Destiny: The Taken King
Developer: Bungie
Rated: T
Platform: PS4, Xone, PS3, X360
Nominations: Best Shooter, Best Multiplayer
It’s extremely difficult to keep a solid player base invested in a game for an extended period of time. There are so many games being released now, that it’s impossible to keep up and it seems like the only games that can really keep a strong player base are those in the e-sports arena. MOBAs and competitive shooters like Call of Duty or Counter-Strike don’t have a problem sustaining a player base, but it’s rare for any game to keep players invested for longer than a couple months. Even MMOs don’t really capture huge audiences anymore. Just ask any MMO not named World of Warcraft. [Runescape] Destiny launched to mixed reactions in late 2014 with the general consensus being that it was a solid shooter with an uninteresting world and a non-existent story.
That all changed with The Taken King expansion. Suddenly the great shooting mechanics were supported by a narrative that was fun, and clearly communicated. I came into TTK as a brand new player. I had dabbled in the beta for Destiny, but I had decided it wasn’t for me. With the release of TTK, a few friends convinced me to jump in and join them in the fun. Even as a brand new player, the difference in the quality of the storytelling between “vanilla” Destiny and TTK content was clear. Characters that players had spent countless hours interacting with came to life and had personalities. The overarching story left its mark in familiar locations and introduced new ones that felt fleshed out. Having this extra layer on top of a shooter that rewards communication and cooperation pushed the game into a constant rotation for me. Now, my Destiny time is like a weekly pick-up game of basketball that I look forward to. – Jose Cordova
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