The Sunless Cell: How Bungie Revived a Fan-Favorite Mission for a Modern Destiny 2
Episode Heresy – Act III arrived in Destiny 2 last week, the final instalment of the three-part series continuing the story of Destiny 2 following the events of The Final Shape. One activity that Guardians will encounter this season is a revival of a classic mission from the original Destiny.
The Sunless Cell is a strike that first appeared as part of The Taken King expansion for the original Destiny, almost a decade ago. Of course, a lot has changed in terms of Destiny 2’s narrative and technological scopes – this content must stay true to its gameplay roots while also working in the modern sandbox of Destiny 2. Thankfully, this is a dance that Bungie has done many times now, and the studio is now a dab hand at the art of bringing back past content back and ensuring that it stands tall as a compelling addition to Destiny 2’s current storyline.
But what exactly goes into this process? Destiny 2 Design Lead Baldur Tangvald and Designer J. Valencia spoke to Wire to give us a look at the decision-making behind the revivals, choosing the right content from over ten years of story, and how to make it work for both old and new fans alike.
“First we start by looking at aspects that make the strike unique or memorable, any standout moments or encounters, and how the strike flows,” Valencia explains. “Then we take the skeleton of the original strike and update encounters and mechanics to fit Destiny 2’s current sandbox experience, which allows for higher combatant density and new enemy types, while keeping the experience of the original.”
Old Ground, New Tricks
Episode Heresy revolves heavily around the Hive – an ancient race in Destiny’s universe that spawned many of its antagonists and enemy types. One major location is the Dreadnaught, a sprawling area crawling with Hive, which also serves as the setting for Heresy’s ongoing The Nether activity as well as the original unless Cell strike. “Heresy’s heavy focus on the Hive within the Dreadnaught made this strike seem like a particularly good inclusion to serve as a beat in the story,” Valencia added. “Early on in development we wanted to maximize the amount of space we could incorporate into The Nether activity with our efforts to update the Dreadnaught. The Founts area near the start of the strike had good space for combat and plenty of nooks and crannies required for The Nether, so we felt it was a good opportunity to expand on Heresy’s arena activity, tell a stronger story, and inject some freshness into the strike playlist all at once.”
A Fan Favorite
The original Sunless Cell strike was a firm favourite among Destiny’s earliest players, and while it now feels simpler than a lot of modern Destiny 2 strikes, some of its combat beats still feel unique and memorable today. In the original version, the boss fight against Alak-Hul, The Darkblade took place in total darkness, and as Tangvald recalls, “created a hectic cat-and-mouse game with the boss that felt different and refreshing.”
“The glow of Cursed Thrall heads and little Hive crystals in the pitch-black space gave it an extra cool vibe,” he adds. “This unusual environmental element made for an interesting new set of combat pressures and challenges, and it very effectively communicated a sense of fear and danger. It’s a knife fight in a dark closet, and there wasn’t another strike boss quite like it.”
Bungie’s goal with the reprised version of the strike was to not only bring it in line with the modern Destiny 2 player experience, but also to weave in some of the new Hive variants that have been introduced to the narrative. The strike’s original boss, Alak-Hul has been replaced by a powerful new Darkblade working alongside the mysterious Taken. Instead, Guardians must take down a powerful new Darkblade.
“Sunless Cell’s boss fight is one of its most unique parts, making the Guardian feel hunted by Alak-Hul in the darkness,” Valenica says. “And although that feeling is still there in this reprise, the Guardians must now also contend with the Taken enemies inside the cell and prevent this new adversary from being Taken itself.”
“While the story surrounding the Guardians infiltrating the Sunless Cell has been updated to match the story and fit into the narrative for Heresy, I feel like the structure of the strike is still faithful to the original while throwing in a couple of surprises and making it challenging for today’s sandbox.”
What’s more, Destiny’s decade-long tenure means that, in some cases, those who started out as fans of the game are now actively working on it themselves, with a hand in reinventing and reinvigorating their own fan-favorite moments for other players to experience for the second, or even first time.
“About ten years ago I was singing praises for this particular strike during my [interviews to join Bungie],” Tangvald tells us. “We’re all excited to have it back, have strived to honor it and embrace its unique elements, and we hope that you enjoy it as much as we do!”
Destiny 2: Heresy is available now, play it on for free on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
Destiny 2
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AN IMMERSIVE STORY
You are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.
GUARDIAN CLASSES
Choose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.
• Disciplined and proud, Titans are capable of both aggressive assaults and stalwart defenses. Set your hammer ablaze, crack the sky with lightning, and go toe-to-toe with any opponent. Your team will stand tall behind the strength of your shield.
• Warlocks weaponize the mysteries of the universe to sustain themselves and destroy their foes. Rain devastation on the battlefield and clear hordes of enemies in the blink of an eye. Those who stand with you will know the true power of the Light.
• Agile and daring, Hunters are quick on their feet and quicker on the draw. Fan the hammer of your golden gun, flow through enemies like the wind, or strike from the darkness. Find the enemy, take aim, and end the fight before it starts.
COOPERATIVE AND COMPETITIVE MULTIPLAYER
Play with or against your friends and other Guardians in various PvE and PvP game modes.
• Exciting co-op adventures teeming await with rare and powerful rewards. Dive into the story with missions, quests, and patrols. Put together a small fireteam and secure the chest at the end of a quick Strike. Or test your team’s skill with countless hours of raid progression – the ultimate challenge for any fireteam. You decide where your legend begins.
• Face off against other players in fast-paced free-for-all skirmishes, team arenas, and PvE/PvP hybrid competitions. Mark special competitions like Iron Banner on your calendar and collect limited-time rewards before they’re gone.
EXOTIC WEAPONS AND ARMOR
Thousands of weapons, millions of options. Discover new gear combinations and define your own personal style. The hunt for the perfect arsenal begins.
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