Destiny release: 5 things you need to know

The time is finally upon us. Arguably the most anticipated next-gen release has hit the shelves, with Destiny tipped to live up to its billing. The MMO has all the ingredients to overtake Halo as Bungie’s most popular franchise with its range of battle modes and storytelling, but many may still not know too much about the new game. Here are five things you need to look out for.

What you’re going to want to do first is head straight to a deathmatch (or, the Crucible) to see how the game automatically compares to its First Person Shooter predecessors. However, you must build your character until at least level 5 until you can do so. Not to worry, hone your skills on the different planets, get used to the guns, and most importantly take in the breathtaking surroundings which will accompany your opening hour.

Halo had its fair share of vehicles in multiplayer to distract yourself with, and Destiny is no different. If you’re like me you’ll hop straight into the interceptor when the opportunity arises, a land-based hovercraft capable of killing enemies with one hit with its rockets. The interceptor has been toned down somewhat from its beta, but with boost available on an otherwise sluggish vehicle it will still be an effective killing machine.

The three different classes Bungie have brought to us, Hunters, Titans and Warlocks, have been designed to be balanced, with no class intended to be a clear favourite. Hunters will probably be the favourite from the start, with melee and gun attacks crucial for the Crucible, but by no means ignore the other two. Titans is a class most similar to that of the Tank from Halo, while the Warlocks’ spells are a nice change from the norm.

One worry from the beta was that there wouldn’t be as much to do as the game once promised. As the most expensively assembled game of all time, the pressure was on the creators to leave no stone left unturned and to not give the gamer an ‘easy completion’. No sign of that here, as far as we can see the story mode has enough missions to keep it interesting while there is plenty of world to explore. And hey, if that’s not enough there’s always the co-op missions with your friends.

As mentioned above, even though Destiny was released as an MMO there is still a huge amount to do should you want to go it alone. However, that doesn’t mean this isn’t the perfect game to team up with your friends with. Never has a game put such an importance on playing together and this bodes well for the series. Think about those LAN parties Halo used to bring, except this time you won’t even need to move.