As modern, ongoing looter-shooter franchises, it’s inevitable forDestiny 2and the latestBorderlandsgame to be part of a friendly competition, not least for players' playtime, but mainly for the sake of establishing trend-setting, groundbreaking features. Since the originalBorderlandsgame is often credited for pioneering this subgenre when it was released over 15years ago, theBorderlandsgames generally serve as the benchmarks of standards among looter shooters. However, theDestinyfranchise has grown and evolved considerably in its own right since the originalDestinywas released over 10 years ago, and it seems like it has finally caught up to one key area of theBorderlandsgames.
Along with all the exciting new content and changes to the game coming inThe Edge of Fateexpansion forDestiny 2, the new GRYPHON vehicle was recently revealed and can be obtained now. Unlike Sparrows and Skimmers, the GRYPHON has mounted guns. While vehicle combat has been a core part of theBorderlandsfranchise’s gameplay since the original game was released, this is one area that has had a rather minimal presence throughout theDestinyfranchise, though the new GRYPHON vehicle finally changes that for the better.
Starting on May 9, players can obtain the GRYPHON vehicle inDestiny 2in the new Heavy Metal event, which features a 3v3 Crucible game mode where players fight with Brigs and tanks.
Destiny 2’s New GRYPHON Vehicle Could Rival Borderlands 4’s Digirunners
The Borderlands Franchise Arguably Does Vehicles Best Among Looter Shooters (So Far)
Though they often can’t keep up with endgame-difficulty gameplay on Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode playthroughs, thevehicles throughout theBorderlandsgameshave a variety of weapons and utilities that are useful throughout exploration and combat. So, despite their underwhelming performance in endgame combat, theBorderlandsfranchise still arguably does vehicles best, whereas vehicles or mounts from other looter shooter games often only serve the purpose of being a convenient, yet fragile means of travel.
This is especially true when comparingBorderlands 4’s new DigirunnerstoDestiny 2’s Sparrows and Skimmers. Unlike theBorderlandsgames’ vehicles,Destiny 2’s Sparrows and Skimmers have much more limited use cases. More specifically, aside from using these personal vehicles in presumably unintended ways to cheese and skip puzzle encounters, the lack of weapons on Sparrows and Skimmers makes them ineffective in combat. WithBorderlands 4’s Digirunner vehicles having guns and a variety of ways to customize their performance, this givesBorderlands 4’s vehicle combat a clear edge overDestiny 2’s.
Destiny 2’s New Kepler Planet and GRYPHONs Could be a Game-Changer for Vehicle Combat
Throughout theDestinyfranchise, vehicle combat has generally been limited to key moments that are few and far between, with vehicles overall being more of a gimmick than a reliable vessel for combat. However, withDestiny2’s new Kepler planetbringing the franchise back to its roots with a focus on exploration as a core activity, and the new GRYPHON vehicles having mounted guns, vehicle combat will likely become much more of a common occurrence inDestiny 2.
Destiny 2’s New GRYPHON Vehicle Could Shake up PvP and Sparrow Racing League
Beyond PvE, the new GRYPHON vehicles also have some interesting implications for PvP game modes inDestiny 2, which is something that theBorderlandsfranchise is a stranger to. Most notably, ifDestiny’s fan-favoriteSparrow Racing League game modeever comes back, the new GRYPHON vehicle could lead to a completely new experience, compared to when this game mode was last available and Sparrows were the only vehicle available at the time. So, while the GRYPHON could be the key toDestiny 2finally catching up toBorderlands 4’s vehicle combat, theDestinyfranchise’s core PvP game modes could also give it a unique advantage.
