Destiny

Destiny is now out, and it's a thing, at least if you're into consoles. PC owners will have to wait a while, I suspect....assuming Bungie actually does release this for PC down the road, that is. They may be quite comfortable with keeping it on console, if only because it's easier to monetize there.

Anyway, it's a great game....not the "be all and end all" of new titles for the next generation, but definitely innovative in a significant way for shooters. The structure of the game is a well-conceived blend of traditional FPS style gameplay and MMO design, creating a mixture of scenarios and open world exploration that blend really well together. The hubs and multiplayer elements are there, and certainly available for exploit by those who crave them, but just as easily a "background detail" for those not so social....you can still get into plenty of firefights with allies without having to group, talk, or do much more than nod appreciatively at the assist, basically.

I'm only a few hours in so far, catching up and surpassing where I got to in the beta test a while back, but the open world areas are huge and gorgeous, the quests generally interesting in a "collect this and kill that" sort of way. Although I can see them getting a bit repetitive after a while, I am counting on the game giving me incentive and opportunity to move on to new regions and events to keep it fresh.

The desolate post-apocalyptic landscapes, sound and music are great....sort of reminds me a bit of the love child of Halo and Fallout 3, but with the lighter fare of an MMO quest mechanic over the more involved RPG storyline. The main missions contain the story, which is told in cut scenes and events....I am eager to see where it goes over time.

Character generation is surprisingly detailed for the kind of game this is, but you don't get to name your character, which is a shame...simple things like that will attract the diehard RP crowd, which Bungie may not be all that familiar with, coming from a FPS console side of the picture. A shame, because I could see my wife and her RP buddies playing the hell out of this game for the character armor options alone.

Destiny won't rock everyone's world, but I think it does set a new precedent for FPS titles. Going back to play CoD: Ghosts, Wolfenstein The New Order or Killzone: Shadow Fall after playing Destiny is a bit hard....they feel a severely lacking for different reasons, to say the least....CoD: Ghosts too tired and focused on rigid formulas, Wolfenstein too on the rails (despite trying to pretty up the experience with the illusion of choice) and Killzone feeling too clunky compared to the smooth, almost effortless control scheme of Destiny. Metro Redux gets a pass because the game's aambiance is through the roof, and its story is hard to beat.

Anyway.....nice to have a really good and unique game out on consoles again. I'll provide a follow-up report once I've had more time to really delve into Destiny's long term potential.