Destiny, the upcoming game from Bungie, is slated for release in September for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Bungie is best known for its work on the Halo series, and Destiny is the first game by the company after leaving its exclusive contract with Microsoft.
Bungie’s plan for the Destiny franchise is that it lasts ten years. With a budget set at $500 million from Activision, the developer has a lot to prove with this new title.
How was the beta?
Destiny was available in beta for PlayStation and Xbox to allow Bungie to stress test servers and give players a chance to see a small section of the game.
After playing the beta and leveling each of the three characters to the maximum allowed in the game, exploring everything available, and playing co-op, I anticipate one thing: Destiny will be an instant hit.
Why do I think this? It’s because after playing the beta, you realize how much time Bungie spent in developing the game. There are so many small details that you may not immediately notice, but the attention to detail makes you feel like you’re in this futuristic universe.
Destiny is designed so that you can explore the world. It also works in co-op, given that you have a stable connection (I never had problems except for the occasional connection issue which is expected in a beta).
Who are you in Destiny?
In Destiny, you play as a Guardian. Bungie hasn’t revealed too much about the history of Guardians, but you play as a resurrected soldier fighting against evil in the universe. The main point is that as a Guardian, you have to fulfill missions throughout the solar system.
The first stage of the game is on Earth, specifically taking place in Russia. The final game will have more areas and missions that take place on the Moon, Mars, and Venus.
Easy to understand
Destiny is perfectly playable as a single player game, but it’s always connected to other players online. Since it supports online multiplayer, you will see other Guardians roaming around levels. Occasionally, you can help other players if you want, but once you get to a mission area, you are alone. If you’re playing co-op with friends, they can also take part of missions.
What I liked most is the ability to quickly and easily create squads for co-op. It’s as simple as inviting someone nearby or joining a friend who is already playing a mission. This is one strengths of Destiny: co-op is easy to setup.
Simple quests so far
There were only six missions in the beta with one exclusively for co-op. The co-op mission was extremely challenging. In this mission, you face a mechanical tank that is heavily armored and has high-powered weapons.
Of all the missions, the co-op was my favorite. The other missions were simple with objectives being the standard: go here, defeat this enemy, or protect this object. I hope that the final game’s mission will have more depth because the game will need it.
Destiny isn’t like Borderlands. It’s not a game that can be strange and humorous all the time. Bungie’s game has more complexity and offers a much more mature experience.
Although there were some negative opinions, I think that you have to consider the fact that this was a beta and I haven’t even scratched the surface of the game yet. Until I experience the final game, I won’t make a concrete opinion of whether Destiny is good or bad. I’m convinced that the final game will have a lot more mission variety.
What I think so far
I’m not going to address issues like the multiplayer combat system, weapons, or The Tower. I’ll leave that to the official release when I can play much more of the game. As of now, I think it’s worth repeating. From my beta experience, Destiny is a must-play. It can only get better before its release on September 9th.
Related Articles
Bioshock coming to iOS
How Bomberbot is teaching kids to code
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare trailer warns of PMC Atlas
Follow me on Twitter: @raulprz
