While you can easily make comparisons between the original Halo franchise and Bungie’s latest epic Destiny , one key ingredient looks to set it apart…the role playing.
In a recent update posted to the Xbox Wire, the Staff touts the inclusion of this new mechanic (one not typically seen in a sci-fi shooter) and how it will affect the play experience. “The role-playing elements of Destiny will be evident to you immediately. Players are given a choice of Titan, Hunter, and Warlock classes, each of which has its own specific set of skills and progression trees. The Hunter is focused on stealth and speed, for instance, while the Warlock is character that feature powerful special abilities, along the lines of a standard mage character. You can choose between three races – human, awoken, and exo – and change your gender, face, hairstyle, and other accoutrements. This is a shooter in which your avatar becomes very much your own to develop and understand over time…” says the Wire.
Although it might take a bit of getting used to, Destiny looks to break the mold of what a traditional FPS is all about. Much new ground will be broken, not the least of which will be in the visuals department. Utilizing the latest tech of the Xbox One, the Wire states it’s “…impossible to ignore the fact that the game’s next generation graphics shine on Xbox One. Dynamic lighting and particle effects set the mood extremely well, while bump mapping and clean, high-resolution textures do much the same for the characters themselves. There’s a level of polish and shine to everything in Destiny that’s really impressive, even in the modern world of blockbuster game development.”
The beta is currently live on both the Xbox and PlayStation consoles, with a final release date set for September 9 th .