Bungie has a unique connection with the 2old2play community. Halo 2 was the centerpiece around which our community was formed, their games are some of the most heavily played and hotly contested on the site, and when Bungie decided to play Destiny online they chose 2o2p to show off their newest IP, in an exclusive livestream with Doodi and Hitman. We have a history together.
This relationship with Bungie, and the Halo series in particular, was the primary reason that there was no front page review for Halo 4 when it was released. It would have been difficult to compare 343’s continuation of Bungie’s work without being able to put the game into proper context: it would have been a lot of homework and whatever conclusion the writer would have drawn from the experience would have been wrong in the eyes of those who love, live, and breathe the games. I was not ready or willing to subject myself to that kind of scrutiny, so I left it alone. Destiny, however, is a brand new IP without the established mythos and history of the Halo franchise, and I am no longer apprehensive about having my dick stepped on by the community...so here we go, amigo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZyQK6kUdWQ[width=650,height=366]
Destiny begins near a defunct Russian cosmodrome in the future. A traveling ball of wonder, known as the Traveler, has driven the technological advancement of the human race on Earth, allowing their influence to spread and prosper to other planets in our solar system. However, the Traveler, an entity of light and benevolence, was trailed across the universe by many different enemies of light. The forces of darkness waged war against Earth and light, devouring our colonies, draining the light, and reducing our population to a single protected city, which is now under threat of annihilation.
Biomechanical ghosts have been sent in search of fallen Guardians to be resurrected and put to use by the forces of light against those who would destroy it. The player’s ghost, voiced by actor Peter Dinklage, resurrects the player, finds them a weapon, and the game is on.
Classes and Weapons
The player may choose from 3 different classes: Hunter, Titan, and Warlock. Hunters are the sharpshooters and blade dancers of the bunch, generally utilizing a one at a time approach to crowd control by quickly dispatching an enemy and moving on to the next. Titans are the tanks of the three, capable of destroying many enemies at once and providing protection for the rest of the team. Warlocks balance the two offensive styles with a mix of crowd pleasing and singular attacks, but may boost team mates later in the game and are able to resurrect themselves.
Weaponry is a mix of old school and futuristic: pistols, boomsticks, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, grenades, pulse rifles, etc. Warlocks can use magical attacks and Titans can take advantage of powerful mechanically assisted melee attacks.
Destiny is a good mix of FPS and RPG. Almost everything in Destiny can be upgraded: character abilities, weapons, armor, ships, and vehicles. Much like Diablo, I spent a great deal of time tweaking my gear to get the most punch out of my play style. I generally utilized a pulse rifle/boomstick of the future/rocket launcher offensive combination, for my Hunter, in conjunction with armor that provided the greatest protection while allowing me to carry more ammunition for my weapons. Loot drops are infrequent, but there may be a secret Russian cave to please the loot whores out there.
Bungie’s Advantage
Bungie does several things very well, perhaps better than anyone else in the genre. First, the gunplay is exquisite and accessible. The controls are fresh and crisp, and even I had no trouble locking in on a single, moving opponent from a distance, putting him down, and quickly moving to the next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTgLxPy3FNQ&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Destiny’s story is presented organically. The player is able to progress the story on their own instead of having the plot force-fed to them by long-winded NPCs or lengthy cutscenes. Subtle narrative is a rarity in this business, and Bungie has put a lot of thought in getting the player into the action quickly and allowing the story to unfold one piece at a time.
There are very few lulls in the action. The game is a constant, persistent assault on the forces of evil, who are divided into four different, and often competing, factions: The Hive, The Fallen, The Vex, and The Cabal. Apparently the forces of darkness don’t do the whole unity thing.
My final accolade goes to the level design. Players will battle on the Moon, in the ruin-filled jungles of Venus, on alien ships, Martian cities and installations, abandoned and rotting structures of Earth, and more than a few caves on different planets. My favorite was an underground train station beneath the Martian surface which begins in pure darkness and finished strong in a maze of train cars and apparating Vex enemies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFcjiUouzKE&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Multiplayer
Competitive multiplayer, known as Crucible matches, are probably the least unique part of the game. Although the games modes are very vanilla, the level design on the multiplayer maps are very interesting and make good use of players’ special abilities. However, they are, for the most part, devoid of the lanes and choke points that amp competitive gameplay. Another point of contention is that the weapons aren’t balanced very well, which means that almost everyone is packing the pulse rifle/boomstick combo. Noobs will be discouraged very quickly in the Crucible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDuEtfJ7pQc&index=3&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTB...
Vanguard allows players to take a fireteam on raids into enemy territory for some of the more exciting cooperative gameplay that can be found during the campaign. A good mix of character classes is recommended for survival, unless you’re out for the revival achievement.
You Knew It Was Coming
As good as Destiny is, there are a few things that I have a problem with. I do not like sharing my single player exploration with a world filled with random strangers. This always online bullshit can be problematic, especially when players cannot connect to Bungie’s servers...which happened on more than one occasion. Developers shouldn’t be following EA’s example.
Another disappointment was the blatant stupidity of the enemy AI. I have literally stood directly in front of enemies who were content to stand there and ignore me until I decided to knife them in the face. No single enemy was ever a true threat and only swarms of enemies stood a chance against even the most cross-eyed marksman. Most of these enemies are pure fodder and bullet sponges. If you want a true test of skill, you’ll have to enter the Crucible and endure Timmy and his pulse rifle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH2RKR5BtAw&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Sarcasmo Says
No game is perfect, but Destiny comes pretty close. The campaign length is comparable to the Halo games, but the co-op is way more fun than it has a right to be. If you have a few friends on your list with Destiny, you will enjoy a great deal of replayability. If you have been waiting for the next great shooter for the 8th Gen, this may be your go-to game for a good, long while.
