4/5
To say that “Destiny” is an ambitious game is somewhat of an understatement. As the love child of developer Bungie and first-person shooter (FPS) juggernaut Activision, “Destiny” aims for the stars as the latest game to hit the new-gen consoles.
The question remains though; is it too ambitious for its own good? The answer is no. It hits the right points and succeeds as the most successful new franchise in video game history.
Bungie dreamt up “Destiny” while working on Microsoft’s own big-name game, “Halo.” After they wrapped up their series with “Halo: Reach,” Bungie decided it was time to set their goals much higher. Thus “Destiny” was born.
A hybrid of most games out there, “Destiny” sets itself apart from the competition with its polish and design. It has the tight controls of “Halo” and “Call of Duty,” the loot system of “Borderlands” and “Diablo” and the massively multiplayer online (MMO) experience of “World of Warcraft.” It’s quite the undertaking for one company to take on any one of these genres, let alone all of them, in one single experience. Luckily, Bungie succeeds where all else have failed.
Let’s get the bad out of the way. Though not horrible, the story is as bad as the Master Chief’s sense of humor. The plot centers on one of three guardians who must fight to protect the solar system with his or her two guardian pals. That’s all there is to the story; a basic setup for you and two other friends to team up and kill bad guys and gain awesome loot. Really that’s all you need.
Though the plot seems shoehorned in, the gameplay experience does not. From the moment you design your character you can feel that you are not playing a normal game. This is even more apparent when you make it to the Tower, a hub world to trade and buy things with local shops, and to meet up with other players in the world who are doing the same thing. The social aspect of this game is amazing, and even though it can be played in single player, it’s meant for playing with friends. You won’t get much enjoyment out of it without some compadres in there with you.
From the empty vastness of the moon to the lush jungles of Venus, everything is teeming with detail and the remnants of what was once a thriving civilization. The locales in the game tell a better story than the actual story.
This game was clearly made for new-gen consoles, so do yourself a favor and pass on inferior versions until you can get a PS4 or Xbox One.
The gameplay is exquisite. With tight controls and hundreds of different combinations for weapons and gear loadouts, there is very little to get tired of in “Destiny.” Add three different classes and the ability to upgrade not only yourself but also your weapons and armor, and you have a game that is ‘destined’ to voraciously devour precious amounts of your time.
That’s the point of “Destiny;” it wants you to lose hours getting lost in its vast game world. There is so much gameplay and so many missions to complete, and since it’s a MMO game, it has the ability to evolve and change over time. In the coming months, we will be treated with new areas to explore, missions to accomplish and loot to gain. Beating the story is just the start. “Destiny” may have its flaws, but the great thing about legends is they all start somewhere.