Review - Destiny

Destiny is the first title developed by the studio behind the creation of the Halo franchise some thirteen years after Halo hit our screens on that behemoth of a console that was the original Xbox. Something I would like to point out is I played destiny on the PS4 so I cannot comment on the game on other platforms.

Destiny is what is being described as a First person MMO style hybrid shooter based in a future where Mankind is at risk from alien races bent on the destruction of the human race, So far pretty similar to another story done by the same studio. Released on all platforms Destiny has been advertised as an epic multi-player story which will constantly be evolving and expanding as constant updates and extra content is going to be regularly released enabling you to continue your fight against the darkness.

Visual Style

Destiny is a decent looking game that sticks with Bungies visual style which you would have come to expect from their previous titles. There is a great mix of colorful stages and darker creepier sections which deliver a decent contrast ensuring that Bungie does not go down the same path as other games of recent times in having just dull brownie grey levels were ever you look.

Bungie have done a great job in creating some really impressive futuristic scenery and alien looking environments with impressive vistas. From the colorful yet abandoned and desolate looking structures of Venus to the very industrial and mechanical looking dusty red planet.
One of the issues with the visual style I have noticed is Bungies instance on using knackered out cars were ever you look during the outdoor parts of a fair few missions. In the first levels of the game based in an abandoned space port in Russia there are times you would swear you were in a used car lot, even on the distant planet of Venus you will find traffic jams of used cars it appears that Bungie really got there use out of this asset.
The playable character design in Destiny is to a certain degree left up to you with a choice of three different races and limited customization options to the features of your character and the clothes your character wears have colour and shader options to provide a bit more variety to your character. The enemy design in Destiny has been well thought out with unique looking enemies and plenty of range in the amount of units you get to see.

Overall Destiny is a good looking game but I do not feel it is taking any huge steps in the visual department that Bungie have not already taken in previous games and there are certainly better looking games on the market but that does not take away from the fact that Destiny is a good looking game.

Gameplay

Straight out the gate Destiny feels very familiar with very little need for a tutorial for the basic combat as in effect the combat in destiny pretty plays exactly the same as most other modern first person shooters. You get a choice of three different character classes to choose from when you start your game all with a different speciality each although the different classes will alter the way the game plays out too drastically. There is an RPG element added to Destiny in the form of a progression tree in both your own personal progression and the ability to upgrade your weapons. On Paper this should be a great idea but in my opinion this is one of the areas that destiny falls flat. The upgrade system for your character just felt shallow and not very well committed to, rather than have a system where you can build and define your own character the way you want you are told what you are upgraded and how. You have the option when reach level fifteen to start a new special power and build it up as you use it but other than choosing what special power you want to develop there is not really a great deal of development for your own character.
The actual gameplay in Destiny is very by the numbers and can start to feel a bit repetitive very quickly but I think that is very much down to the fact that the levels can start to feel a bit to long it all seems to be a case of shoot some guys, scan an item or defend an area then go to fight a boss while being hoarded by enemies from that level in waves.

The game is split into four separate parts, you have the main story mode which can either be played as a single player campaign or which friends and random players you meet as you travel through the levels which involves you travelling to different planets in the solar system fighting the enemies of the darkness and revealing more of the story. You have the raid part of the game which is designed to be played by a team of three this involves going through a stage you have already seen through the main story campaign and facing stronger enemies and larger and more difficult bosses in an attempt to boost your characters level and get more powerful armour and weapons. This is the section that feels like it drags on way to long in my opinion. These levels could have done with being a bit shorter as the feel like they have too many over powered enemies or bosses in the levels to try and give the illusion of difficulty by making the game longer. It is entirely possible to have one of these raids last well over thirty minutes with you having to face several mini bosses before facing a final boss all of these fights take way to long and are not overly difficult but the amount of time it takes to beat these bosses and move onto the next boss creates the illusion of difficulty. In many cases it probably would have served Destiny much better if they reduced the amount of bosses and had more separate raids at a shorter time span. You also have the Crucible which is a multiplayer arena in which you face other players in what is a fairly solid Player vs Player section. The fourth section would be the patrol section of the game in which you visit each planet and have the areas unlocked for a kind of free play mode in which you can freely travel the area taking part in mini mission which is I suppose there to help you grind experience to level up maybe? This part of the game just feels unnecessary and pointless.


Overall Destiny is a fun game to play, well built with few glitches and some interesting features however sadly though these features do not feel nearly as developed or as in depth as they should which leaves Destiny feeling shallow and dull in places and with the use of extending game play to create the illusion of difficulty is a real shame as Destiny has the potential to be something truly special but just falls short the goal.

Multiplayer

So this is an area where Destiny has advertised itself as the next big thing as a Hybrid first Person shooter MMO so multi-player is a huge deal for this game. Firs off all the main story is playable in a three team CO-OP mode from start to end. The raid missions are also a multiplayer part of the game both these modes can either be played with friends or with other random players you find in the universe. The main hub for players to meet is the tower were you and everyone else habitat between mission you can team up with other players there or just wait for your friends to show up. There is also the crucible an area in which you can face other players in various mission types very similar to what you would expect from modern day shooters. This PVP mode is a very solid and entertaining part of the game.
Overall the multiplayer part of this game for the most works well is it a full MMO? I am not convinced. While there is some very interesting MMO traits in destiny such as the loot system and the colour system for your loot the mission hub and the fact that you can meet other players in game to join in on random events and mission as well as story mission. These are very MMO type troupes but the game just does not fully commit to this and does not come close to the scale required for this. Another issue is the Loss of server stability many times you will find yourself near the end of a raid or half way through a mission with your mates or some randoms when all of a sudden the screen will go blank and then with all of a sudden you are back at the menu screen after you were booted from the game and have lost all of your progress in that mission. I have had several people complain of this issue and had this same issue happen to me several times which just pulls you straight out of the enjoyment of the game.


The multiplayer aspect of destiny is the games key selling point and while it is an enjoyable experience it does not feel anywhere near as grand or as epic as it should be and the server issues is also a big issue but at the end of the day Destiny is a fun multiplayer game that you can put as little or as much effort into it you want and still enjoy the game.

Immersion

The story of the Destiny is not the strongest of story despite having great potential. There just does not seem to be a great deal of commitment to the story and it feels as if it is put there just as a time filler this makes the story feel almost non-existent when if there was just a bit more emphasis on the story and more of the background of your character called a guardian then it would make for a much more flushed out and enjoyable story.
The Music in Destiny is still of the high quality you would expect from a Bungie game and it does a great job a pulling you into the combat making the game a more exciting experience and fetching that great feeling that Bungie deliver time and time again.
One issue that I feel pulls you out of the experience of this game Is the border line lousy voice acting from the characters, it is not as it they voice acting is bad it is just that everyone in the story sounds board and dull apart from one or two exceptions will I will not delve into as with always the intention is to avoid spoilers were ever possible.
The story also seems to have a lot of parts where when the action is at a lull there is random pointless one liners coming from your partner to hide the fact that not much is going of which just feels awkward and off putting and I just wonder why these parts are here? Were the developers not confident enough in the gameplay to keep you entertained?
Now despite all the issues I have mentioned Destiny is still an enjoyable experience that will keep you entertained for quite some hours.

Life Span
So this is bit more of a tricky one as part of Destiny’s appeal is the MMO part, being a game with constant new content being released over a long period of time which means the life span of the game could reach hundreds of hours Life span if not more. The story campaign can be completed in around twenty hours or so that includes hitting the big level twenty limit which will unlock the entire game and open up legendary loot mission for you. Once you have finished main story the game at this moment the whole point of the game turns into a hunt for better weapons and loot which you gain from taking on harder mission but all the missions still play out the same as the stuff you have just been through for the previous twenty hours. So with that in consideration will extra content be enough to hold your attention if all you are doing is the same type of missions time and time again? If the answer is yes then you will probably have plenty of game play hours in this game but if you are looking for a variety of different mission to keep you entertained then maybe this game will not provide as many hours for you. Myself I cannot see myself playing this game for hours to come unless there is some more varied experiences within the game.

Conclusion

Despite its floors Destiny is still a good looking and fun game to play and will provide many hours of entertainment it may not push any barriers or produce some amazing story telling but as a game to get into you can do a lot worse and with all the re-vamps, re-makes and sequels being brought to gaming recently it is great to see a new and hopefully Successful IP hit ours choice of gaming platforms.