I've waxed lyrical about Bungie's latest season of content for Destiny 2 before, but I was really hoping for a fitting endcap with the new Proving Grounds strike.
After all, since the season began we've seen this monolithic land tank on Nessus, and it's been on the roadmap as a nice surprise.
Is it any good, though?
Destiny 2's Proving Ground Strike Is Good, Not Great
If I'm honest, it's hard to say. I ran it a couple of times last night, and Proving Grounds certainly offers its own aesthetic.
You charge the land tank, cutting down bosses on your way, and then once you're inside, are faced with a pair of regular-sized tanks.
From there, it's "put the power source in the doodad" time, and then you come face to face with Caiatl's champion.
That said, there are certain aspects I loved. The fight against the pair of tanks, for example, also required one Fireteam member to clear enemy troops and snipers, and it's sure to be fun in a Nightfall scenario, presumably with Champions involved.
Then there are the points where you're hopping over the tank's tracks as they rumble away, picking up rocks, dust, and more.
Unfortunately, the fight against Caiatl's champion felt a little on the underwhelming side. For all intents and purposes, it's the same fight we've had against Cabal during the Rite of Proving in *checks notes* four different Battlegrounds - the same Battlegrounds that we have to clear weekly to progress the weekly story.
I'm hoping that the Nightfall version of the Strike adds some new mechanics and considerations, but for now, it felt like the mission ended with a whimper rather than a bang. Still, I'm just happy to have another strike, if I'm being honest.
Thankfully, the post-mission cutscene more than makes up for it (spoilers ahead, folks).
Still here? OK.
As it turns out, it wasn't Caiatl that ordered the hit on Zavala, but a rogue faction within the Cabal - and she's less than impressed that they tried again.
Crow saves the Vanguard commander (he's now saved Osiris, too), but Zavala recognises him at the former Prince Uldren. It feels like everything had been leading to this moment, and seeing the two make their peace and join forces was a great moment.
In Zavala's post-quest dialogue, he notes that Ikora, Osiris and our Guardian keeping this revelation from him has him concerned about the trust within his inner circle, and it'll be interesting to see how Bungie spins that off for the rest of the season (or if they leave it unaddressed).
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