We’re less than 24 hours away from the arrival of Activision’s space epic, Destiny. Bungie put a tremendous amount of effort into this sci-fi adventure, and there’s plenty to achieve, whether you’re on your own or venturing with a crew across the galaxy.
That said, there are 10 things you’ll want to do after picking up the game. Of course, you’re free to do whatever you want with Destiny, which is the beauty of it, but this little tour will give you an idea what you’re in for. Think of it as a beginner’s guide, one that opens up a vast new universe.
First, customize your Guardian
As you could probably tell from the betas, Destiny offers a superb customization angle where you outfit your soldier with certain weapons and secondary armor types, so you can make this virtual persona your own. Feel free to tinker with various options as you switch things around, as you’ll essentially find a design to your liking. If something doesn’t work, don’t be afraid to change it. It’s your universe.
Explore
There are times you may feel like traversing the open world on a vehicle, which is always at your fingertips. However, Bungie designed the world to be this large for a reason – it’s wide open for exploration. You could find new groups of enemies to bring down, or even extra special items to modify your Guardian. Don’t speed through everything. Rather, stop and take a look around, especially when waiting for friends.
Unlock the official Destiny Digital Guide (also available in a Print Edition).
Experiment with your weapons
The opening battles you’ll come across in Destiny provide a great opportunity to try out the weapons you have on hand. You’ll get used to assault rifles, pistols and other wonderful toys as you mow down the competition, and maybe even perfect some new abilities in the process, like your melee strikes or even teleportation. Don’t be afraid to get into a little trouble, as it’ll help you become an even better soldier. Besides, those jerks are asking for it.
Go on an impromptu race
Tired of waiting to find enemies in a stage? Want to pass the time in a creative way? Call your friends to join you in a jet bike race. Transform into your secondary mode of transportation, set a meeting point and then head there wondering who’s going to reach the imaginary finish line first. While you won’t win any official awards for getting first, at least you’ll have bragging rights – until the next race.
Jump into a multiplayer event
Sometimes you’ll get coaxed into joining up in a last-second multiplayer battle against a large enemy. You may feel that the odds are stacked against you and you can’t defeat the aliens, but stick with it. The more Guardians that jump into a battle, the more likely you are at bringing down the foe(s) – and cleaning up some sweet loot in the process.
Check out the secondary missions
There are primary goals that need to be followed to progress the story in Destiny, but it never hurts to look around and see what secondary objectives are available. Some sweet loot-earning opportunities arise all the time, as well as the ability to snag better weapons and armor types for your character.
Make new friends
Joining up together in a co-op battle is one of Destiny’s biggest draws, especially if you have a few friends in tow. Even if you don’t, though, you should take the opportunity to jump into groups as often as possible. Who knows, you might even find a crew that works better than your friends ever did. There’s also the Tower, which we cover in more detail below.
Progress in the Galactic World
As you complete missions and other tasks around the world of Destiny, your soldier will essentially level up. The more you level up, the more powerful you’ll become and the more abilities you’ll open up. Progress is really one of the better motivators in the game, and gives you something to boast about when you’re roaming around the station, looking for missions.
Tackle Raids
Raids are a great way to earn loot in Destiny, as you can easily overtake an objective (it’s not always about killing, sometimes you’re defending or performing actions) and reap the rewards that follow. Better still, with raids, you have about a week’s time to tackle them, although the quicker you act, the sooner you’ll be able to move on to other raids.
The game will feature normal and hard Raids, and both live up to their names. Normal will definitely be a challenge for those who are getting into the game, but once they’re seasoned, they’ll want to step up and try harder ones, where bigger enemies (or those higher in count) await. The rewards are even better with these Raids, including rocket launchers and special armor types that will show players just how great you are.
Take on The Tower, Then Hit the Crucible
If you aren’t afraid to show your social side in the game, make sure you pay The Tower a visit. Here, you can interact with other players (including dance-offs!), pay a visit to vendors and turn in quest items to upgrade your character.
Divided into six different areas (make sure to drop by The Hall of Guardians!), there’s a lot to see and do in this place. Who knows, you might even make a friend or two to join your battle party.
Looking for a more competitive way to be social? Try out The Crucible. In this mode, you can compete against other players in combat, across multiple arenas scattered throughout the galaxy. In this area of the game, you can compete in multiple game types, including Clash, Combined Arms, Control, Rumble, Salvage and Skirmish.
As far as the areas you can battle in, there are three maps on Earth, as well as other arenas throughout the galaxy, including the Moon, Venus, Mercury and even Mars.
Made for the ultimate Destiny fan, the Destiny Limited Edition Strategy Guide is a beautiful 400-page guide that comes with two exclusive lithographs, a gorgeous premium double-sided dust jacket (featuring a unique cover design on the exterior and additional artwork direct from Bungie on the interior), as well as one of Three Deluxe, Collectible Covers based on the Hunter, Warlock, or Titan. This Limited Edition book is a must-have collectible for Destiny fans.
The Destiny guide is also available as a Signature Series Guide and as a Digital Guide.
