The arrival of Bungie’s Destiny in September could be a defining moment for multiplayer-based gaming and the birth of a franchise that may even surpass the success of its creator’s former series. Though Xbox gamers have long been enjoying the wonders of Halo’s genre-defining matchmaking system and stunning map design, PlayStation owners are now poised to benefit from the experience that the storied developer gained from creating one of the most successful franchises of all time.
A universe that begs to be explored
Considering Halo’s outstanding multiplayer infrastructure, it’s no surprise that similarities to Bungie’s former shooter are stamped all over Destiny, most noticeably with the feel of the core FPS mechanics, the look of the environments, and the design of vehicles and weaponry. However, Destiny’s feature-set is far more in-depth and has the potential to be even more rewarding than Halo’s. Destiny’s Alpha phase has given us a mere glimpse of what’s to come, but it has already surpassed my expectations with its unique blend of FPS gameplay and RPG-style features proving to be an intoxicating mix.
The Tower, Destiny’s main social hub, is brutally addictive. Within the walls of The City on planet Earth, The Tower re-invents the first-person shooter genre by welcoming players to a complete social hub where they can interact with others, recruit fireteam members, upgrade, customise and trade. Browsing through the merchandise from vendors is like being a kid in a sweet shop and, despite many items in the Alpha being level-locked, it’s already a very moreish activity that is sure to occupy a chunk of my time when Destiny arrives.
Socialise and trade in The Tower
Earning glimmer (in-game currency) to spend on such a diverse selection of gear to improve your character will inevitably encourage players to explore the world, complete quests, battle in The Crucible, go out on raids and earn bounties when such rich rewards, like legendary and exotic armour and weapons, await. With vendors refreshing their stock at regular intervals, I found myself mentally making a note of the time and then returning to them and studying the new items like a Destiny degree student hoping to pass with honours. Destiny’s virtual economy and wealth of items are set to be a real driving force behind The Tower’s appeal, encouraging a competitiveness and eagerness to earn glimmer by urging you to frequently indulge in the various game modes in order to get the edge over opponents and get your hands on the best gear.
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The story missions I’ve played so far drag you into the world effortlessly. Teaming up cooperatively with a fireteam to take out increasingly ferocious enemies, which rise in toughness (level) as you progress, encourages teamwork. Unlike games like Call of Duty and Battlefield, teammates didn’t just run past me when I died; they actively sought me out to revive me so I could help them win the battle. The increasing level of challenge encourages teamwork and forces you to look at your gear and where you can improve. It’s a rewarding system and there’s an immense feeling of satisfaction when completing the Alpha missions, unlocking new gear, and then heading back to The Tower to re-assess your set-up.
It was also exciting to have the first glimpse at one of the dynamic events that will crop up from time to time throughout Destiny’s universe. The game world came totally alive with other players in different fireteams converging in one area to take down a colossal spider mech complete with heavy armour. The ten minutes or so of ferocious fighting, with people helping out to revive each other, was intense and exciting, and the gear gained from this type of event should make these battles even more rewarding.
A dynamic event kicks-in
Though the class-based system is a tried-and-tested staple of team-focused multiplayer games, the space theme of Destiny has afforded Bungie the opportunity to be creative with character design, powers and weaponry. From fusion and pulse rifles to exotic machine guns and sniper rifles, players can dabble with multiple weapons and powers, ensuring that there’s plenty of opportunity to experiment and vary tactics. Class-specific moves, such as pulling out a solar-powered mega-pistol and a ground-punch that causes splash damage, adds to the variety. And with teammates all utilising different specs, the visual impact of battles is something to be savoured, with the Alpha phase already showing that PS4 hardware can easily cope with busy battles and lots of on-screen action.
Gameplay feels very Halo-like with movement and weapon handling as slick as Bungie’s opus FPS, while clever button-mapping ensures it feels intuitive. However, with a sandbox to explore, numerous side missions to pick up along the way, and the addition of the MMO-esque hub of The Tower, Destiny is also layered with the kind of depth and long-lasting appeal that we’ve not experienced before in this genre. This is a game where rewards for efforts, namely gear and Glimmer, ensures that the success of each battle tastes that extra bit sweeter.
In The Crucible (PvP mode), meanwhile, competition trumps cooperation. Though the one game mode available in the Alpha, Control, was simply a zone-control game that FPS veterans will know well, it was immediately apparent how important equipping your character with the right gear will be, and further proof that The Tower will play an important role in both co-op and competitive skirmishes. The two maps are superbly designed and show that Bungie hasn’t lost its touch when it comes to creating levels that allow for different strategies. The large moon-based map (First Light), for instance, comes complete with static weapons and vehicles with an arena ideal for snipers and ranged weapons. Rusted Lands is much tighter, with frenetic close-quarter battles and action never more than a few seconds away.
Technically, the performance of the Alpha was way better than expected. No lag, no drop-outs and no glitches; just super-smooth, good-looking, intense multiplayer gaming at its very best. While Xbox owners can revel in the fact that they’ve already experienced the joys of Bungie’s expert touches in the multiplayer arena, Destiny looks set to take things to a whole new level. Make no mistake about it: Bungie knows exactly how to make an engrossing multiplayer game that keeps FPS fans coming back for more, and Destiny could well be the game that wows this generation of multiplayer shooter fans and sets an incredibly high benchmark for the future of the genre.
Can you tell that we’re excited?