Destiny The Taken King starts on an extremely high note, one that it struggles to carry to the end of the main questline. While great, the main story falls into old habits at times, but in the end delivers the best experience since the game’s launch. This social shooter first launched with a bang, but ended with a murmur (no not the fusion rifle). This divisive title either gained diehard fans, or scathing critics. The Taken King however, brings changes that are welcoming to both sides. In what seems like a love letter to Bungie fans, TTK will bring back players both lapsed and legendary.
There’s a story now?
In Destiny’s second raid, Crota’s End, we killed a God. Crota’s father, Oryx, is out for revenge. Many of the game’s characters must come together to defeat this all powerful being with the ability to bend various alien races to his will. In beautifully crafted cutscenes, we see interactions between Destiny’s main cast, that we had never seen before. Many members of the Vanguard playfully interact with one another with a brevity that is welcome to the series. The Vanguard begin to feel like an actual group, rather than a bunch of people who spend their time standing around in different corners of the tower as they do outside of the story.
When not watching these cutscenes (they ARE skippable after all), players can expect highly varied quests to play through. The very first mission being the crown jewel of the single player Destiny experience. Featuring things like cutscenes, interactive points of interest, and set pieces, you will watch as your enemies scurry from a force of evil greater than themselves. Familiar witty banter between characters is still present during loading screens and during gameplay, but they are thoughtfully accompanied now by the narrative tools mentioned above.
I found most of the Taken King’s mission design to be refreshing and game changing. However, two thirds of the way in, I felt the game was returning to some bad habits. The pomp and circumstance we are greeted with in the beginning of the main questline seems to dwindle momentarily, leading up to an ending that doesn’t match the beginning in terms of scale. In fact, in the final boss fight, I actually exclaimed “Oh shit, we’re doing this now?”. Large scale space battle cinematics and grandiose set pieces seem to disappear again. And while the intentions behind your actions and missions are never confusing, there are a few moments where they begin to feel like the intergalactic laundry list synonymous with vanilla Destiny.
However, even in these moments, fantastic voice work will keep you engaged. Nathan Fillion emerges as the star in the Taken King in his role as Cayde-6, the Hunter Vanguard. Cayde’s roguish personality delivers comedic moments amid the chaos. This is yet another welcome change, as Vanilla Destiny seemed to take itself too seriously at times, and these injections of humor are definitely appreciated. Nathan Fillion is not the only one whose vocal stylings have brought more change to Destiny, as Nolan North has replaced Peter Dinklage.
At first I was not a fan of Nolanbot, yet he grew on me as time passed. Coming off initially as the love-child of the Guilty Spark and C3-PO, he was a bit more annoying than anything. But after accepting this change, and hearing a few charming lines from my floating companion, I actually grew fond of that little light. Another great choice on Bungie’s part was adding varied lines for mission and strikes, easing the Destiny grind.
New Toys
Each new subclass gets its own quest, making each class even more varied. This addition addresses past complaints about lack of variation between player classes, and does so in a meaningful way. The first moment I unleashed my new super was the most pleasing and fun moment since the game’s launch. New super abilities make players feel powerful in an all new way, which means a lot to a player base that has spent so much time feeling over powered.
With this bevy of new abilities and perks, it is hard to pick a favorite. The Titan Sunbreaker wields a hammer forged of solar energy, allowing you to storm the field of battle flinging your hammer and smashing your opponents. This power is coupled with a new grenade that will unleash a storm of fire upon your enemies. Warlocks are also shown some love as they can now channel their inner Emperor Palpatine as they blast arc energy from their fingertips. The stormcaller also has it’s own new grenades that explode with the fury of a thunderstorm. Finally, Hunters can fall into the void with the new Shadowstalker class. This Void centric class grants users a bow made entirely of dark matter energy, which can either be used to one shot an enemy, or ensnare them in a web of dark energy. Where Titans finally have a ranged super ability, Hunters can now provide support as well.
The Taken King’s new weapons have wonderful audio and the same familiar satisfying kick that comes with Bungies weapons. Every weapon is more fun to use than the last. When these new guns are matched with the bevy of new perks and grenades, players are reminded of why they love Destiny so much. This social shooter’s base gameplay is so solid, it can carry the entire title on it’s shoulders. The wonderful difference is that now, there’s a story to match.
Platforms… Platforms Everywhere
The Dreadnaught is the floating fortress of Oryx, The Taken King. It’s long corridors, chilling sounds, and open spaces dwarf Guardians, and make you feel vulnerable. Uncovering the new mechanics and secret areas of the dreadnaught lend to hours of exploration. I’ve actually managed to spend hours exploring and finding mysterious ways to open various hidden chests. The new patrol missions and public events lend to even more hours of gameplay. Fun new events such as the court of Oryx place random players together in order to slay random bosses, in hopes for some sweet loot upon their demise. Finding each new bosses weak points and discovering the boss fights mechanics add a new dimension of fun, and fosters teamwork among players.
The True Meaning of War
With the launch of The Taken King, come three new PVP modes sure to please the lone wolf, and team player alike. The first mode being Rift, a capture the flag like mode in which both teams vie for a single point, called a spark. This spark must be carried by one member of the team to
the enemy team’s rift. I have lovingly referred to this mode as Guardian basketball, as players can even slam dunk the spark into the enemy rift, killing every player in a small radius. This high intensity mode requires a measure of teamwork coupled with quick feet and fast reflexes.
The aptly named Mayhem mode supercharges Guardians, allowing your grenades and super abilities to trigger every few seconds. Titan slams and golden guns abound in this multiplayer mode, where every move can be your last. This incredibly violent mode leads to intense action, and loads of fun, letting guardians feel power on a whole new level.
Finally, Zone Control rewards Guardians who choose to play objectively and cohesively, rather than blindly killing foes. The only way to score in this mode is to hold strategic points across the map, kills will do nothing.
Topple the King
The crown jewel of Destiny has become it’s raids. These 6 player cooperative instances feature the most fearsome and difficult enemies the game has to offer. If you and your fireteam live to tell the tale, you will be rewarded with the most coveted loot in the game. In King’s Fall, Guardians must put an end to to Oryx, the greatest threat our galaxy currently faces. In the tradition of Destiny’s raids, all new puzzles and gameplay mechanics will push players to communicate and work together as much as possible. This all culminates in the largest boss battle Guardians have ever seen. With spectacular gameplay and two sets of raid armor and weapons for each class, there is definitely incentive to kill Oryx and his strongest minions over and over again.
Quality of Life
New missions, weapons, and classes aside, there are many small changes that all add up to a much better experience than vanilla Destiny. Things like the all new Quest page, and being able to track quests in your HUD, add to a better RPG like experience. Players will find that not only have new missions been placed into a quest format, but the games entire mission system has been overhauled to provide a greater feeling of cohesion. Streamlined in game currencies, and easier to understand leveling systems offer a smoother progression from a meager kinderguardian, to a maxed out warrior. Playtime feels much more respected this time around, as a smarter loot system takes note of what you currently own, and raises your chances of gaining better loot at a more consistent rate.
Is it Worth it?
All in all, The Taken King feels like a product Bungie is proud to offer to it’s fans. Not only is this evident in the DLC itself, but from the reveals and advertisements, it feels like a work Bungie is proud to put their name on. Cost and content have long since been a debate with Destiny, but The Taken King stands out against past DLC releases. With an overhaul to the games UI, quest systems, weapon rebalancing, new subclasses, storyline, and much more, TTK is definitely worth your money and time. If you have abandoned this sci fi shooter or shied away from it in the past, now is the best time to be a Guardian.