Destiny Beta - My first 60 minutes

Destiny Beta Release

Already, I am sick of hearing the comparisons between Destiny and Halo. I was not impressed as I stood in a game store last week and opened a conversation about my excitement for Destiny. The shop worker replied "yeah well it's Halo isn't it?!". I respectfully disagreed and outlined my reasons why. I left the store thinking 'What a dick' especially after he used a condescending tone during the debate. Now that I have played the beta release of Destiny, I stand FIRM in my arguments that Destiny is not Halo, but a fantastic, immersive and visually stunning game in it's own right. I'm going to talk to you about my first experiences of playing the beta release.

3 character classes to choose from in Destiny: Titan, Hunter and Warlock

I was laced with excitement as I watched the percentage increase when Destiny Beta was installing on my Playstation 4. At this point I would like to give thanks to a fellow gamer, Jeroenps4, for providing me a beta download code. YOU STAR! Once I saw it reach 100% and the load screen kicked in, I was poised and ready to choose my class. My choices were out of three: 'Titan, Hunter and Warlock'. I chose the 'Hunter' class as I wanted to have the power combined with mobility within my character. NOW, let me tell you something that I noticed here. I felt SO, SO, SO packed full of anticipation to play this game at this point. Why? Graphically, the characters looked stunning as they swayed slightly on screen prior to making my final choice. I felt an instant connection for some reason. I couldn't believe that this was a beta release? It felt like a final product. After choosing the remaining customizations; details such as face shape, hair and eye colour etc, I ventured forth in to cut scene which I was thrusted upon Mars, present day.

I can honestly report that I was fucking mezmorized at the graphical content amidst the backdrop of atmospheric music. This was a consistent feature of Destiny - Beta. I found the music and 'flash sound effects' to add to my experiences in the actual game play. Now add shadows! As I meandered through corridors and across well lit landscape, shadows from enemies would often lean around a corner, alerting me to what lay ahead. More often than not, I would JUMP at seeing this flash of grey coupled with a corresponding sound effect. I felt so much adrenaline!! I also want to note that the use of shadows worked effectively on stationary objects such as netting that hung from ceilings. The shadows made me feel enclosed and trapped which spurred my motivation to progress away from the area. YES, I WANTED TO PROGRESS, TO EXPLORE AND TO VENTURE!

Destiny's open environments look stunning

Environmentally, Destiny Beta continued to 'knock my socks off'. There's a moment in the earlier stages of the game in which I was greeted with a vast opening of outdoor marvels. Let me paint a picture for you. Crystal blue and green pops of colour littered the skyline. CUE an incoming enemy ship in the distance that disappeared behind a cliff face. In front of me stood anorexic looking trees dotted across a multi-terrain spread of grays, blues in the landscape. A cloud of fine dust skimmed my line of sight. I could see in to the limitless distance. I was in First Person Shooter paradise! Onwards I went!

Looking down my sights on my rifle was as pleasing at it has ever been! I believe that Bungie had done an amazing job in creating a depth of field that allowed me to feel as though I was really behind the trigger. There was a clear fore, mid and background within my line of sight. A sensation of absolute satisfaction infiltrated my gamer brain. I kept asking myself: "Is this really a beta version?"

There are a catalogue of enemies I faced in Destiny Beta. Naturally, I'd guess that that catalogue will increase in the final game. I found there to be a even balance of combat and solitary exploring. Allow me to elaborate. I came in to possession of a sniper rifle early on in the demo. Unlike, Halo, I felt that I could stealth through a patch of enemies to find a safe camping spot to pick off those enemies with my sniper rifle. During my chosen stealth modes, I felt a sense of 'ninja like solitude' which became a part of my tactics to pick off enemies whilst taking minimal damage.

Cabal - One of many enemies in Destiny

Overall, Destiny Beta is an amazing experience. I want to play it more and more and I am eagerly awaiting the final release. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS THOUGHT OF DESTINY BETA.

Thanks for reading.

Gemma a.k.a Juicy Game Reviews