newsletter
Get the best of Windows Central in your inbox, every day!
-
Nope Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
-
Come on.... it might not be as disappointing this time! I almost feel like this article was written for me as not playing it in two years is exactly what happened. It almost makes me want to give it another try. If I only had the time to waste.
-
I'm having a blast with it but then again, I bought the Taken king edition on sale for $20 last Christmas and payed $20 (thanks $10 Microsoft credit) for this expansion. I can see how year one people would be done with this game with what they've had to spend on it
-
So if coming. From the 360 I would have to buy all dlc over again then buy rise of iron?
-
If you have taken king on 360, you can buy destiny - the collection, which also includes all dlc and rise of iron, for a reduced price of 30$ on the xbox one, which is the same as others pay for the standalone rise of iron expansion. As you can also import your progress, I think that's as fair as it can get after the sad move of ditching the old consoles.
-
I bought the game when it came out. Bought the 1st & 2nd DLC. Gave up when it wouldn't let me play unless I had the new taken king DLC. Thought about going back, but then they ditched 360. So now I'd have to buy an Xbox one AND destiny for Xbox one. Screw it, I'm never buying DLC again. Especially from Bungie
-
$30 for too little content. Also, this was a 9-month rush job when Bungie realized they had to push Destiny 2 back a year.
-
You work for Bungie so you know, obviously....
-
No they have said they had to push it back. There's even documents that say destiny 2 is/was due fall of 2016. So he's no wrong there but the rush job it is not. Look up the "Comet" pic and it even shows after the "Comet" dlc a la The Taken King it shows two more dlc's after it. The first one being a Fallen dlc and I don't work for Bungie... So ya
-
Have they added varying gravity fields to the different planets yet? No? Then pass.
-
That is a very specific objection
-
Haha. While they're at it, make adjustable scopes on the snipers so I can account for that varying gravity, humidity and wind speed while cheesing the bosses. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
-
Yes! And breathing controls for the player characters!
-
And what about more realistic travel times, lets say six months of loading screen-travelling time from earth to mars?
-
Just get No Man's Sky.
-
I like Destiny though I still have no idea what the "story" is about. The gameplay is great and the graphics are good. But at the end of the day it is a bit boring to see the same patterns again and again. The add-ons haven't changed that for me. So I decided to not spend another 30 € (!!!) for this new one. Enough is enough. Give me something really new and big enough for the price.
-
Well worth the money. Play mechanics are spot on. Not too serious of a game, just fun. Just a great game all around, play with my spouse all the time. Did I mention it's a fun game, not a serious opera drama space sim. We need more fun games like this. I feel the evolution of video games went way to serious and sim like for me. Just because I'm an adult doesn't mean I want adult themed games. I have enough adult things going on in my life that I need some fun when I play video games. And Destiny fits the bill very well. Just my thoughts.
-
Points for having a game-playing spouse!
-
I agree. I've been playing the game almost every night since it came out. The story is blah, but the graphics and mechanics are superb. It was a bit of a grind at first, but later updates made upgrading and keeping pace a lot better. I only get 30-45 minutes at a time to game, and Destiny offers me some good low-stress play time. I'm not a DM player at all, but I do like coop. It's a game that offers something to multiple styles of play and ability.
-
Nothing holds a candle to how this game feels. I literally cannot finish any fps games because of this. Doom being the only exception.
-
Completely agree :) And this is the number one Co-Op game ever! :)
-
deleted for wonky comment tomfoolery.
-
I only play games that I can complete and with the never ending achievement list I gave up. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
-
For a game that was supposed to last 10 years, it didn't make 3 months. Never buying a Bungie game ever and not wasting more money on that crap. Those 2 DLCs are just day one content that was missing. I can't believe how stupid people can be, getting scam and keep throwing money at them every year. No wonder the game market is what it is right now ( most releases are unfinished game with DLC and micro transaction /pay to win even before reaching alpha test.)
-
Word.
-
Excellent point.
-
Ditto.
-
I miss the old days when you paid for the game you got the whole game.....n64 days