It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Bungie, the team that created the quintessential space saga Halo. Their last chapter, Halo: Reach, released over two years ago for the Xbox 360, and little has been heard from the team since. However, thanks to some leaked information from their next project, Destiny, we’re starting to get a better idea of just what they might be up to.
IGN released the information late last night to an unsuspecting public, and since that time, it’s been running through the Internet like wildfire, with both dedicated Halo fans and casual gamers alike wondering just what Bungie is implementing into this new universe. Whatever it is, it’s looking likely we’ll see it in action sometime next year, with the help of a ten-year partnership with the folks at Activision.
Let’s get to the information on the project itself, fresh from IGN’s report. The details were first reported by a reader, and then confirmed by IGN directly, under a document that was originally being prepared by an advertising agency. It’s an outside look, at best, and doesn’t go truly in-depth (that’s why this is more of a First Look than a full-on preview, but that is coming soon enough), but it does give you a glimpse of their future.
Here are the details on the plot, according to the document: “Our story begins seven hundred years from now in the Last City On Earth, in a Solar System littered with the ruins of man’s Golden Age. A massive, mysterious alien ship hangs overhead like a second Moon. No one knows where it came from or what it’s here for, but only that it’s our protector. Meanwhile, strange alien monsters creep in from the edge of the universe, determined to take Earth and the Last City. We are young ‘knights’ tasked with defending the remains of humanity, discovering the source of these monsters and – eventually – overcoming it.” Meanwhile, the alien ship goes under the cryptic name “The Traveller”.
Right off the bat, you can see certain similarities with Halo. The “young knights,” as they’re so called, seem like Spartans, defending the realm of the Last City. Meanwhile, the Protector almost resembles the Halo in itself, though obviously it serves a more unique purpose, and the aliens, well, that could very well be a facsimile of the Covenant.
Judging by the first screenshots of the game (one of which we’ve included above), Destiny looks to be built way differently than any of the Halo games. It appears to have next-generation design in mind, though Bungie has not confirmed a platform for Destiny to be released on yet. The company also confirmed that the game is “fun and accessible to all,” aiming “to create a universe as deep, tangible and relatable as that of the Star Wars franchise.”
Jason Jones, the company’s co-founder, stated, that “Destiny is designed for your inner seven year old. We want to make it feel like a mythic adventure.” Whether that means planet exploration, or visiting new places ala Mass Effect, we’re not sure…but the concept does seem rather sound, and if anyone can pull it off, it’s definitely Bungie.
Regarding gameplay, the document states that Destiny is “social at its core,” meaning plenty of online accessibility with “a world to explore with friends, both old and new”. It’s not clear if this means the game will have MMO set-ups, or will be more like a traditional shooter like the Halo games. At this point, your guess is as good as ours.
One thing’s for sure – Bungie is definitely working on making it accessible. Along with reaching out to various age groups and featuring a social circle that’s bound to boost online gaming significantly, the designs put into the screenshot reveal an interesting fantasy world, almost on par with that of George Lucas’ early Star Wars films. Hooded soldiers with rifles and a huge tank-like ship with an oversized turret stand out in one screen, and we dare not forget about the Traveller, who hovers over the planet, like one of the ships standing still over a major city in the film Independence Day. What harm it can actually do, however, remains to be seen.
As far as any further details, Bungie is remaining mum. They did state on their website, however, “We’re not quite ready to take the wraps off our next universe, but in light of recent events, we though we’d give fans something a little more official over at Bungie.net. Feel free to drop by and say hello! There’s much more to come.”
Destiny could very well usher in the next generation of gaming like no project before it, provided that’s the direction that Bungie is taking with the forthcoming space saga. We’ll have plenty more details for you in the months ahead.
Thanks to IGN for sharing the details. We are pumped.
