A LEGENDARY BEGINNING

How Bungie’s innovative MMO shooter sparked a sensation

Back in 2010, there was nothing but a hazy cluster of elements and ideas. Then Halo studio Bungie took a big gamble. Codenamed Paper Tiger, this latest IP would take all of the best bits of MMOs and RPGs and wrap them in the constant appeal of a hyper-mobile, world-class action shooter. Boom: Destiny came to play in 2014.

In the massively multiplayer galaxy, you’re a Guardian on a mission to protect the City, and a celestial being called the Traveler, from evil. Essentially a shiny reanimated corpse (brought back to life by your navigation system/miracle worker/best buddy Ghost), you play as either a tanky Titan, an agile Hunter or a wizard-like Warlock. You’re revived on a destroyed Earth 700 years in the future, and what follows is a magical, murdery tour of extraterrestrial threats. The Fallen on Earth; the Hive on the Moon; the Vex on Venus; Cabal forces on Mars – they all fall beneath your firepower. Hours later, a heroic final showdown in The Black Garden sees your Guardian save the day, but a mysterious Stranger reminds you that the fight has only just begun… Ain’t it just the way?

She’s not wrong, though. Contrary to most other shooters, finishing the single-player

“A MYSTERIOUS STRANGER REMINDS YOU THE FIGHT HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN…”

campaign is merely the start of your journey. The base game’s main quest is really a tutorial for the ever-unfolding challenges to come. Afterwards, the sprawling shooter fans out into an interwoven web of single-player, co-op and multiplayer content – a radical new gaming idea upon launch that nonetheless managed to feel natural and familiar. In our trusty jumpships, we fly from solo story missions on one planet to PvE Strikes alongside friends on another, to a few rounds of Crucible PvP carnage on a third planet, before setting course for the social space of the Tower. A full fireteam of six friends all signed in? Raid time.

The Vault Of Glass Raid is Destiny’s toughest gauntlet, requiring concentrated team coordination just to open the front door and get at the complex battles inside. It’s far more than just blasting baddies: singing Oracles, horrible curses, twisting labyrinths and disappearing platforms all come with their own tactical quirks to puzzle out. Defeat Atheon – who takes delight in teleporting you away from your team and onto other planets – and the game’s best loot is yours.

DESTINY’S WILD

Let’s not pretend it wasn’t (and still isn’t) all about that loot. Put your hand over your heart, and repeat the rising rarity tiers after us: white, green, blue, purple, yellow. Destiny’s Rare, Legendary and Exotic encoded Engrams are the stars of the show, each encrypted drop that tiny bit more tantalising than the usual weapons and gear as we rush to Cryptarch Master Rahool to discover what we’ve won.

But why such excitement? Because those rewards are incredible. Destiny’s shooting managed to be revelatory in 2014: not only did the pop of each class of Primary, Special and Heavy weapon – pulse rifles, shotguns, machine guns and more – feel distinct, situational and satisfying, but every individual gun did too. Game-changing perks, precise customisation options and even charming names made many weapons worthy of legend. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Guardian who couldn’t tell you some ridiculous tales about that heat-seeking headache Gjallarhorn or a poisonous hand cannon called Thorn.

Destiny, after all, is really about the individual Guardian stories it spawns. Beyond the uniform starter gear there are seemingly endless depths to explore and experiences to enjoy, whether solo or with friends – and that’s even before diving into the many expansions. Grinding feels like the wrong word for this MMO shooter when describing the hunt for the best gear: thanks to the butteriest, deepest, most mobile gunplay on PS4, the levels, Light power and loot come easy, especially when three friends with mixed subclasses and weapons are all involved at the same time, firing off flashy Super attacks to protect each others’ hides.

On this original, ambitious foundation, a bigger and better game was built. The first Destiny release was merely the start of the journey, and one that quickly expanded into a phenomenally varied action shooter series…