Strikes, Crucible, Gambit, Raids, and the recent addition of Trials help solidify Destiny 2 as a game for everyone. Whether you love PvE or PvP gameplay, the game has tons of content for players to experience.
Fans of Destiny’s PvP offering recently saw the return of Trials of Osiris, pitting two teams of three against each other in high-stakes elimination matches. This mode brings out the best and worst of PvP, from its sandbox to the maps themselves. With over 30 maps to choose from, the community has certainly picked their favorites. Not all maps are great, however, and could use some work.
10 Best: The Fortress
The Fortress combines a destroyed Fallen base with the remnants of human architecture in an engaging multiplayer map.
In terms of the map’s general layout, it’s a standard three-lane map with plenty of cover to hide behind. The way the map weaves the lanes together is what makes it fun to play. Plenty of flanking routes exist to make the flow of this map feel less much more natural than most Destiny 2 maps.
9 Worst: The Anomaly
Some fans loved The Anomaly in Destiny, with most remembering the map’s stunning art direction. It has returned in Destiny 2, and it simply isn’t as fun.
This is not the map’s fault. Rather, the speed of Destiny 2’s gunfights makes it difficult to counter aggressive players using one-shot abilities and shotguns. With how many blind corners and small rooms The Anomaly has, this map is simply frustrating to play if you don’t resort to shotguns or Shoulder Charges.
8 Best: Rusted Lands
A fan favorite from the original Destiny, Rusted Lands has made its return and still holds up. Long sightlines and plenty of flanking routes make this map a pleasure to play.
Rusted Lands is divided into two halves that are separated by rusted walls. Players have three ways of getting around the map, but the varied sightlines help distinguish this map from other tri-lane maps. Every gun works well here, even the subpar Scout Rifle category of Primaries.
7 Worst: Retribution
Originally a PlayStation 4 exclusive, Retribution is a circular map that takes place on a Cabal warship. It sounds amazing on paper, but it plays terribly in practice.
Gunfights typically occur in the ship’s circular hallway, although there are external rooms that lead to some more traditional arenas. The main issue with Retribution is its lack of flow. There is no power position on the map, and the whole map is about looping around instead of lanes or rooms that encourage pushing.
6 Best: Javelin-4
Javelin-4 might be a tri-lane map, but it is a well-made tri-lane map. As with most good maps, the sightlines are all varied and encourage varied playstyles.
While flanking routes are somewhat scarce on this map, Javelin-4 makes excellent use of converging lanes with a giant circular room in the center of the map, acting as a giant moshpit for players to fight in. Spawn points are far enough to where spawn camping is rare on this map, and there are just enough long angles to get great Sniper shots or rush with a Shotgun.
5 Worst: Gambler’s Ruin
Gambler’s Ruin is a fun map when the game type is Rumble, but this map is a nightmare to play on if it is anything else.
Contesting points on Control is not fun with how little cover this map provides. Worse yet, the spawn points on this map don’t care about firefights, meaning you can spawn directly into the middle of a gunfight and die before you even move. Spawn camping is entirely possible on this map, provided it is a team-oriented mode.
4 Best: Pacifica
Titan is one of the most visually impressive planets in Destiny’s history. While that doesn’t impact the flow of Pacifica, it certainly makes this map memorable.
Atop of an oil rig, players fight both inside and out of the massive structure. Unlike most maps in Destiny 2, Pacifica fully embraces the incredible vertical movement Guardians are capable of. Ledges and pathways dot the map to keep players on their toes and keep gunfights refreshing.
3 Worst: Equinox
Long sightlines are usually a good thing, allowing the likes of Snipers and Pulse Rifles a chance to shine. Equinox takes this to the extreme, and that results in a few issues.
Anyone who’s played on Equinox will tell you of its horrendous spawn-flipping issue. Especially in Control, players who control A or C will flip the other team’s spawn point without fail. What most players will do to counter this is camp at spawn with a Sniper and try to get as many kills as possible. The map itself is a refreshing change from most of Destiny 2’s close-ranged maps, but the spawn-flips make this map nigh-unplayable.
2 Best: Distant Shore
Distant Shore is a remake of the Shores of Time map from the original Destiny. A healthy mix of long sightlines and interior fights make this map a fan favorite.
Close-range gunfights typically occur in the various caves and ruins on the bottom half of the map. The top of the map is much more open, however, allowing for Snipers to shine. There are plenty of flanking options, cover options, and the map itself is downright gorgeous. No matter the game mode, Distant Shore is sure to give players a good time.
1 Worst: Emperor’s Respite
This map is so terrible that it has been removed from Control map rotations numerous times. Emperor’s Respite takes place on the massive Leviathan ship of the Cabal Emperor, gilded with golden statues and a breathtaking skybox.
That is where the pleasantries end. A lack of cover on the bottom half of the map makes gunfights in any mode painful, but that is a symptom of a larger issue. Players who spawn outside of the ship in Control have such a terrible zone to fight from that the only sure way of winning is to capture the C flag and camp it for the rest of the game. Spawns from A flag are so predictable players get easily picked off from the opposing side, making this map near unplayable and hilariously unbalanced.
NEXT: The 10 Most Powerful Enemies In Destiny 2, Ranked
