Developer: Bungie
Publisher: Activision
Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox One, Playstation 3, Playstation 4
Tested on: Playstation 4
Destiny: The Taken King DLC – Review
Destiny is one of those games that you either love or hate, and even those who love it often complain about Bungie’s servers, DLC costs, nerfing or buffing, and everything in between. So how did the release of The Taking King DLC break the record for the franchise’s most total players online on a single day, and how does Destiny continue to gain momentum? Admittedly, the newest DLC does try hard to please fans. Not only does The Taken King add new story content and graphical updates, it also answers some of the many questions Guardians were asking. Bungie even brought in Nolan North. It’s clear that The Taking King was meant to help kick off Year 2 in style.
Story
Killing Crota in the Dark Below DLC has angered his father Oryx, who is now out for revenge. This is bad news for the entire galaxy as Oryx starts “taking” members of all alien races and then transforms them into his own personal army. It’s especially bad news for player characters or Guardians though, as they’re the ones the Hive God is aiming his new giant taskforce at. Working together with veterans such as Eris Morn and the Vanguard representatives at the Tower, Guardians will have to seek out Oryx in his own court, and try to stop him before it’s too late. This new cooperation between Guardians and Vanguard members is refreshing, as characters have been fleshed out further and now feel more like real people than simply quest givers. Star of the DLC Cayde-6, voiced by Nathan Fillion, provides comic relief and counters Eris Morn’s (sometimes melodramatic and) serious narration. The balance between humour and grimness is excellent, and makes this DLC very fun to play. Quests are well balanced and the story is engaging.
Bungie has also done a good job at incorporating answers to big questions in a non-obvious way. Nonchalant remarks at the appropriate times help shed light on Destiny’s lore and expand its universe. Cayde-6 explains in a single sentence where Hunters got their stealth technology from, but by doing so he builds upon Destiny’s pre-existing lore and this heightens immersion.
Graphics
Cinematic cutscenes have always been of fantastic quality in Destiny, but the level of detail in the new cutscenes is tremendous. Characters almost look like real people. Gameplay graphics are fantastic as well; Crota and his army of “taken” are without a doubt the aesthetically coolest enemies Destiny has offered so far, and the new areas offer fresh opportunities for exploration.
Sound
There’s really only one word for the soundtrack to this DLC, and that is “epic”. By balancing dramatic classical scores with modern synthesizer and drum sounds Bungie composers Salvatori, Johnson and Lewin add to the perfect balance between grimness and pure fun that we described earlier. From the heroic theme playing during the confrontation with Oryx to your very own badass background track as you run through fiery explosions, the soundtrack to this DLC suits the story exceptionally well.
The star of this DLC is not Nolan North as one might expect, but Nathan Fillion. Nathan does a fantastic job voicing the sarcastic Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 and really adds character to the DLC. The character’s jokes are genuinely funny, and are delivered tremendously. Nolan North surprisingly ended up being a rather poor addition to the game, with many Day 1 fans missing Peter Dinklage (or “Dinklebot” as they lovingly called his character) who by now had achieved cult status within the Destiny fanbase. Nolan’s voice does grow on you though, and the vocal return of his character (the so-called “Ghost”) does provide continuity as players did miss his character during previous DLC’s where the Ghost mysteriously went silent.
Gameplay
The “taken” army provides a new and fun challenge for Destiny players, with different enemies reacting differently and in more complex ways than we’ve previously seen in Destiny. Bosses finally surpass bullet sponge status as their AI becomes smarter. These new game mechanisms are meant to keep the player on the edge of their seat, and it works. Whether it’s enemies turning invisible, or splitting in two providing a double threat, the “taken” are a force to be reckoned with.
Additionally, three new subclasses (one for each class) switch up combat even more. Titans get a solar subclass with the Sunbreaker specialisation, Hunters now have a void subclass called Nightstalker, and Warlocks get to call upon the power of the storm with the arc subclass Stormwalker. While some debate exists in the Destiny community on whether or not some subclasses are over- or underpowered, players agree that it is refreshing to finally see that third subclass slot filled in.
This DLC consists of far more than an admittedly relatively short campaign though, as it also offers a very fun and extremely challenging new raid, and a new arena-like play mode called Court of Oryx where players have to cooperate to take out multiple bosses. Multiple revamped strikes, new bounties, and new weapons including a sword (you read that right!) are all meant to entertain Guardians long after they’ve played through the campaign.
Conclusion
Overall, Destiny has its issues. Players who don’t want to spend €40/$40/£40 on the DLC are cut off from using most of the base game’s features. Players who did buy the DLC are already complaining about which guns and which subclasses need to be buffed or nerfed. But at the same time, this game is just so much fun. Everyone who has ever finished a Destiny raid will know how exhilarating it feels to finally beat the final boss together after hours of discussing techniques. Everyone who has helped others through difficult quests, thinking back on the days when they were still a “kinderguardian” (a nickname for new players), will smile in reminiscence. From spontaneous flash mobs in the tower to working together to overcome the new bosses, Destiny has so many fantastic things to offer in Year 2. The Taken King DLC is a fantastic new chapter in this story that offers hours and hours of playtime. If you haven’t yet tried this FPS/MMO that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is the time to start playing.
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