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Destiny (Alpha Hands-On Impressions)

Destiny released in early Alpha on June 12, 2014 exclusively for PlayStation 4. Only a select few fans and media members were able to access the early version of the game, but the build showed great promise and will have the majority of its play testers counting down the days until the full game arrives in September. Developer Bungie and publisher Activision still have a few more stops scheduled before the full release arrives, including an open beta that begins first on PlayStation 4 starting on July 17, 2014. Fans won't have to wait long to get their hands on some additional gameplay from Destiny

Players begin the Alpha for Destiny by creating their online character. The game offers plenty of customization options even in Alpha phase including the three main classes of Hunter, Warlock and Titan. The Destiny Alpha doesn't feature as many options as traditional RPGs such as Fallout, but the game offers far more costumes, accessories and other tweaks over a game from the Call of Duty or Borderlands series. There is about an hour's worth of gameplay featured in the Alpha that includes a pair of boss battles and a few missions. Neither boss encounter is particularly memorable, but both the boss battles and various mission objectives offer completely different gameplay experiences that creates a good pacing like players would find in other MMO games.



Destiny's Alpha also includes multiplayer in the Crucible. Players can face off in intense multiplayer matches that more closely matches the gameplay from the Halo series in this mode. Multiplayer contains a few different variants including the primary game mode where players battle for control points around the map to gain an advantage during matches. The online multiplayer runs smoothly and feels really similar to Bungie's other shooter titles. Taking down another human player typically requires landing a few well placed shots before aiming for a headshot to get the final kill. There are some new weapons in the game that aren't even close to the futuristic alien weaponry seen in the Halo series, but it makes for a nice change of pace in Destiny. One other neat feature of multiplayer in the Alpha allows players to level up and progress in weapon classes to unlock new attachments and then take the powerful weapons into multiplayer matches or the main game without breaking the game's balance.

Players can take off their helmets and rest between sessions in-game by visiting the tower. The location is similar to other MMOs and offers players a safe environment to chat, meet with other players to create Fireteams, purchase new items and more. Destiny isn't attempting to be either a first-person shooter or an MMO but a unique blend of both genres that has never successfully manage to capture the gaming world as intended. We will need to wait until the full release of Destiny in September to see how the game holds up over multiple hours, but the title is off to a nice start to say the least.

Destiny is now available for preorder for $59.99 and is scheduled to release on September 9, 2014 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One & Xbox 360. Destiny is not yet rated by the ESRB. For more information on the game, check out the official Destiny website.

Game Features:
  • Massively Multiplayer Online
  • 3 Playable Classes
  • Dynamic In-Game Events
  • Open Beta Begins on July 17
  • Trophy/Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Activision
Platforms: PlayStation 4 (previewed), PlayStation 3, Xbox One & Xbox 360
Release Date: September 9, 2014

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