Destiny 2’sfirst exotic weapon quest of Season of Dawnhas arrived, bringing the Devil’s Ruin sidearm into the fold. Bungie has already released a handful of varied exotic weapons throughout Year 3, but Devil’s Ruin might be its most unique. Whether it’s worth sacrificing an exotic weapon slot, however, is up for serious debate.
The Quest
The quest to obtain Devil’s Ruin is arguably the easiest exotic weapon quest inDestiny 2. Short of handing the weapon to players likeEriana’s Vowor Symmetry, the Devil’s Ruin quest could not have asked for so little effort from players.
That in and of itself is going to be one of the biggest points of debate surrounding Devil’s Ruin – maybe more so than the gun’s utility. It’s so easy to acquire the weapon that many were disappointed to find that Bungie didn’t have an involved exotic weapon quest planned. Compared to something like theXenophage quest, which required a fireteam, a high power level, and some puzzle-solving, the Devil’s Ruin quest couldn’t be easier to complete.
On the one hand,Destiny 2’s hardcore fan base was promised this exotic quest as part of theSeason of Dawn roadmapand likely were looking forward to spending the day unlocking the weapon. As one of the few pieces of content that will be released during Season of Dawn, this exotic quest was thought to be challenging and give players a lot to do. Instead, they complete the Sundial and a mission, and the Devil’s Ruin is in their possession.
RELATED:How to Get the Devil’s Ruin Exotic Sidearm
Conversely, the Destiny 2 players that treat the experience more casually welcomed the idea of hopping on and grabbing a new exotic with minimal effort. There are many players who simply don’t have the time to invest and acquire some of the exotic weapons that Bungie offers, so for them, Devil’s Ruin was perfect.
It’s a delicate balancing act for Bungie to walk because this is paid content and many players paid for the Devil’s Ruin. Putting too many hurdles between players and that weapon has the chance of frustrating paying customers, which is something Bungie doesn’t want to do now that it has gone independent withDestiny 2. Still, the developers spent a lot of time before the launch of Shadowkeep talking abouthowDestiny 2was going to better reward those investa lot of time in the experience. This exotic weapon quest just wasn’t an example of that philosophy in action.
The Weapon
Devil’s Ruin is a fairly straightforward looking exotic that actually shoots slower than the average sidearm inDestiny 2. However, its standout perk allows the weapon to charge up all of its ammo (or pull from reserves) and send out a concentrated laser capable of dealing extra damage. Think of it like a mini 1,000 Voices, only without the explosions after the laser.
As a sidearm, Devil’s Ruin is not going to compete and is hardly worth mentioning alongside the popular archetypes in Destiny 2. It’s funny too because sidearms have enjoyed a resurgence in Season of Dawn thanks toLast Hope and Breachlight. But Devil’s Ruin doesn’t fire fast enough, its reload is too slow, and its damage is not particularly high.
The Devil’s Ruin’s laser shot, on the other hand, is fairly strong and can be used to deal decent damage to a single target like a boss or a high health major. Again, it’s by no means competitive when compared to other high damage weapons like shotguns or basic fusion rifles, but it’s good enough to get the job done.
Where Devil’s Ruin might come in handy is by combining the sidearm element with the laser element while running through PvE activities. Players can use the basic sidearm fire like a hand cannon, taking out red bar enemies as they go. Once a major or yellow bar appears, they can then charge up the laser and take it out quickly. This works so well because Devil’s Ruin draws a full magazine from reserves when the player charges up the laser. So even if the gun has one round left, it will jump back up to 15 to fully power the laser. Note:Devil’s Ruin also has a “hidden perk"that skips reloading, but it might be a glitch.
In PvP, Devil’s Ruin is situational at best and nowhere near the top when it comes to strong choices. At close range, the laser can rip through a Crucible opponent, but so could a fusion rifle or sometimes a long-barreled shotgun. Firing the sidearm on its own is not fast enough to compare to other sidearms and it doesn’t hit hard enough to replace a hand cannon.
What it comes down to is fun. Devil’s Ruin is a funDestiny 2exotic to use and it can switch up players’ play style by alternating between single shots and the laser. The exotic by no means can compete withtop tier weapons like Izanagi’s Burdenfor sustained boss damage, but it is unique enough to warrant trying out. It also helps that the quest is so easy to complete.
Destiny 2is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
