Destiny 2 has recently taken a step up in its PvE challenge department with the release of the Heresy episode. Players are finding the Taken Phalanx enemies more formidable than before, and the Unstoppable Champions have also received a power boost, turning high-level strategies on their head. As a result, Guardians might need to rethink their loadouts, carefully choose their weapons, and possibly adapt their abilities to tackle these newly toughened foes effectively.
After a bumpy period marked by internal turmoil at Bungie and numerous in-game issues, Destiny 2 is currently enjoying a revival with Episode Heresy. Although it’s uncertain whether this momentum will sustain as the game moves towards Frontiers and adopts a new content model, Bungie should capitalize on the current upswing. Unlike the era of Revenant, where bugs and gameplay issues were rampant, the latest release has avoided such pitfalls. However, players have noticed that the PvE aspect has become more challenging, and this unexpected shift in difficulty has left many wondering.
Over recent years, the game’s difficulty has been a contentious topic among players. Some felt that activities like Root of Nightmares were too easy to clear, while others found mechanics like Prismatic somewhat trivializing. Achieving a balance in a game as expansive as Destiny 2 is no small feat, so the recent uptick in difficulty in Heresy, which might even be the result of a bug, adds another layer of complexity. The Taken Phalanx enemies, in particular, have become significantly harder to defeat, often leading to challenging situations in endgame content.
In the Heresy episode, the Taken Phalanx units have become a thorn in the side of many Guardians. Known for their pesky knockback attacks, these enemies have elevated their nuisance factor with larger shields and altered stances, making them even tougher to beat. This change has sparked discussions across platforms like YouTube and Reddit, with players such as Chablo91 and FrostWendigo highlighting these challenges.
Whether or not Bungie intended this difficulty spike, it certainly impacts various high-stakes activities in Destiny 2, including Grandmaster Nightfalls, Expert Nether runs, and the Starcrossed Exotic Mission. The crux of the issue lies in the increased resilience of Taken Phalanxes and the Unstoppable Champions modeled on them. Consequently, players are finding it challenging to use certain stunning mechanics effectively, with the current Unstoppable mods tied to glaives and fusion rifles. This is especially noticeable when players rely heavily on Arc builds, which may require adjusting grenade selections to deal with these obstinate foes.
The enhanced shields and posture of the Taken Phalanx enemies make them harder targets for distant firefights, further complicating encounters. Unstoppable Champions also benefit from these enhancements, suggesting a strategic pivot towards using Exotics with built-in anti-Unstoppable features, such as the Malfeasance, could be advantageous. Whether this change is a glitch or a deliberate design choice by Bungie remains up in the air, but players should approach these encounters with caution until more information comes to light.
