A special livestream from Bungie happened today that finally unveiled the first gameplay footage of Destiny 2. Luke Smith, lead designer on the sequel, prefaced the gameplay with a new vision for Destiny 2 that included interesting tidbits like how features like Raids and Nightfalls will be more accessible to everyone. You can check out all the footage at Destiny‘s official site.
The stream opened up with a cinematic of Zavala going through different worlds and some familiar locales like the Tower. In fact, characters from the first game have way more personality and seem to be more of a focal point in the game’s narrative. This is a welcome addition as Cayde-6 and Ikora Rey banter with each other and Zavala. Well, right before the gameplay hits and players are taken right into the action as your Fireteam works alongside NPCs to defend the Tower from a Cabal assault.
By far one of the coolest moments of the gameplay reveal was when players were taken from the Tower to the Cabal ship, giving the feeling that players are not going to rest easy while their home is being destroyed. New weapons and enemy types were also shown including grenade launchers and new sword-wielding Cabal named Gladiators.
As for your antagonist, Dominus Gall will be your main foe as he tries to take what he believes is his – the Traveler’s Light. Your team of Zavala, Rey and Cayde-6 will be split up and its your duty to seek them out and find a way to stop Gall from taking away everything you own. Entirely new worlds will be comprised of far more cinematic quests and adventures.
New supers were also introduced including the Dawnblade which allows players to shoot projectiles from their sword slashes. The Sentinel will have a shield that you can bounce off enemies and hit multiple in one swing. The Arcstrider will have a staff that allows for agile strikes against enemies. On top of this are three weapon slots for players that will allow for more versatile combat as players pick between which types of weapons they want to bring to these new exotic locations.
These exotic locales will be more focused on exploring, with Patrols still being a part of the gameplay. Adventures and Lost Sectors are the two new features that were announced for while exploring. You’ll meet characters that will take you to secret areas known as Lost Sectors. And yes, because these areas are prime for exploring, there will be a map that will indicate places to go. New worlds were introduced including Titan, Io, Nessus, and of course, Earth. You won’t even have to go to Orbit to get from planet to planet as you use the Director to fast travel between worlds.
Naturally, it wouldn’t be Destiny without co-op missions like Strikes. The first announced one was The Inverted Spire which will take players into a Vex stronghold and fight a three stage boss. But of course, if you would like to fight other Guardians you can in the Crucible which will include new maps and new modes. Countdown was the first introduced mode, but no details were given.
Clans will also be brought to Destiny 2 including in-game rosters, Fireteam making tools, and custom banners. A new reward system will also be shared by members of the Clan. All of this will be in the game, and you won’t need third party apps anymore to form Fireteams. If you choose not to join a Clan, you will still benefit. Guided Games have Clans and solo players joining for parts of the game, with the option to decline working with them based on the brief description of the Clan. The new feature will let you fill empty slots in your Fireteam with people seeking companions for a great gameplay experience.
Finally, Blizzard announced that Destiny 2 will be available on PC exclusively through Battle.net. Whether this is a big blow to Steam or a bad move for Activision, we’ll have to wait and see.
How does all of this sound to you guys? I know I’m over-the-moon with all of these improvements and changes. The huge community focus is great, but what excites me most is the focus on a very cinematic narrative and rich worlds filled with content. Combined with the last game’s impressive combat, but improved, there isn’t much more that I could ask for. Let us know in the comments below how you feel about Destiny 2.
Destiny 2 releases on September 8th for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Source: Destiny Livestream