Bungie and Activision revealed new gameplay for Destiny 2 on May 18th.
BioGamer Girl was present at the event to try out some of the new content in Destiny 2 and to see what changes were headed our way. When I first played Destiny, I was really drawn into the game's campaign and beautifully intricate level designs. However, I admit, I often didn't get all the hours in to play some of the game's coolest raids and collect the best loot.
Hundreds of streamers and journalists packed their way into the Jet Center in Los Angeles on May 18th to watch the huge unveiling of Destiny 2. The amazing game Director Luke Smith took the stage to introduce a couple of videos and gameplay demos. After the presentation ended, gamers were allowed to tour the incredible Destiny 2 setup along the Jet Center and to get some hands-on time with Destiny 2.
I was allowed to play several parts of the game that included the first mission of the single player campaign (Homecoming) which is what everyone saw on the live stream alongside some of the PvP and strikes. The single player campaign played as amazing as it looked during the Destiny 2 livestream, and I can't wait to play the entire thing. It is still very early on but I can say that the gameplay is already feeling more engaging and exciting than the previous release. The monsters you face seem more detailed and beautiful than before. The designs are immaculate and the fantastic visuals really help to fully immerse you into the game's action packed storyline.
Destiny 2 takes place a year after the happenings of Destiny: Rise of Iron with the Cabal led by Dominus Ghaul attacking The Last City. Gaul is under the assumption that an error was made when the Traveler gave humanity the light and thus strips the Guardians of their power. Once their powers are gone, the Guardians are forced out of the Tower and are desperate to venture into new worlds to recover their abilities to stop the Red Legion and Ghaul.
There seems to be a lot of cool stuff coming our way in Destiny 2 but the same feel that gamers love from the Destiny franchise is still there. Destiny 2 now has two weapon slots (kinetic and energy) with a third slot now set aside for power weapons. The weapons are so much fun and the sounds have been perfected so you can really feel the power of them. I had a lot of fun playing with the SMG and grenade launcher among all of the revamped content.
Another big change to Destiny 2 is the new subclasses (ex.Dawnblade, Sentinel, Arcstrider) added to every Guardian including the Hunter, Titan and Warlock class. While it would have been great to get an entirely new class, the addition of the new subclasses allow for gamers to enjoy some incredibly fun new powers. Some of the Guardians base stats have been removed leaving only armor, recovery and agility to focus your time on. You can also trigger new latent abilities giving your Guardians a a unique feel this time around. And to boot, the old subclasses are getting a small makeover. but this may also mean the end of some of them as well. This is still up in the air.
The strikes are a big part of the Destiny franchise, and I was able to play a three-player co-op mission entitled The Inverted Space. This takes place on one of the new worlds, Nessus, that combined some of the best aspects of the franchise with some fun new additions. It was incredibly fun to try out your new class powers while leaping across the world's various platforms while hordes of Cabal and Vex head your way. As you make your way underground, you have to dodge the deadly giant drill being operated by the Cabal. As it goes, they are searching for a Vex boss by the name of Modular Mind. In order to beat the boss, you pass through three stages after the initial point of lowering his health. The Cabals have definitely changed in the way they approach you with addition of new ones that weld two blades alongside some very crazy dogs.
The Crucible has been changed to 4v4 on all of the PvP modes causing players to focus more on teamwork than they had previously. One of the PvP modes available to play at the May 18th reveal was "Countdown" found in Midtown on the Earth map. This mode forced players to fight over bombs that they was to arm or disarm. The PvP content felt very familiar alongside some important interface changes. Gamers now have the ability to see how close other gamers are to their supers and the amount of revives that remain.
In the end, Destiny 2 is looking to be a fantastic new adventure across the galaxy that old and new fans alike will love. The game played beautifully on PC allowing for 60fps at 4K resolution with responsive and tight controls that made it feel like Destiny 2 was made for it. To learn more, visit the official Destiny 2 website.