Bungie’s Destiny franchise recently wrapped up a ten-year saga with The Final Shape, giving players a chance to reflect on everything that has happened since the first game was released in 2014. Part of what makes Destiny special is the end-game raids, challenging six-player events that contain some of the most difficult bosses in the game. There have been 13 raids released between the two games of the franchise, but here are the five that stand out from the rest.
5. King’s Fall
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King’s Fall was the raid that really showed players the full potential of the raids. It took lessons from the first two raids, Vault of Glass and Crota’s End, and built on them to create what was a perfect package at the time. It was much more complex than its predecessors and more difficult. Some of the encounters tended to drag on, but the experience of loading into the Dreadnaught to take on the Taken King was truly special.
4. Wrath of the Machine
Wrath of the Machine launched with the Rise of Iron expansion back in 2016 and is the only original Destiny raid not to be re-released in Destiny 2. It is an incredibly challenging experience with some of the more difficult and frustrating boss fights in the franchise. The highlight of Wrath of the Machine is the Siege Engine fight on top of the wall in the Cosmodrome. It is fast-paced and chaotic and requires excellent teamwork to beat. It’s a shame Wrath of the Machine is stuck in the original game, because current players are really missing out on the experience.
3. Deep Stone Crypt
Deep Stone Crypt is not the most mechanically challenging raid but does contain one of the best moments in the franchise’s history. The spacewalk encounter, a small jumping puzzle between parts of the space station, features Deep Stone Lullaby, one of the best songs in the entire franchise. This moment of serene calm slowly fades away as the AI Clovis Bray lashes out at players before everything comes crashing down into the final battle. It is a great combination of frantic gameplay and incredible music that makes this raid so special.
2. The Last Wish
The Last Wish was released with the Forsaken expansion, arguably the best expansion of the game’s history. It is beautiful to look at, showcasing the best the Dreaming City has to offer. Mechanically it contains several challenging encounters that require players to be quick on their feet and ready to contribute across the board. It is one of the longest raids in the franchise but the experience never drags on. The final encounter with Riven is breathtaking as well. Even though players can cheese Riven, since Bungie has no intention of fixing the exploit that allows players to do so, it is worth fighting her using the legit mechanics for a truly great experience.
1. Salvation’s Edge
Salvation’s Edge is everything Destiny players have been asking for. It is the most difficult raid to date and is incredibly complex. It is, after all, meant to be a battle against the Witness, Destiny’s greatest villain. The Witness is a tough final boss and every single team member has to be near-perfect in order to stand a chance. Not only is it incredibly challenging, but the story beats add to the emotion of the Final Shape expansion as well. It is a wonderful part of a fitting end to the Light and Darkness Saga and sets the bar for what future raids need to be like.
Destiny raids are the best part of playing the game and there will hopefully be more contenders for this list in the future. Every raid in the franchise is worth checking out, but these are the five that really showcase what Bungie is capable of.
