In many ways, Destiny 2’s Verdant Forest activity feels like what the Infinite Forest should have been from the start. When Destiny 2’s Curse of Osiris DLC launched last year, fans dreamed of a near-infinitely replayable PvE experience. Of course, the reality of the infinite forest fell far short of fan expectations.
The Verdant Forest, which is exclusive to the currently ongoing Revelry event, feels like a step in the right direction. Although Bungie hasn’t confirmed as much, it’s possible a permanent Verdant Forest-like activity is in Destiny 2’s future. But if such were the case, what sorts of changes would Bungie need to make?
Well, I have a few ideas.
Upping The Stakes
The Revelry’s Verdant Forest is technically endless, but only in the worst possible sense. The enemies never really grow more powerful or plentiful, and the rewards never change. Once you surpass branch 20 or so, you’ve also maxed out the amount of bonus boss time you earn. There’s literally no tangible incentive to keep grinding through branches other than seeing how far you can go.
A permanent version of the Infinite Forest would need to rectify this caveat first and foremost. Give players special rewards they can chase by reaching higher branch numbers. Maybe making it to branch 100 awards a special emblem. Maybe you have a higher chance of finding Legendary gear past branch 50. At the very least, it’d be neat to see an entire series of Infinite Forest triumphs (maybe even a seal).
An endless activity definitely sounds cool in theory, but you also need endless potential for cool stuff to find.
Rewards That Matter
Speaking of rewards, variety would be another key for success. Sure, standard Legendary loot pool drops would be nice, but that should just be the first step. Giving a permanent Infinite Forest its own cosmetic items, armor sets, and maybe even weapons should be the second step. More importantly, there should be multiple ways to earn such rewards (random drops, bounties, triumphs, etc.). This would ensure that players of all skill levels felt properly rewarded for investing in the activity.
Glitch in the System
There’s already some potential for randomness in the Infinite Forest, but Bungie should take that concept and run with it. Weekly events and modifiers could bring the same extra level of randomness that’s already found in Strikes and The Reckoning. Imagine a week where the Infinite Forest was overrun with near-endless waves of Hive Thralls. Or how about a week where enemies were only vulnerable to grenade and melee damage (break out your Reveler’s Tonic!)?
If Bungie were to introduce a permanent Infinite Forest, there are a lot of potential directions it could go in. Personally, I’d really dig a Destiny 2 version of Diablo3’s Nephalim Rifts, but only if it was done right. The gameplay would need to be compelling and the reward would need to be worth pursuing. Bungie doesn’t have a great track record with getting things right the first time. Fortunately, thanks to activities like the Verdant Forest, much of the groundwork has already been laid.