Bungie's new MMOFPS (Massively Multiplayer Game First Person Shooter for the laymen) is only a few months away from release on September 9th. Before that date arrives we get to sink our teeth into a meaty chunk of it in the form of a Beta. This game is without doubt the most anticipated game coming out in 2014 (sorry Call of Duty, but you've worn out your welcome). I was able to get a Beta code by pre-ordering the game and have had a little time with this mega hyped shooter. Here are my first impressions.
On the surface Destiny is an amazing looking sci-fi themed shooter. There have been plenty of games that have followed this same avenue and been incredibly successful. Just a few that come to mind include Mass Effect, Half-Life, Dead Space, Fallout, Borderlands, and the list goes on and on. What Destiny does that separates itself from all those that have come before it is immersion. This game makes you feel as if you are that badass in an environment that actually needs, and benefits from, you shooting everything in the face. The story is what draws you in and the intro to the game makes you feel like you are the one who can make a difference and save the world.
Gameplay in Destiny seamlessly brings together elements of both First Person Shooter and Role Playing Games. On one hand you are trying to pull off skilled headshots with the excellent Aim Down the Sights mechanic and on the other collecting loot, leveling up your character, and managing inventory. Destiny was made to be a social game and that is made apparent everywhere you go. On several occasions I was killing my way through waves of enemies only to look over the next ridge and see a couple other players going for the same objective I was. Without any hesitation I ran up over the ridge and joined them forming an on the fly fireteam. There were many instances that played out just like this as I made my way through the single play portion of the beta.
The sense of community is also very apparent in The Tower which is a central hub where you can go to buy weapons, pick up side quests, buy a new ship, etc. On multiple occasions I came across impromptu dance sessions in front of vendors or the bounties board. Yes you can dance in Destiny! Actually up on the D-Pad is wave, right is dance, down makes your character sit down, and left is to point at someone. What makes this social hub even more impressive is the fact that the perspective switches to third person mode so you can see the character you created in all their glory when they are dancing their ass off.
Destiny also has a competitive mode that fully makes you realize that Bungie is indeed the house that built Halo. Nobody does multiplayer better than Bungie, nobody. Unfortunately the only multiplayer mode available in the beta is called control. It has you and your teammates vying for dominance by capturing points on the map. What sets it apart from all the other multiplayer modes is that you play as the character you created from the start of the game and not just some red or blue colored pawn that looks like everyone else. Not only do you use that character but you also compete with all the weapons and armor you have collected up to that point. Completion of a round not only gives you bonus experience but also random loot if you did a good job dealing out the pain to your opponents.
Overall Destiny, even in its beta, clearly deserves all the hype it is getting. It combines different gameplay mechanics from the best genres we all know and love to form one game that ultimately stands out from the pack. From hanging out, meeting up, and dancing with friends in The Tower to getting your competitive fix in multiplayer Destiny has it all. Now if you wouldn't mind I have a beta to get back to and some noobs to pwn.
-Demo
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