By Dan Stiqe

Released in September of 2014, Destiny was the first first-person shooter to truly deliver seamless transition from story-driven gameplay to multiplayer death-match and objective based warfare. It has an expansive and deeply mysterious universe—one that’s been alive and evolving for a year, thanks to the efforts of loyal developers and players alike.

Bungie has been very keen on keeping an ear tuned to their community, adjusting the game over time with the aim of creating something truly unique. Past changes have included weapons adjustments, in-game events and holidays, and the addition of end-game weapons and content to further player progression and story development.

With The Taken King, the arrival of Oryx and his downloadable content marks a milestone in the life of this game; it also heralds the arrival of some truly exciting new stuff including a level cap increase, a new raid, as well as a whole slew of new guns, armor, quests, locations, game-modes, and secrets to discover! We're being told to expect at least as much content as was present in the original release, if not more!

But First: A Little About Myself

I write to you as part of a small sub-group of the Destiny fan base; I picked up the game on pre-order and, at last count, have sunk over 1,500 hours into Bungie's latest first-person sci-fi shooter. I've collected everything you can collect and have end-game content down to a science. My Grimoire (the in-game tracker of your commitment to the game) is as close to maxed out as it can be.

It is with this understanding between us that I intend to bend your ear about every aspect of this game, and with great fervor. My aim is to update and inform, and in the end hopefully showcase all the neat things this game and its players have to offer! Nice to meet you! You can call me Dan.

Destiny: The Basics

You, as a Guardian of the Light, have been tasked with defending humanity's last city and the Traveler that floats silent and still above it. Titans built the walls around the city and stand strong as its most solid defenders. The ever frabjous Hunters act as scouts and assassins, laying claim to what was once lost. Last but not least are the Warlocks—arcane masters of the void, the storm, and the very light of the sun itself; these adepts research Light and Darkness itself, studying the Traveler and the many mysteries of the dim universe left to us.

It wasn't always so; when the Traveler was first discovered on Mars, humanity experienced a 'Golden Age' of advancement in every sense of the word. We took to the stars and made them our home. We built colonies, we perfected A.I., we thrived…

Until the Darkness came. We found ourselves under siege by an array of aliens, each with their own diverse casts, castes, lore, and gameplay mechanics. Thankfully we're not entirely defenseless! As a Guardian, it's up to you and your Ghost (a companion born from the Traveler, now voiced by Nolan North!) to journey to different planets, uncover the secrets of the Traveler, and fight back against the ever-present threat of extinction, alone or with your friends!

Introducing: The Taken King

Oryx (the titular Taken King) has set his sights on the destruction of our Light after the fall of his son Crota in the game's second raid, introduced in The Dark Below. It was a valiant fight, but as Guardians all over the galaxy triumphed over his prodigy (with his own sword, no less) the King had to take notice eventually.

His Dreadnought approaches even now, and Mars has been sending some very disturbing signals lately. Will you answer the call to arms, and lay down this Champion of Darkness once and for all?

Players can expect a rich story and new sub-classes for the Titan, Warlock, and Hunter—each with their own unique story and background. In fact, the entirety of the original game has been re-vamped to go along with TTK's new quest format; you'll find that in-game dialogue and an easy-to-follow story are now available for even the original game's quest line!

Among Destiny’s toughest challenges are the raids—and The Taken King will be adding the game’s FOURTH raid! They’re set encounters: you and up to 5 of your friends will face off against the hardest enemies and most entertaining puzzles the game has to offer. Cooperation and teamwork are a pre-requisite if you intend to sneak past sentries, surpass your strongest foes, or run through hordes of crawling nasties. You’ll invariably face a boss at the end of it all, but when the dust has finally settled after your epic battle, you’ll walk away with a stash of new gear or weapons to use in your next challenges!

Nobody's quite sure what the Dreadnought has in store for us veterans and KinderGuardians alike, but I can tell you that I'll be here, eagerly discovering new and old content alike to share with you! Have YOU found the three new ghosts placed in the Crota's End raid yet? How about the new kiosks throughout the tower that save you space on emblems, shaders, and other tidbits? Did you know that the 2.0 patch has been live since the 8th? Time to get out there, Guardian, and find out what The Taken King has in store for us!

I encourage you, fellow guardians, to chime in! Send* any and all comments, questions, and all else to dan.de.guardian@gmail

(*By sending, you agree to be quoted or published.)