Month: June 2023

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Character Collection 1 & 2, More Skins Than Substance

DLC · Purchased June 17, 2023 · $13.99 via PSN

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Character Collection 1 & 2
Photo: TT Games / PlayStation

The Setup

This bundle combines two waves of downloadable character packs for LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, adding characters from The Mandalorian, Solo: A Star Wars Story, classic OT heroes and villains, and more — 13 packs in total.

The Review

A big boost to an already-massive playable roster, and better value than buying all 13 packs separately. The Mandalorian and Solo-era characters were the ones I actually wanted. That said, a lot of these are cosmetic skin variants with no unique gameplay difference, so the "substance" here is mostly just having more faces to pick from.

What I Liked

  • Huge boost to the already-massive character roster
  • Better value than buying packs individually
  • Brings in fan-favorite Mandalorian/Solo characters

What I Didn’t

  • Many characters are cosmetic variants with little gameplay difference
  • Requires the (already content-packed) base game

The Verdict

Rating: 3/5

Where to Buy

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Still the Series’ Best-Written Expansion

Games · Purchased June 11, 2023 · $18.74 via PSN

Destiny 2: The Witch Queen
Photo: Bungie / Steam

The Setup

Right after finishing The Collection, I moved on to The Witch Queen — Destiny 2’s sixth expansion, centered on Savathûn, the Witch Queen of the Hive, and her theft of the Light. It introduced the Void 3.0 subclass rework, weapon crafting, and the Vow of the Disciple raid.

The Review

Playing it a year after launch, it’s clear why this is still considered the series’ best-written campaign. Weapon crafting gave a genuine long-term chase, and Vow of the Disciple is a standout raid. Bungie later scaled crafting back from what it was at launch, which stings a bit for anyone (like me) coming in after the fact and reading about what it used to be.

What I Liked

  • Widely regarded as Destiny 2’s best-written campaign
  • Weapon crafting added real chase and customization
  • Vow of the Disciple raid is a standout
  • Strong new legendary weapon pool (glaives)

What I Didn’t

  • Weapon crafting was later scaled back by Bungie
  • Higher-difficulty replays for loot can feel grindy

The Verdict

Rating: 5/5

Where to Buy

Destiny: The Collection, Catching Up on the Original Before Circling Back to Destiny 2

Games · Purchased June 10, 2023 · $26.39 via PSN

Destiny: The Collection
Photo: Bungie / PlayStation

The Setup

Before I went further into Destiny 2’s expansions I wanted to actually play the original, so I picked up The Collection — the original Destiny plus every expansion released for it: The Dark Below, House of Wolves, The Taken King, and Rise of Iron, all in one package.

The Review

A massive amount of content for the price, and a genuinely good entry point for catching up on Destiny 1’s story before diving deeper into Destiny 2. The Taken King and Rise of Iron content in particular still holds up as some of the series’ best. The population for older activities is thin these days, and some of the Year One content feels dated compared to Destiny 2.

What I Liked

  • Massive amount of content for one price
  • Great entry point for catching up on Destiny 1
  • The Taken King and Rise of Iron content still holds up

What I Didn’t

  • Thin population/matchmaking for older activities now
  • Some Year One content feels dated
  • No cross-save with Destiny 2 progress

The Verdict

Rating: 4/5

Where to Buy