
"Destiny's biggest expansion to date makes the game a whole lot more enjoyable and easier to recommend."

Destiny is a sci-fi open-world first-person shooter developed by Bungie (Company) and published by Activision (Company) for the Xbox One (Platform), PlayStation 4 (Platform), Xbox 360 (Platform), and PlayStation 3 (Platform) on September 9, 2014. From 2019 onward, it was published by Bungie themselves.
Similar in premise and playstyle to Bungie's earlier game series Halo (Franchise), Destiny combines their brand of sci-fi fantasy first-person shooter with a variety of persistent MMORPG elements, such as multiplayer free-roaming, players having a persistent inventory of acquired weapons, gear, and other materials, and players leveling up by gaining experience points.
The game is set over 700 years into the future, after a period of technological advancement known as the "Golden Age" due to a mysterious spherical entity known as the "Traveler". After a cataclysmic event, known as the "Collapse", decimated human colonies throughout the galaxy, the Traveler granted magical powers (known as the "Light") to mankind's survivors. Players control a "Guardian", one of several bearers of Light who not only guard the last remaining civilian city on Earth (Location), but are dispatched to repel a variety of alien threats before humanity is wiped out completely. Each player's Guardian is customizable in various ways and often have no dialogue of their own, instead being guided and represented by their Traveler-born floating machine companion "Ghost" (voiced in earlier versions by Peter Dinklage (Person), then by Nolan North (Person)).
Along with the game's main campaign, players can form "fireteams" with other players and take on free-roaming bounties (known as "Patrols"), quick three-man co-operative missions (known as "Strikes"), long six-man co-operative missions (known as "Raids"), and numerous player-vs-player playlists (known as the "Crucible"). Over the years, the game received numerous updates, timed events, and paid downloadable content (including microtransactions and three full-fledged expansion packs).
Not only did this game mark Bungie's first foray away from the Halo (Franchise) series since that series' creation, but it was their first game for eighth-generation consoles, their last game for the Xbox 360, their first game with Activision, and their first developed title for Sony consoles. It later received a direct sequel on September 6, 2017, streamlining most of the game's interface while adding new abilities, modes, and other content. Content from the game, including weapons, armor, and Raids, were periodically brought into the sequel.
Unlike Bungie's past work, Destiny is built around custom characters. The game has a class-based system, and three classes--Hunter, Titan, and Warlock. In addition to firing rifles, pistols, rocket launchers, and sniper rifles, players will also have access to magic-like abilities, granted by the Traveler.
Three weapons can be equipped at a time, and more can be carried in the inventory. The three slots are called "primary", "special", and "heavy". Every player also has a small speeder bike vehicle currently called the Sparrow and can be used to traverse larger areas. Characters have access to a space ship to traverse between planets in the solar system. Glimmer, small blue bits that drop from killed enemies, is a currency needed to buy new weapons, pieces of armor, vehicles, and other cosmetic items as well as upgrade some weapons and armor.
Destiny is an online only game, so features separate, third-person social spaces where players can collect, group up, and prepare for the missions ahead. Planets can be patrolled outside of any set mission parameters, where other players, public events and materials for upgrading items or quests to earn new ones can be found. Bungie has stated that the goal is to not show lobbies, matchmaking, or connection screens, instead delivering a more seamless experience. Player-versus-player combat will not be a factor out in the general world, but instead the game features The Crucible, a special location that is traveled to by players in order to participate in PVP gametypes. Player counts for public spaces are not known at this time and will likely vary depending on the platform and network connection of the player.
Destiny is a loot driven game. Weapons, armor, and wearable items can be found in the world when players are on a mission or just exploring, bought from various vendors at The Tower, gained as rewards for completing challenges, or randomly received for competing in The Crucible. When loot is collected from a killed enemy only one player needs to run over the glowing orb representing the loot and it will automatically be distributed among the group if the player isn't alone. All armor and clothing items will have properties that effect gameplay. Exotic gear is the name Bungie has given to rare items within the world of Destiny. These items will have a unique look to them and special names.
Some time ago, there was once a Golden Age of human spacefaring. A mysterious orb called The Traveler made its way to Earth, jumpstarting human technology and allowing them to colonize the worlds of the Solar System. But humanity was eventually pushed back by some unknown force, only surviving by the intervention and "sacrifice" of The Traveler, below which now sits humankind's last remaining settlement, a lone city.
Now, in the present time, humans have managed to recover their technology to the point of being able to travel into space again, but they discover that their former colonies have now become occupied by several alien races, who are pushing towards conquering the last human city. Warriors known as Guardians are tasked with protecting the city and fighting against the aliens to order to restore humanity to its former glory.
The Ghost, previously voiced by Peter Dinklage and as of the taken king expansion by Nolan North (Person), is a customizable AI companion issued to every Guardian in The City. It/He assists the player in different ways, like unlocking doors, turning on a building's lights, or warning of incoming enemies.
A selectable destination by players, the Tower is the home of the guardians. It's here players are able to buy new gear and loot, take on Bounties, and socialize with other players.
The Vanguard are the advisers of each class. From them you can purchase class specific gear and emblems. The higher your Vanguard reputation, the better the gear will be available. Players can increase their Vanguard reputation by completing Vanguard Bounties, and Vanguard Marks can also be used, and may even be required, to buy some gear.
The Crucible personnel oversee the crucible, which is where Guardians test their skills against each other to improve and refine themselves.
Xûr is a vendor of exotic weapons and armor who arrives in a different location each week for a limited time. He carries one exotic weapon and one type of armor per class, which also vary each time. He sells various accessories, as well, which do not change. He accepts Strange Coins for most of his wares and Motes of Light for others.
There are several alien species fighting against The Light in the Destiny universe, all vying for control of the solar system.
Also known as the "Eliksni", the Fallen are a four-armed insectoid species who were once graced by the Traveler before their collective of noble Houses were destroyed by a cataclysmic event. As nomads, they arrived in the solar system shortly after the Collapse, where they began pillaging humanity's former worlds and seeing the Guardians as an obstacle to reclaiming the Traveler.
They are the first enemy race encountered in the game and are known for their rapid movement, Arc weaponry, and their use of robotic drones.
Space zombies. They are designed to evoke the idea of "undead royalty".
Time-traveling robots.
Big, hulking bipeds that wear heavy armor and wield heavy weapons.
Added in the Taken King expansion.
There are three classes in Destiny: the Hunter, the Warlock, and the Titan. All classes can use "space magic", and all classes can use all weapon types. A class is described by Bungie as a choice to "fine tune" your Guardian so that there will be little regret in a player's choice. Each class is customized within three subclasses, able to be changed on the fly. Once locked in a duplicate subclass will unlock, to encourage experimentation. Further players are able to have multiple characters.
A combination of speed and strength, their signature weapons appear to be sniper rifles and revolvers. Hunters can be recognized by their hooded capes and relatively light armor. Before becoming Guardians, Hunters were once outlaws who roamed the wastelands.
They were designed to invoke the image of a Wild West outlaw and the classic bounty hunter. Some of their inspirations were Han Solo (Character) and Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name.
Gunslinger: Golden Gun - "Summon a flaming pistol which disintegrates enemies with Solar Light."
Bladedancer: Arc Blade - "Charge your blade with Arc Light and consume your foes with lightning."
Nightstalker: Shadowshot - "Tether foes to a Void Anchor, slowing, weakening and suppressing them for you and your allies."
Guardians who have long studied the Traveler and are able to wield its gifts of "magic", alongside modern weaponry. Warlocks can be recognized by their long coats and rounded helmets.
They were designed to invoke the image of a "space wizard". Some of their inspirations were Jedi Knights, Gandalf (Character), and Morpheus (Character).
Voidwalker: Nova Bomb - "Hurl an explosive bolt of Void Light at the enemy, disintegrating those caught within it's blast."
Sunsinger: Radiance - "Fill yourself with Solar light, dramatically increasing the effectiveness of all your abilities."
Stormcaller: Stormtrance - "Chain Arc Lightning from your hands."
Guardians who specialize in heavy armor and powerful weaponry. The first Titans built The Wall which protects the last city. Titans can be recognized by their full body armor and swept-back helmets.
They were designed to invoke the image of the classic future soldier. Some of their inspirations include Halo's Master Chief, Stormtroopers from Star Wars, and other space marines from sci-fi.
Striker: Fist of Havoc - "Smash the ground and dissolve nearby enemies in a maelstrom of Arc Light."
Defender: Ward of Dawn - "Shape Void Light into an indestructible shield to protect you and your allies from harm. Replenishes grenade and melee energy on activation."
Sunbreaker: Hammer of Sol - "Summon a flaming hammer and wreak destruction down upon your enemies."
The vast majority of the human race now resides in the City, built beneath the Traveler after its sacrifice to save Earth's inhabitants. The Guardians are tasked with protecting this walled city.
A debris field in orbit including a space station, and is home to the Queen of the Reef whom the player can receive bounty missions from.
Temple of Crota
Like the Last City on Earth, this Martian city has multiple districts within it. However, it is also partially occupied by the Cabal, a race of large humanoid beasts
Players can align themselves at anytime with any faction by wearing a piece of gear that represents a faction. When a player is aligned with a faction they can buy special armor and weapons from them, as well as get Bounties from them.
Dead Orbit is dedicated to aggressively pursuing expansion of the Allied Races territory and taking back everything lost to the Fallen and other enemy factions through any means necessary.
The Future War Cult are technomancers whose goal is the study of lost and old technology such as Golden Age relics to advance the war efforts against the alien aggressors.
The New Monarchy are agents of social good who dedicate themselves to protection of the people and making sure everyone lives a safe and healthy life on the Tower while being protected from outside threats.
The disciples follow a disgraced warlock, Osiris, banished by the vanguard for his obsession with the Vex and their inscrutable ways. The only tace of Osiris' cult in the solar system is Brother Vance in The Reef, who seeks to find the most powerfull gurdians via the punishing Trials of Osiris; but to what end no one is sure.
Dust Palace, The Undying Mind, and Echo Chamber were originally time-exclusive to the PS3 and PS4 versions of the game and became available one year after their release.
Unique endgame PvE events that pit a fireteam of up to six Guardians against a series of challenging stages in unique locations. Each stage has unique objectives and constraints that require heavy use of teamwork, strategy, puzzle-solving, and communication. While players do not have to finish the entire raid in one sitting, raid progress is reset on every weekly reset. Completing through these stages unlock unique and powerful loot.
Each raid has two difficulties: Normal and Hard. Hard raids give additional (and exclusive) rewards while increasing the difficulty of all enemies and adding new challenges to each mission.
In Normal raids, players need to wait 30 seconds before a teammate can revive them. In Hard raids, players cannot be revived at all (and can only respawn at the next checkpoint or on team-wipe).
Along with PvE modes, the game includes PvP arena multiplayer that takes place in-universe as the "Crucible": a series of live-fire training exercises that doubles as gladiatorial competition.
Each Crucible match takes place in dedicated arenas (most of which use environmental assets from areas used for PvE), with Lord Shaxx as the mode's primary announcer. In basic matches, Light level advantages are disabled.
Unless otherwise specified, players and teams earn points in each game mode by eliminating enemy combatants (with certain types of kills, such as headshots, granting bonus points).
Vehicles, including Sparrows, Pikes, Heavy Pikes, Interceptors, and Heavy Turrets, can be enabled on certain maps in Private Matches. This option was originally its own variant, known as Combined Arms.
The base game included 11 playable arenas. With new expansions, the game received new arenas, bringing the total to 31.
Exodus Blue, Timekeeper, Sector 618, and Icarus were originally time-exclusive to the PS3 and PS4 versions of the game and became available one year after their release.
The following were added on December 9, 2014 with the Dark Below expansion:
The following were added on May 19, 2015 with the House of Wolves expansion:
The following were added on September 15, 2015 with the Taken King expansion:
The following were added on September 20, 2016 with the Rise of Iron expansion:
Iron Banner was a special monthly endgame event where, for one week a month, players can participate in matches where Light level advantages are enabled (with higher-leveled players having increased damage and resistance). This mode was discontinued with the release of Destiny 2.
By gaining Iron Banner reputation, players earned unique Iron Banner themed gear. Reputation was earned by winning matches and completing bounties. As a consolation for multiple consecutive match losses, players received Iron Medallion tokens that were used to boost the reputation earned on their next victory.
Prior to the Rise of Iron expansion, players earned additional reputation by wearing themed shaders, emblems, and gear, as well as by applying a temporary "Tempered" buff.
Introduced with the House of Wolves expansion, Trials of Osiris was a special weekly endgame event where players participate in a series of highly-competitive 3v3 Elimination matches on a specific map that cycles each week. This mode was discontinued with the release of Destiny 2.
Unlike standard playlists, players must form their full three-player fireteam before entering matchmaking. Like Iron Banner, Light level advantages were enabled (with higher-leveled players having increased damage and resistance).
Each event duration started on Friday and ended at the weekly reset. Once the player's character reaches either 9 wins or 3 losses, that character can no longer participate in the event for that week. If a player managed to complete 9 wins without losing a single match, they were able to visit a secret social space (The Lighthouse) and earn unique themed gear.
Added in The Taken King.
A beta test for Destiny launched on PS4 and PS3 on July 17, 2014 then went offline the 21st for maintenance. On July 23, 2014 the Beta returned on PS4/PS3 and began on Xbox One and Xbox 360 as well. Access was first given to those who pre-ordered the game, but Bungie later began allowing anyone to download the beta and play.
Anyone that played on the Saturday, July 26th earned and exclusive emblem for the final game. The beta ended on the Sunday, July 27th.
Over 4.5 million people participated in the Destiny Beta. Over 850,000 people were playing simultaneously on the night of Saturday, July 26th, which set a record for concurrent players in the history of all games developed by Bungie.
Destiny's original soundtrack was composed by Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori (Person), C Paul Johnson (Person), Skye Lewin, and Stan LePard (Person), with contributions and an original song by Paul McCartney (Character). This marked O'Donnell's final composition for Bungie before he was terminated in April 2014.
There are three special editions of Destiny, all of which include access to the "Destiny Expansion Pass". This DLC pass includes The Dark Below and House of Wolves, both of which will include new story missions, co-op activities, multiplayer maps, and loot. Bungie is saying it is a $34.99 value.
