One of the new things coming to Destiny 2 in the Shadowkeep expansion is finishing moves. Bungie revealed them last month, describing the fight-ending maneuvers as "This awesome flourish where he actually does like, spin in front of him, has two knives, and just hit, hit, pfffft!" Furthermore, "He jumps in the air, pulls back, looks at his fist, and bssssht!"
Okay, so that should give you a general idea of what they are, in an arms-waving, wild-eyed sort of way, but how do they actually work? Bungie went into a little more detail on that aspect of it with Polygon, telling the site that when enemies fall below a certain health level, an indicator will appear to show that they can be finished.
Finishing moves? What game is this?Dunk on your enemies.🌑 Watch the full ViDoc: https://t.co/53KbL7D0Ps pic.twitter.com/1ayk1znWVvJune 18, 2019
The effects aren't strictly cosmetic, however. Executing a finisher will cost some Super energy, although the exact amount is still being hammered out—and like Apex Legends, players will be vulnerable while the finisher plays out. But they'll also be able to add mods to their armor that will confer certain effects after a finisher fires, such as granting ammo to your fireteam. Similar to the Universal Ornament changes coming to Shadowkeep Legendary armor, finisher animations and effects will be equipped separately, so you can customize your look without giving up the effect you want.
It's not clear how finisher cosmetics will be acquired, although the obvious likelihood is through the Eververse store, but finisher mods that grant combat effects can only be earned through gameplay, Bungie said. Players will initially only be able to equip one finisher, but Bungie hopes to enable multiple finishers after Shadowkeep goes live, and eventually wants to have a randomizer option.
It's not an in-depth breakdown, in part because Bungie is still working on it, but it sounds to me like finishers will be a bit like mini-Supers: Powerful (and flashy) combat enhancement that can save the day when timed properly, and leave you with your ass hanging out when not. (Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything.)
Barring unforeseen difficulties, finishing moves will go live with the rollout of Destiny 2: Shadowkeep on September 17. For more immediate help with your Guardian responsibilities, hit up the snake-faced bastard Xur to see what sort of exotic goodness he's selling this week. Here's where you can find him.
