Format: Playstation 4
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Activision
Rated: Teen
Release Date: September 9, 2014
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
Let me start by pointing out that I am casual gamer. If you are looking for a super in depth review for hardcore gamers, I would suggest heading over to IGN or sites like that. I have been tracking “Destiny” since it was announced and I participated in both the games Alpha and Beta stages over the last few months. This is in no way a complete review, I would consider it a first impression. Since I have played the game in both Alpha and Beta, I already had a decent knowledge of the game by the time it was finally released. Since the final game was released, I have probably put in about 5-7 hours into this. I would like to go over some the games key features along with my reactions and observations so far. Let’s start with the fact that if you love Bungie’s past games like “Halo”, I feel pretty confident saying that you will love this.
The real bulk of “Destiny”, like the “Halo” games, definitely is going to come from the multiplayer game play. If you are into multiplayer games, then this game is pretty awesome for you. I enjoyed what I played so far in the solo campaign, but I just wasn’t really blown away. The story is mediocre and didn’t really pull me in. The visuals are decent but again nothing outstanding. Honestly, I know the game costed $500 million to make and I just expected more of a “wow factor” from that price. To me it looks like a high-def version of any one of the “Halo” games. Like I said though, I still enjoyed it and I am sure that I am going to get a lot of play in the multiplayer setting. A note that you should know that this game does require a crap load of hard drive space in order to play as well as either a premium XBOX Live Gold or in my case PSN membership.
Some times the load screens are pretty brutal but to their credit, they are some really big locations. But that is actually easily fixed (or maybe fixed already by the time I am writing this) with a patch. That is one thing that is good about this game is that the fans are definitely going to be very vocal and Bungie will be listening as well and fixing what they can pretty quick I am sure. This is their baby and they will be nurturing for quite a while. I read that Bungie has big plans for “Destiny” like plans for a new game every other year with an expansion in-between. Also a new trend is video games is including big names celebs. Kevin Spacey did it with “Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare”. This game has Bill Nighy and Peter Dinklage, so that is definitely a notch on the win side for me!
Here is the basic jist of the game “In Destiny you are a Guardian of the last city on Earth, able to wield incredible power. Explore the ancient ruins of our solar system, from the red dunes of Mars to the lush jungles of Venus. Defeat Earth’s enemies. Reclaim all that we have lost. Become legend.” You have to create your character, which is quite fun then kick some ass and along the way power-up with unique and customizable weapons, gear, and vehicles. There are tons of personalization to be had here. You can then also take your character throughout every mode in the game campaign, multiplayer etc.
There are three different classes of Guardians to choose from. First is Hunter, which is Master of the Frontier. They are known for being quick with a gun and deadly with a blade, as well as cunning and ruthless. Next is Titan, known as Armored Engine of War. They have lightning-charged fists, while their armor and shields make them nearly invincible. Last is Warlock aka Wielder of Arcane Power, who know how to weaponize their curiosity and harness the Traveler’s light in patterns never before imagined and since are capable of incredible acts of devastation. I am sure they will have more classes in future updates.
There are five different game modes to enjoy throughout the game. The first is Crucible mode, which is a very competitive multiplayer, where you can earn you rewards and bragging rights. Explore mode is an on-demand adventure, where you can revisit the worlds to seek out valuable resources in order to upgrade your weapons and gear. Of course there is the Story mode, which is the basic campaign that follows the cinematic story. Strike mode is a cooperative multiplayer, where you can form a Fireteam and kick some ass. Lastly, Tower mode, is a third person social space where you can regroup, rearm, and form new alliances. These modes are explored on four locations including Earth, Mars, Moon and Venus.
Lastly, if you are smart enough to get this game on Playstation 4, you are in luck since we can exclusive content only for PlayStation 4 owners called the Ultimate Destiny Experience. This included the following: Exodus Blue Competitive Multiplayer Map, Dust Palace Strike. There are two new weapons included: Monte Carlo and Hawkmoon. There are three super cool new ships including the Aurora Wake, Outrageous Fortune and Crypt Hammer. Lastly there are three gear sets including Maniford, Argus and Vanir. This is “exclusive” supposedly till Fall 2015 but still a year before anyone else. If you are playing this game too let me know what you think and definitely shoot me your tags, so we can join up in game as well for a multiplayer jam session.
