New Destiny classes, story and enemy details

Destiny’s website got an update, giving us all kinds of new information about the lore, environments and classes. There’s a ton of new information, and it’s making the game look even more appealing – and less Halo-esque, sort of.

The Lore of Destiny

Launching a new IP means introducing gamers to a new world, environment, and back story. So what is the story behind Destiny?

It all started during our “Golden Age” with the arrival of the Traveler. They changed our solar system’s environment, helping to make Mars and Venus’s atmospheres survivable for humanity. Of course, they colonized these planets.

However, such a perfect time simply couldn’t last forever. The Traveler had an ancient enemy that followed them to Earth. They nearly destroyed humanity. While no one really knows what happened, they know that we survived, and owe our lives to the Traveler.

In our darkest days, Humans, Exos, and Awoken found the Traveler where it made its last stand, low above Earth, silent and immobile. We built the City – our last – within its protective veil, fighting countless wars to keep its peace. From that dark age, Guardians were born.

You are a Guardian of the last safe city of Earth, tasked with defending it. Defeat our enemies, explore the ancient ruins and discover all that was lost. Wow, sounds dramatic – it makes for a new twist on the usual premise of space games. So, if you’re a Guardian, what does that really mean?

Destiny’s Guardians

As we knew, you will have three classes to chose from: Titan, Warlock and Hunter. Here are some further descriptions, and pretty videos, for each.

• Titan: The first Titans built the Wall, and bravely gave their lives to defend it. Now, you stand in the same place, steadfast and sure. Our enemies are deadly and merciless, but so are you. You hail from a line of legendary heroes and your strength and skill will be needed to shatter their ranks.

• Warlock: Warlocks have long studied the Traveler, mastering some of its arcane energies. Its true purpose still remains a great mystery, but discovering truth has always driven you into the unknown. Now, our enemies stand between you and your greatest discovery – the secrets of the Golden Age.

• Hunter: Hunters once prowled the wilderness and wastelands, taking big risks for even bigger rewards. Making your own luck has always meant bending the rules. But you are no outlaw, at least, not anymore, and your unique brand of daring and ingenuity will be needed now more than ever.

Enemies of Destiny

Four enemies were detailed and they sound varied enough to keep any Guardian on their toes:

• Fallen: Fallen are hardy creatures who can survive in a wide range of environments without heavy armor or complex modifications to their physiology. They travel light, hit hard, and are gone before you know it. Fallen may look like mere scavengers, but on closer inspection you will see hints of a splendid, sophisticated past, and the proud markings of their ancestral “Houses.”
• Hive: Hive manipulate the physical world in ways that we can only begin to imagine. The Hive have carved a kingdom deep into the lifeless core of the Moon, and it is there they remain, silent and buried among many dark and terrible secrets, a reminder of the tremendous power that brought forth the Collapse.
• Vex: Scattered reports indicate that the Vex appear to be mass-produced machine units, constructed of an unknown metal alloy resembling hammered brass. All attempts to communicate with them have failed. They are hostile. They are unrelenting. They are deadly.
• Cabal: Few Guardians have faced Cabal and lived to tell the tale. They are a professional military operation. On every front we have found them on the march, they have already dug in and ringed their installations with razor wire. Now, it seems they’ve turned their eyes towards us.

Destiny’s Destinations

Destiny’s Guardians and enemies will go head to head in four locations: Earth, the Moon, Mars and Venus. Don’t worry, though, they aren’t just the same environments re-skinned in a new color.

• Earth: Our home. After the Darkness swept over us, we found the Traveler where it made its last stand. Beneath, we built The City – our last – within its protective aura. From here, Guardians stand watch, defend our civilization, and strike out into the wild frontiers of Earth – and beyond – to reclaim our lost worlds.
• Moon: Like Earth, the ruins of humanity’s former glory can be found scattered across the familiar lunar surface. Recent exploration attempts have been repulsed, reporting increased enemy activity, and even strange tectonic phenomenon. The City has since classified the Moon as a “Forbidden Zone,” open only to our most brave and experienced Guardians.
• Venus: Venus was once the site of great discovery – a paradise. Now, it is a monument to all that we have lost. The old stories say we built an academy dedicated to learning and research on the shore of a wondrous sea, and that the waters themselves boiled and rose up to shatter the coast, washing away all that we had built.
• Mars: What little we know of Mars may as well be a myth. We built a massive metropolis in the red dust. The Darkness swept nearly all of it away; the sand itself claimed the rest. No one knows what remains of our lost age, now buried beneath the dunes.

Destiny is all about defeating enemies, exploring ancient ruins and discovering what was lost. So, if I had to bet, I would wager that Earth will be all about defense, the Moon will be a major combat zone for crushing enemies (while exploring ruins, of course), and Venus and Mars will be more exploration driven, with plenty of pew pew to keep it interesting.

This game sounds way more in-depth than Titanfall – will it have more longevity and support than the other shooter? At this point, as fun and frenetic as Titanfall is, I’d wager that Destiny will be the FPS to really shunt us all into the new generation of shooters.

Last Updated: April 23, 2014