From the moment the game had been officially announced, Bungie’s Destiny was poised to be something special; a massive open-world multiplayer shooter where everyone had their own personal stories, but were also a part of something much grander. Bungie spent years building a living, breathing world with the anticipation of hundreds of thousands of players populating this post-apocalyptic far-future universe. Now, today, the work of 400+ men and women is realized. Today, gamers around the world take their first steps into a familiar-yet-alien world.
Today, Bungie becomes legend.
Now, we’re aware that the odds are very likely that you’re not reading this. In fact, we’re pretty convinced that you’re currently “sick,” right? “Sick.” It’s not surprising, really, as Destiny is the most pre-ordered game of all time, according to GameStop and Activision. That kind of public showing of support isn’t surprising, of course. This is the same company that gave birth to the Master Chief and the Halo franchise. But Destiny, it goes without saying, is so much more than anything they’ve attempted in the past.
For example, the explorable game space is, to use technical designer terminology, “freakin’ gargantuan.” In addition to “The City” on Earth, which is below the main player hub of The Tower, you’ll be able to explore large swaths of Russia, the ruins of Mumbai, and the swamplands of the decrepit Old Chicago.
Then there are the other half-dozen planets and moons.
Oh, yes. In addition to Earth, you’ll be able to step foot on Luna (Earth’s moon – yeah, it has a name), Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter’s moon, Europa. Each planet has an incredible amount of space to explore, and all help to paint a vivid picture of a world we’ve yet to experience, but is already ancient memory.
You are able to explore these worlds as one of three different species: Human, Awoken, or Exo. Humans are, well, humans. You’ve seen a few in your life, I’m sure. The Awoken are – or, rather, were – humans who survived The Darkness but weren’t able to avoid its effects. Their skin turned pale, and their eyes bleached white, those who were lucky enough to survive made the pilgrimage to Earth to join their human brethren. The Exo are machines – robots built by humanity to combat The Darkness. Once the threat had been driven off, they were reprogrammed with one core directive: unite humanity under the protection of The Traveler.
All three species, as well as the three different classes of Hunter, Titan, and Warlock (rogue, warrior, and mage), give you countless options to customize your in-game avatar. You’ll also eventually come into possession of a ship that you can customize as you travel throughout the solar system righting wrongs and defending the human race. Or owning your friends in Player-vs-Player, of course.
Destiny, as you’re likely aware, is now available on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. If you’re in the game – and, judging by the pre-order numbers you probably are, help grow our Destiny Wiki by becoming a contributor. Not sure how? Don’t worry – you can find out how to edit any of our wikis by checking out our Help Wiki.