Destiny is Love, Destiny is Life; making it this years must have game

As the most anticipated game release this year, Destiny had some serious backing up to do! Not gonna lie, I’ve been an on again, off again fan of Bungie for a long time but Activision is my sweetheart. Combining the two seems like an awesome idea, upper level First Person Shooter developer meeting upper level First Person Shooter publisher? We likey! In a very satisfying turn of events, they did not fail to deliver the utmost quality across all platforms with a game that is similar and yet still unlike any other.

The catch phrase “Become legend.” was printed big and bold across many banners and signs. The game itself puts your character in a legendary position as well as being a legendary new system for growth and skill. You choose from three classes: Titan, Warlock, or Hunter; and three species: Human, Exo, or Awoken. Each has a unique skillset within two subclasses but we will get to that soon. Customization could use a bit more options but the best part about Destiny is that it has been planned to continuously grow so you’re never left with the feeling of missing something.

In a unique Mass Effect kind of way you start your game dead. It is the “Traveler”, an almighty being that has brought prosperity to Earth and its surrounding systems, that has created a being to bring you back to life as a “Guardian”, specialized soldiers meant to save the universe from “Darkness”, an all powerful evil that threatens to consume everything. This being, a “Ghost”, will be with you throughout the game as a sort of quest log. He has actually got a humorous personality and it shows.

Ghost will lead you through your tutorial and get you a ship that will take you to the last city on Earth: Tower. The Traveler resides here and you are made aware of its poor state.

It is up to you and the “Speaker”, who translates the Travelers wishes normally, to find out how to get the Traveler back to normal so it can battle the Darkness. He and your mentors (dependent on your player class) will be giving you a majority of your experience gaining missions.

It’s a good idea to point out that they have not given this game a genre. They describe it as a “shared shooter” but I dub it an MMOFPS: Massively Multiplayer Online First-Person Shooter. You play much of the game in first-person but there are entirely too many MMO pieces to simply call the game a shooter. Your player class, for instance, breaks down far more than any FPS could, or would honestly. However, the weapons and armor you will be able to equip in this game are far above the norm for an MMO. These seemingly different pieces somehow fit very well, which is an unexpected but welcome surprise.

I cannot begin to describe how beautiful this game is. I have taken the time to sit my character in front of amazing views overlooking maps just so I could personally enjoy. Every crisp line and soft curve is perfection. The colors are vivid and realistic. The anatomy and architecture have no faults. Don’t get me started on the music because it matches the environments so well, I think I am in a movie sometimes (if I had a bigger TV). Classical and relaxing until you get to your enemies and then it turns into an adrenaline rush. I am left wanting nothing when it comes to the graphics of Destiny.

Although your species is purely cosmetic, your class has options:

Titans are, as the name suggest, powerhouses with the highest defense with a harsh rush as their melee. Within this class you may choose a subclass of either Striker or Defender. One gives you more damage with a special ground pound technique and the other gives you more resistance and a “Force Barrier” special to protect yourself and your team.

Warlocks have the utmost in healing abilities and a magic blast as their melee. The subclasses for these guys are Voidwalker and Sunsinger. One attacks enemies by draining them with a special called “Void Bomb”, the other raises healing by utilizing solar energy which, at its best, can bring you back to life if killed in battle.

Hunters (my personal favorite) are speed demons who specialize in ranged combat and use a blade for their melee. The subclasses of Gunslinger and Bladedancer are the options in this player class. One gives you a special ability known as “Golden Gun” granting a powerful one hit kill weapon for a short period of time and the other gives you an extended melee, allowing you to hit from farther distances.

Uniques qualities abound in Destiny, as it may seem like there are not a lot of options or differences but when you are playing the game, its a whole different story. Your second subclass will not be available to use until you get to level 15 but you may never even need it. You do get the option, however, to challenge yourself with leveling up that secondary subclass.

Another good quality is the difficulty setting. You can play through a mission again at any level BUT, you can also change the difficulty or “Hero Mode” to turn the AI up a notch. This will also get you more experience and loot. Yes, I said loot. Getting weapons and armor is far easier out in the field than buying them from your currently limited selection of shops and level requirements. The game itself has a level cap of 20 that you cannot pass unless you acquire equipment on the field that has a higher “light value” than your previous equipment.

Other ways to “purchase” equipment after the cap is to fight in the “Crucible”, online multiplayer or PvP (Player vs. Player), and gain points for Vanguard (your guardian mentors) or one of three factions that back fighters such as New Monarchy, Dead Orbit, and Future War Cult. You can even do “Strike” missions that will find other players to join you in a serious battle with story enemies and gain even more points and get even more loot from both Vanguard and your chosen faction. The points will gain you legendary armor with insanely high light value but the amount of points you need is a bit much and I half expect they’ll release some way to purchase points down the road but hey, it’s hard to not level up here if you have a little patience.

The end-game itself may or may not be satisfying for you, but at the time all I wanted was the cut-scene to be over so I could go back into the Crucible and drop bodies! I thoroughly enjoyed every inch of this game. The problems I have are so minuscule that they hardly affect the score I’ve chosen. The level cap on subclass and overall progress, the light value system (which is still a fault of the level cap), and the pricey points system for legendary gear are all a pain and a long process to obtain but they are so worth it. Get this game or you will regret everything you have ever done! Destiny will be my top spotter for a long time to come.