When rumors circulate that $500 million has been invested in a game series over the next 10 years, the pressure is on to deliver especially when your previous game was Halo which has become an iconic franchise in and of itself.
While Halo: Reach was their last splash in the series in 2010, all eyes turned to what they had in store next when they announced Destiny as their next franchise.
Teaser images and footage had been released sparingly from the company and with a September 9th launch looming, E3 2014 gave us a chance to get up close and personal with the game.
Set 700 years in the future, humanity finds itself on the edge of extinction following a Golden Age brought on by a mysterious orb known as “The Traveler“.
It was revealed to me that enemies of The Traveler arrived and have laid waste to large portions of the earth to the point where only one city remains. As such, players play as a Guardian who along with The Driveller must protect the last city on Earth so humanity can regain its place.
I started off my play test in a fighter and with two other Guardians we ventured to investigate a locale where a mysterious reading had been located.
Upon landing, I was shown how to summon our hover bikes, and I used this to navigate the landscape. Anyone who has ever driven a Warthog in Halo will soon find themselves zipping along with ease as I was until shots started to arrive from a group of enemies.
Leaving the bike, I ventured on foot into battle and since I play my shooters on a PC, it did require me to think before I acted more due to the use of a PS 4 controller.
Using a machine gun and grenades, I blasted several bad guys and as we made our way to the target compound, I switched to a shotgun which along with my melee weapon allowed me to be very effective.
Combat was like a combination of Halo and Borderlands in that it was a First Person Shooter perspective but things like the way the shields would recharge were something any Halo very will relate with.
Venturing further into the compound we had a boss and his minions to contend with and although it was a tough fight, we were able to emerge triumphant.
Next we went to a city and learned how we could collect bounty assignments, trade, socialize with other players, and gain side missions as well as explore. I enjoyed looking around the port as I watched ships come and go.
While at first glance the game did not seem a huge leap ahead from what we have seen prior, as in its present state it is basically Borderlands meets Halo with better graphics, the promise of a living and ever changing world is one that is rife with potential and I am looking forward to seeing what comes next.
