Summary

  • The Liminality Strike in Destiny 2's The Final Shape is challenging, but knowledge of its mechanics can make it easier over time.
  • The GM Nightfall is not the hardest due to power creep in Destiny 2, with some puzzles that can be mastered with practice.
  • Despite being tough, Liminality is manageable with the right strategy, benefiting from player expertise and game knowledge.

Destiny 2 had a lot riding on its shoulders ahead of The Final Shape's release, and Bungie's carefully crafted marketing strategy showed just how much content the DLC would contain, but also kept some precious cards close to its chest. Destiny 2's Prismatic subclasses were a big selling point of the expansion alongside Exotic class items, but Bungie didn't stop there, and it started showcasing some activities and locations. One that stood out was the Liminality Strike, which is a story activity in The Final Shape, and it was referred to as the "Strike that makes you cry." This was mainly due to mechanics and enemy spawns as well as the boss room, with it being preemptively called "the hardest GM in Destiny 2."

While Destiny 2 has plenty of hard Grandmaster Strikes scattered throughout its history, Liminality deserves a spot among the hardest, but there are a few caveats. For starters, not all GM Nightfalls are born equal, in the sense that the time of their release or their appearance in the rotation can dictate their respective difficulty. For example, GM Glassway was once one of the hardest GMs in the game, but power creep has taken over in Destiny 2, and fights can be much easier now than ever before.

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Destiny 2's GM Nightfalls Have Been Power-Crept in The Final Shape

Why Destiny 2's Liminality GM Nightfall Isn't Exactly The 'Strike That Makes You Cry'

In the case of the Liminality GM Nightfall in Destiny 2, there are various mechanics and things players can learn about it that eventually make the run much easier over time. Liminality has several secrets, with an example being that taking the right path at the crossroads early on is miles better because it doesn't expose Guardians to both Barrier Champions in the area, and in fact, one of them can be skipped entirely without losing Platinum on the run.

Another example is how killing the Hive Lightbearer Wizard in the middle of the Strike will make a miniboss appear in the boss room, but if the Wizard is kept at low health, it will spawn with that same amount of HP in the boss room, meaning that it's easier to take it down. There have been a few discussions over the years about artificial difficulty in Destiny 2's endgame content, with Champions and Surges being the biggest culprits. However, The Final Shape arguably made Guardians the strongest they've ever been with more power-crept weapons, subclasses, and Exotics. As such, Liminality could have been the "GM that makes you cry," but it's nothing that mechanical knowledge and game knowledge won't fix rather quickly.

Why Destiny 2's Liminality GM Nightfall is Not The Hardest in The Game

Liminality features a few puzzles as well, where players have to retrieve Taken Essence from two different rooms and deposit them in their respective Ahamkara skulls in the main area, which happens both in the middle of the Strike and at the end. These puzzles can break a GM run if they're attempted at once by two players, but one can take it slow, and the Taken Essence can be duplicated by swapping weapons while depositing it. Destiny 2's Taken Acolyte's Eyes in one of the rooms are supposed to be shot with the Taken Essence, for example, but players can go into the room in pairs and let one focus on the jumping section while the other shoots the Eyes with regular weapons.

As such, the overall difficulty of the Strike, even in Grandmaster mode, is not impossible to overcome, and it just takes a bit of getting used to its mechanics. It's a learning process that will make the activity gradually easier, especially since Destiny 2's Prismatic builds can make short work of the crowded rooms of enemies, Champions, and even the Tormentor boss.

It's worth noting that if players die in the "village" area of GM Liminality after the floor starts filling with lava, they may not be able to be resurrected by teammates. If that happens, the remaining players will need to make their way to the boss room before the fallen Guardian(s) can be revived.

Comparatively, a GM Nightfall like Destiny 2's Lightblade in The Witch Queen in Season of the Risen was arguably harder when it came out because of power creep, or even The Glassway GM both when it came out and later still in Season of the Risen. In fact, only Void had gotten its 3.0 Aspects and Fragments in Season of the Risen, and all other subclasses were on the 2.0 model. Still, Liminality remains a hard GM, but maybe not as hard as Bungie devs thought it would be in the current sandbox.

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Destiny 2
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Released
August 28, 2017
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian's look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.

An Immersive Story
You are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.

Guardian Classes
Choose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.

ESRB
T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
Developer(s)
Bungie
Publisher(s)
Bungie
Engine
Tiger Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Expansions
Destiny 2: Forsaken, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Destiny 2: Beyond Light, Destiny 2: The Witch Queen, Destiny 2: Lightfall
Number of Players
1-6 (Co-Op)
Genre(s)
FPS
How Long To Beat
100+
Metascore
85
Platforms That Support Crossplay
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
PS Plus Availability
Essential, Extra, & Premium (The Witch Queen)