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Destiny 2 review

Here it is, at long last, the Destiny 2 review from TiX! I’d apologise for it taking so long, but for those of you who have ever played Destiny or a game like it, you’ll know it can’t be summed up so quick – not whilst also keeping family and other work in order! We settled on doing something a little different for this review, a round-table of sorts. I’d like to thank Dave, Cat and Ady for being my fireteam on this review.
So, without any more delay, let us transmat right to it!
Did you play Destiny 1, if so, what class did you play and did you continue that character in Destiny 2?

Ady

The original Destiny was one of the games that I have put the most hours into, ever. It’s up there with Skyrim and the Fallout games of the world. I didn’t think that would be the case when I started, as like most people after the campaign was completed I was unsure if the endgame content would keep me hooked. Then, as read in my previous article, I discovered the raid and the strikes, and just how much fun the co-op PvE experience was, and I was smitten! I played as a Warlock in Destiny 1, and although I started Destiny 2 as that character to experience the graphical history, I have now rerolled and started as a Titan, as the Striker class looked too good!

Cat

Yes, I played lots of D1, over 1000 hours and did pretty much everything except go to the Lighthouse. I have indeed continued on my original character, an Exo Titan, but not sure if I’ll continue on my original Warlock and Hunter yet, as I would like to see the new customisation options

Dave

As much as I wanted to like Destiny the first-time round, for various reasons, we just didn’t hit it off. I played loads of the beta with Rich, had a blast and pre-ordered almost immediately.After about a week of playing though I struggled to enjoy it at all, we didn’t have much of a fire team together and to be honest I got pretty bored of it!

I was a Titan then and I’ve stuck with a Titan this time around, it compliments my style of play perfectly so there was little reason for me to change, I may start a second class, but that will all depend on time

John

I most certainly did, though I dipped out from time-to-time, returning when new waves of content were launched. I played a Warlock, almost exclusively, after trying the Titan and Hunter during the beta phases of Destiny 1. I carried over all three characters and started out with my Warlock once again. I just feel there is something magical about the Warlock class – no, not just the self-resurrection overpowered magic – that I never felt with Titan or Hunter. At least in Destiny 1.

How was the story?

Ady

Miles better than the original, which wasn’t difficult. Bungie benefitted from having already told the backstory of the Destiny universe, so they could crack on with a tight, cohesive narrative, with a great villain. I wasn’t convinced with the final boss battle, as I had more difficulty getting past the dogs at the start of that final level! Sometimes I had to stop and just take in the world that was going on around your guardian, especially in the later levels. It introduced the vanguards as well-rounded characters which were a huge improvement!

Cat

Destiny 2’s story was excellent… The general experience was much better than Destiny 1, with an easy to follow plot. Including lore within the game was a great touch. I’m interested to see if they can get as much lore into the game as the previous Grimoire system though

Dave

I really enjoyed the story, as a big Halo fan I’ve always enjoyed Bungie’s style of storytelling and unlike Destiny, there was more story in the beta than the whole of the last game! There are some fantastic set pieces in the game and I really enjoyed meeting the different characters during my playthrough.

John

Simply put. Grand. However, this is coming off the back of Destiny 1. The same game which didn’t have time to explain what it didn’t have time to explain – maybe due to the mid-cycle story reboot? As a standalone title, the story of Destiny 2 was above average, with a feeling of a soft reboot. Not so much the universe of Destiny, but the way that the story was going to be delivered to us, the players. No more clamouring around forums, Reddit and the like, looking for answers on who this person is, what the motivation for their actions was. Which, as someone with a little less time on his hands now, is a blessing. However, with the knowledge of knowing I’ll no longer get that random bit of lore from achieving X number of kills, wins or other milestones, I can’t help but feel I have to wait until December for my next fix.

At least there are Cayde’s trinkets to gather from his weekly chests. Right?

How was the Combat/class mechanics? And how did they differ from D1?

Ady

No need to fix something that wasn’t broken!  The gun mechanics in D1 was one of the best you’ll ever get. I wasn’t sure about the change to weapon classes, with Kinetic, Energy and Power all separate, but once you get used to it then it is fine. I’m not too happy with Sniper moving to Power as there’s never enough ammo for it to make it really usable. I went through most of the campaign without really using the Power weapons so there is definitely a balancing issue to be addressed.

Cat

Everything felt a little faster… But overall, the same solid gunplay from D1 is still there… The Titan (I haven’t played the others yet) felt more like the tank it should be. The new Sentinel sub-class is a lot of fun, and I can see myself becoming a Sentinel main in D2.

Dave

If there is one thing Bungie almost always get right, it’s their combat mechanics every weapon feels meaty and the supercharge powers all feel unique, giving me the chance to be flexible with my approach.

John

The combat is refined. Changes to ability types across the board, such as bringing all melee attacks to the same attack point – no more Warlock ranged-melee attacks, as an example. I felt challenged in some areas, and heard/read that others were, too. This felt good, knowing that all classes – at least in PvE – were on an even keel.

The sweeping changes to subclasses, on the other hand, didn’t and still doesn’t feel quite right. Gone are the choices of taking option 3 from line A, mixing it with option 5 from line E. It’s all or nothing from two very split hubs, with each of the two hubs feeling like they are missing the prefix of PvP and PvE. Here is hoping that in future content drops, namely DLC, the freedom of Destiny 1’s talent trees returns in some form.

Did the game feel empty post-campaign? Do you feel there is the content to keep you returning on a regular basis until more content is released?

Ady

So, at the time of writing, I have only just finished the campaign and reached level 20, with my Titan at power level 210. Looking at the map there are still quests, strikes, the raid and other activities on the maps that I haven’t even touched yet. And apart from the main campaign, I haven’t even started to explore Titan, Nessus or IO. Empty? I feel more overwhelmed than empty! Just worried about where the time will come from to enable me to put enough hours in!

Cat

Initially, I felt there was enough to do, but now I’m hitting the higher Power levels (currently 271) I’m struggling as a solo player. I’ve yet had the time to hit the strike or crucible playlists, however. I do really like the Adventures though and feel that Patrol has had the facelift it needed. As someone who spent 11 days in-game time in Patrol in D1, I’m happy.

Dave

I was worried about this at first but in fact, the game really only begins after the campaign in reality. There is just so much to do, which is great for all types of players, casual and hardcore.

Of course, then there is the loot, it’s great, isn’t it? There is something exciting about Legendary items dropping, or picking up engrams, not knowing what you are going to get. I almost obsessed with it now, I’ve spent way too long sorting my shaders for my guardian, he looks pretty badass at the moment.

Whether you are taking part in Public Events, the Crucible, Nightfall’s or Strikes there appears to be something for everyone. I have less time free than the majority of my fireteam, so over time I’ll be swimming in content.

John

As someone who had ample time to play at release – I had 4 days off – I felt I’d be drowning in content for a good month, as I could only put in a few hours per day after that initial burst. I was wrong. Nearly 3 weeks removed, I haven’t logged in for 2 days to do the daily milestone. Why? Because without the powerful engrams from the weekly activities, I get little to no sense of progression.

Yes, I have the raid to complete, but I am sticking by the TiX clan – for better or worse! Love you guys. So, once all other activities are complete, I sit at a power level – nearly wrote light level – that won’t move upwards until reset. There are no weapon rolls, so I can’t go after a set weapon and hope for an uber roll. No set strikes to run for specific gear, and sadly I haven’t been able to run Trials with the clan yet, due to other commitments.

All this being said, there IS a healthy amount of content for players that just want to play and play and play. It most certainly does not feel empty, just more like I am on a motorway without an offramp in view. 

A general overview of your time with Destiny 2.

Ady

Loved it! Great campaign, the gun mechanics are as good as D1, and the Titan shield is incredibly fun to use.

Cat

So far I’m really enjoying Destiny 2 and can’t wait to get into the true end-game content. I’m looking forward to trying the new raid with my clanmates and to see what else Bungie can bring for D2.

Dave

I’m genuinely impressed with Destiny 2 – It’s already on my GOTY list, if I were to have any concerns I’d say it can be quite an overwhelming title at times, as a less experienced Destiny player there is a huge amount to take in with a lot of jargon to deal with, it’s easy to get swept away with the crowd and almost not understanding some of the intricacies of the higher level game. I’ve yet to reach the level that allows me to raid and then to start looking at infusing weapons with one another, I’m constantly having to look at guides and ask my team silly questions.

If you can, take your time with the game, because it’s well worth playing, you will lose all time though!

John

A brilliant addition to the Destiny franchise. A brand new building block for Bungie to work from, with the edges of known space being their limit. It, however, as an FPS/MMO/Shared World hybrid, has to be looked at as such. The Rise of Iron period of Destiny 1 was such a high point, that the changes in systems – be it core or quality of life – will hamper Destiny 2 for some players, for sure. Though, those who didn’t return for The Taken King, will see such an immense game in comparison to their first year or less of Destiny 1, they’ll be swimming in Vex milk for a good chunk of time.

Any major concerns?

Ady

Apart from those bloody Dogs? I have no immediate concerns at all. It appears that the endgame is strong, with loads to do at the moment. My only concern is that the content will become stale and boring over time. Public events seem to be on repeat, at least in the EDZ, so the loot will need to be worth the grind if this is the case.

Cat

A major concern for me right now is grind fatigue. I’m already starting to see that settle in, but thankfully I still have other things to keep me busy for the moment. I still have my other two characters to run through the dozen hours of base content.

John

Nothing I didn’t mention earlier, your honour.

The standout moment of your time with Destiny 2, so far?

Ady

The campaign was one of the best FPS shooters I have played, and in recent years its up there with Titanfall 2. I love the fact that the vanguards play more of a role, and they are characters with their own stories now, rather than vendors in the tower. Cayde 6 in particular with his story mission with Failsafe. But the standout for me was the social space reveal at the end of the campaign. A nod also has to go to Tess at the farm who’s line roughly similar to “Do you think an apocalypse is enough to stop Eververse” is a great social commentary on in-app purchases.

Cat

Standout moment? Hmm… Just how different and epic the last few missions felt. Without going into spoilers too much, it didn’t feel like “traditional Destiny”, and more like a Halo-injected Destiny, with some incredible set-pieces…

Dave

There are some moments towards the end of the campaign that really was fantastic, typical Bungie, so much action mixed in with a fabulous soundtrack, I really didn’t want it to end.

Aside from that, just being able to join up with your mates and do whatever we feel in what is a fascinating world with masses to discover.

John

Failsafe!

Finishing the Rat King quest chain with TiX clan members. No spoilers here, but if you have done it, or when you have, you’ll understand the chest ache from the intense action and drama on service. It’s not easy, is it?

Thanks to Activision and Xbox for supporting TiX

Eurogamer, News, PlayStation, Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox One X

EGX 2017 reveals show floor map and announce Destiny 2 developer session

It’s less than a week away so what better time for EGX to reveal the final line-up and show floor map. As discussed previously Sony have their largest stand ever, Xbox are also returning with the playable Xbox One X, and there are also showfloor stands for Ubisoft and Nintendo. TiX will be there over the four days and there will be daily updates on the site!

If you are thinking of attending then the EGX mobile app is the best way to find your way around, with all the maps and all the content available at your fingertips.

The developer sessions are also fully confirmed, with one of the latest additions being Bungie. Giving a keynote talk in the EGX Theatre on the theme of ’Building Better Worlds in Destiny’, Community Manager David ‘Deej’ Dague will host a panel discussion featuring artists from Bungie, who’ll outline how the worlds of Destiny are built from the ground up to reflect an artistic vision. In this behind the scenes look at the game, the audience will learn how Concept Artists and Environment Artists work hand in hand to create the places your heroes explore in search of action and glory, with the opportunity to see some of the earliest visions of the worlds you’ve come to know.

Virgin Media will again have a dedicated Destiny 2 area complete with props and costumes recreating those that appear in the game. Guardians can play either Crucible or Strike gameplay modes on almost 50 PlayStation 4 Pro stations. The top performing teams battling out each day will win incredible Destiny 2 prizes. On Saturday, Virgin Fibre will be joined by special guests from Bungie along with YouTube star and Destiny 2 player, Ali A who will compete against gamers on the stand in rounds of the game.

Square Enix Collective will also have a large presence, and will be showing a huge range of independent titles.

  • Throughline Games’ beautiful 2D cinematic anime adventure Forgotton Anne, where players take on the role of Anne as she tries to escape the Forgotton Lands and return to the real world
  • Fear Effect Sedna from Sushee, the first new game in this legendary series for more than 15 years
  • Sand Sailor Studio’s head-scratching puzzler Black The Fall, which casts players into a dark and oppressive world ruled by Communism
  • Recently announced vertical action adventure Octahedron from Switzerland-based Demimonde
  • Multiplayer masterstroke Oh My Godheads, where players fight for control of ancient stone heads in ridiculously fast and frenetic action
  • Psychological horror Tokyo Dark, which puts a new spin on point-and-click play thanks to a multi-branching story rife with melancholic undertones
  • World War II FPS Battalion 1944, which tasks players with taking on some gloriously old-school multiplayer mayhem
  • Bullet-dodging 3D brawler Deadbeat Heroes, which brilliantly taps into all the best tropes from classic 90s beat-em-ups in a 60s superhero parody
  • First-person puzzler The Turing Test from Bulkhead Interactive
  • Square Enix Collective’s first ever release, puzzle-orientated point-and-click adventure Goetia
  • Children of Zodiarcs, a tactical RPG with dice and deck elements and filled with beautiful visuals

For all the information on what’s at the show please visit the EGX website here – https://www.egx.net/egx/2017.

Features, News, Xbox One

Ode to Destiny: How one game captured the hearts of many

Three years ago, this very week, you came into our home,
With promises of friends and foes, of fantasies and woe.
With much deliberation, I took my time to choose,
The Titan would be my class, I felt, and with it I could not lose.
With its protective Ward of Dawn and mighty Fist of Havoc,
I knew that the fight ahead, would prove to be dramatic.

Laying dead for many years, don’t really know how many,
With a start we are brought to life, a voice one would call quite cheery.
Our Ghost had come across us, in the vast Cosmodrome,
“Eyes up Guardian” he said with haste, our fate is much our own.
As I head towards the safety of the massive city walls,
The Fallen follow close behind, the air full of their calls.

A few short hours later, after facing Fallen, Hive and more,
The great story had ended, but left me feeling sore.
For now one had to go online, to check out the full story,
Tales hidden out of site, unlocked throughout the glory.
The Exo Stranger leaves us, knowing less than we did before,
She has no time, you see, to explain Destiny’s true lore.

Now it’s time to face our fears, within a group of six,
We must head to the Vault of Glass, and learn a few new tricks.
Facing Templar, Atheon, Praetorians, Gorgons and more,
The Vault of Glass proved a mighty task, which would shake us to our core.
As Guardians around the world found out, Atheon was but a tease,
With Solar Grenades, and perfect placement, we killed him with great ease.

A few months passed and throughout the Tower, Guardians grew uneasy,
Without something new to do, the numbers were decreasing.
The Dark Below introduced a new challenger, someone quite unknown,
Crota was his name, and he had come to take the throne.
TDB, unfortunately, proved to be quite the disappointment,
And with great ease the story with it, was dispatched with much resentment.

Crota’s greatest moment came, and Guardians took the challenge on,
However it didn’t take long to get to Crota, and send him far beyond.
Solo runs, and silly modes started to appear, and made Crota quite the fool,
But for those who wanted loot, and gamerscore galore, he was quite the useful tool.
However until the Wolves appeared, we had nothing better to do,
So spent the next few months, raiding until we were covered in Glowhoo.

Skolas is now our greatest threat, looking for Fallen power,
The Kell of Kells is on the loose, and has eyes upon the Tower.
With the help of Petra Venj, we hunt down the mighty beast,
Not until Venus we catch up with him, but captured him with ease.
Off to the Prison with you, great Kell, where Variks is your keeper,
Dismantle mines, you say? I think I’d rather stay here.

Destiny hadn’t changed much, within the first year of its life,
Restricted storage everywhere, and poor quality of life.
It’s not until Oryx appears, and rings in a new age,
That we start to see, the true Destiny stage.
The Taken King comes bounding in, making changes aplenty,
From questlines, swords, and much more to keep us quite busy.

Oryx is the biggest foe that we have yet to see,
His army of the Taken, are quite the enemy.
A mix of our previous foes, no species is safe,
From Oryx’s murderous calls, and attacks upon the Reef.
It’s time to head into the Dreadnaught, and extinguish this vast foe,
Go left at the penis room, and you’ve not too far to go.

For months and months King’s Fall keeps us busy,
The introduction of challenges, and new loot makes us dizzy.
Destiny is starting to take it shape,
Giving hope to everyone, who has played it in all states.
Eververse caused much controversy, with real money spending,
But once we saw her wares, the silver was soon pending.

The final adventure came, with a story full of sadness,
The mighty Lords of Iron, and how they succumbed to madness.
This madness was unusual, in the way it would take over,
The Fallen were proof of this, with how they used the Siva.
Augmented Dregs and Vandals prowled a now snow-capped Earth,
While Lord Saladin and his mighty few, saw through a full rebirth.

Saladin and Efrideet proved to be too strong,
And were the ones left standing, as Jolder knew where she belong.
It’s time for us to avenge them all, each fallen Lord,
And as we finish our adventure, are given a flaming sword.
We know what we must do, to push back the Splicer threat,
Take down their augmented leaders, in a flurry of blood and sweat.

With Aksis vanquished, and the Lords avenged,
It’s time to take our sweet loot, and start it all again.
For it is time to follow the quest, for a gun that is most sexy,
The one and only Outbreak Prime, with nanites so deadly.
One Hunter, Warlock, and Titan, in a group of three,
Must work out the equation, to hold the gun of glee.

The final challenge we all would face, was not one of destruction,
But the endless grinding, which would end with satisfaction.
The time came to those who wanted, to wear their accomplishments with pride,
And so began the Age of Triumph, and everyone would try.
Fill the book to really show, that you were there from the beginning,
And a t-shirt of great quality, would be yours for the taking.

With little left to do for now, this time is for relaxing,
For Destiny 2 is nearly here, and a new challenge quite taxing.
For Ghaul has reared his ugly head, and wants the Traveller for his own,
The deadly, planet eating Space Rhinos have made their intentions known.
While everything we loved and cherished, lies broken and ablaze,
It’s time for us to take up arms, and destroy Ghaul and his ways…

Thank you for taking the time to read through this rather long piece I put together, to show my love and appreciation for Destiny. As a gamer, Destiny has changed the way I play games forever. Joining the Dames of Destiny has been a real life changer, and through them I have made many new friends, who I can’t wait to start the new adventure with.

Features, tixfeatures

How the Raid Virgins in Destiny changed me as a Gamer

When Destiny was first announced I wasn’t that intrigued. A new, space shooter from the creators of Halo? Surely that should be something I should have been immensely excited for? Well, here’s something to shock you dear TiX reader. I don’t like Halo. There you go, it’s out there in the open. I don’t like, and never have liked Halo. I played the first game, obviously, and tried the multiplayer madness of Halo 3. But it has just never resonated with me.

I suppose the problem is my age. And my rapidly failing reflexes. I am not old, but when the days of first-person shooters were all the rage, I was in my early thirties, and my attempts at competing in these twitch shooters left me angry, annoyed and feeling bereft of any skill whatsoever. I constantly finished bottom of the leaderboards, which led me to pick more single player, story based experiences as my gaming habits. The sometimes toxic behaviour of certain elements of the player base of any online shooter also further reinforced that decision.

There have been games that have tempted me back to shooters, but any attempt into multiplayer led back to these dark feelings, and I often finished a multiplayer session questioning why I gamed. Not just the multiplayer aspect, but all gaming in general. Like it was childish and a waste of time, as critics of the hobby still like to point out. It really had that much of a detrimental affect to my wellbeing. Some shooters, like Titanfall, were notably different and enjoyable, as they were so much fun I didn’t mind being at the bottom of the pile, and sometimes I actually found myself getting closer to the top as the controls and mechanisms started to gel with me. It also probably had something to do with the Grunts, as it meant I could get some kills in!

But that’s where Destiny came in. I fell for the hype and initially purchased the game for the single player campaign. Yes, the much maligned story mode was what dragged me in. But I was then confused. What were these “Strikes” I was reading about on social media. Then there was the light level, and strange coins, and glimmer, and grimoire. As quickly as I fell for the hype I was lost. It was too confusing and I didn’t understand it all. My son was hooked, and he talked constantly about Xur, about the upcoming raids, and what new exotic engram he’d got and, with his enthusiasm rubbing off on me, I realised that I had not given Destiny enough time and energy.

So I forced myself back in, but to start with it was still very much a single player experience for me, despite being part of a large gaming community, as most friends had chosen the PS4 for their next-gen console. So, I soldiered on alone, and the more I played the more I learnt, and the more I started to understand.

Then, one Facebook message changed everything, and I didn’t realise at the time that it would also change my gaming habits for the forseeable future. I had heard about the raids, both from my son and from social media. But again, they were still a confusing part of Destiny for me. But that message was a call. A call from raid virgins. Who were two people short of a six man team. None of whom knew anything about what the raid entailed, but wanted that experience. And I answered that call.

So, a few days later I found myself in a party with 5 other, unskilled and curious Destiny Virgins. This was in September 2015, about the time that the third raid, The Kings Fall, was being released. But we weren’t interested in The Kings Fall, we were going for the Vault of Glass. Late to the party I know, but we were going in at the start. What followed was a great deal of late night sessions, swearing, laughing and messing around whilst we attempted to solve the many puzzles or worked out how to kill certain enemies.

At times messages would pop up, informing us that we had the Mark of Negation. Eh? But we figured it out. Then there were the oracles, and we figured those out. Then the wonderful part where you had to find your way through the maze with the Gorgons. If you’ve done it you’ll have been through what I was experiencing. It was fun, it was joyful, it was exhilarating. But the most important thing was that I was working together with others to solve problems. Not trying desperately to shoot them. The Vault of Glass was completed, along with Crota a few weeks later. Then the Kings Fall was attempted, until unfortunately work schedules and real life got in the way, as it does occasionally.

Destiny_20150921005028

But, thats where I changed as a gamer. I had my first positive experience with Co-Op multiplayer and it was for me. Now I play Rainbow Six, GTA Online & Rocket League on a weekly basis. But always when I am part of a team, whether battling AI, or against others. And my headset that was barely used has now been replaced many times over. It also seriously started my love affair with Destiny. I was still playing daily, up until the release of Fallout 4, and then, when others were sinking all their time into that masterpiece I was still sinking days into Destiny.

And, in the coming days Destiny 2 is being released. This time I will be there from the start, striking and raiding on a very regular basis. And I won’t be alone. My team will be there with me.

News

Destiny 2 beta now open to all

As of 6pm on Friday evening, the Destiny 2 Beta was opened up to all.

Players worldwide are invited to experience a variety of activities including the opening story mission, ‘Homecoming’, and cooperative and competitive modes, before Destiny 2’s launch on September 6, 2017. Our very own Cat will be writing up her thoughts on the beta this week and you’ll be able to check out our Livestream of the game on Sunday evening at 9pm BST.

News, Xbox One, Xbox One S

Bungie Reveals Destiny 2 Gameplay

Bungie have today revealed gameplay footage of Destiny 2 at an event in Los Angeles along with details of new strikes, crucible game modes and the tease of a new raid.  Also announced were improvements to the social features of the game.  Details after the trailer!

Destiny 2 is a first-person action game with a compelling, immersive story and fresh beginning awaiting all new, returning, casual, and competitive players, Destiny 2 has been developed to deliver an experience for new and existing players to discover.

In the new story, humanity has fallen to an overwhelming invasion force, led by Lord Ghaul, the imposing commander of the brutal Red Legion. He has stripped Guardians of their power, and forced the survivors to flee their home. Players will venture out into our solar system to discover an arsenal of weapons and devastating new combat abilities. To defeat the Red Legion and confront Ghaul, they must reunite humanity’s scattered heroes, stand together, and fight back to reclaim our home.

There are four New Stunning Worlds to Explore with New Features;

* European Dead Zone – The largest destination yet featuring a lush forest, abandoned town, a cave system below the surface, and a Red Legion military base to explore and contest.

* Titan – One of Saturn’s Moons where Commander Zavala is regrouping at the hands of Ghaul. There is no land on Titan. Instead, players explore a series of Golden Age platforms surrounded by a rolling ocean.

* Nessus – a strange and unstable planetoid that has been fully consumed by the Vex where players will find Cayde-6 is caught up in his own adventures in a stunning landscape of sheer walls, lush canyons, and creepy Vex caverns.

* Io – A moon of Jupiter, where Ikora Rey has gone in search of answers. Io is the last known site the Traveler visited during the Golden Age, it’s now occupied by our enemies.

Destiny 2 features a brand new game director which is your guide throughout Destiny 2 in your search for Adventures, Lost Sectors, new Public Events, and more. Players can pick a landing zone, explore, and seamlessly jump into other activities in game.  Different to the original game, Destiny 2 no longer requires the player to jump to orbit between games.

Adventures are a new game mode, which are shorter missions with self-contained stories for players to learn more about the Destiny 2 universe and the characters that live there.  Lost Sectors are scattered, enemy dungeon layers throughout the world you can discover with unique boss enemies guarding treasure to earn.  Public Events are unique and dynamic combat activities that players can join on the fly as they roam around the world solo or with up to nine other players.  These appeared in Destiny but are also different in Destiny 2 as they no longer appear randomly but appear on the game map.

Bungie also announced that Destiny 2 will be more suitable for all types of Players: New, Returning, Casual, and Competitive. The story campaign is the narrative of Destiny 2’s cinematic story which players can also explore in Adventures, Patrols, Lost Sectors, Quests, and Public Events.  There is also the return of Strikes, which continue to be three-player missions, a new Raid, which is a six-player mission with incredible challenges and rewards.

The crucible returns as a 4v4 competitive gameplay mode, which is a change from the 6v6 in the original game.  New modes and maps will be introduced.  Countdown is a new competitive mode where players spawn on either Offence or Defence, and when the round ends you swap sides and roles. The goal is to plant a bomb at the enemy base, and then defend it until it explodes. Each round is worth one point. First team to six wins. To revive a teammate, you must use a revive token. Power weapon ammo is only granted to the one player who pulls it. Working as a team is the key to victory.

The most changed and refined features in Destiny 2 are the social improvements.  Destiny 2 introduces a Clan system, which is a new integrated system that allows friends to bring their community and unique culture to the forefront of Destiny. Clans have been fully integrated into the game and will provide official banners, invitations, and their own rewards and experience systems for all members.   If you were a solo player in Destiny you needed to revert to external measures to find a group of people to play with.  This is where the clan system helps as it introduces a feature called “Guided Games” that brings solo players and clan communities together to play Destiny 2’s most challenging activities including Raids, Trials and Nightfall Strikes.

Our very own Cat @kookatchu hosted a twitch stream earlier to discuss the gameplay reveals and you can check that out below!

Keep watching This Is Xbox for more details of the game, the upcoming beta, and of course the team here will be streaming our first attempt at the new raid once the game is released on September 8th 2017.

 

News, Xbox One, Xbox One S

Latest Destiny Patch notes revealed.

As the Internet begins to release Age of Triumph for Destiny: Rise of Iron, Bungie have released the patch notes for the update. Prepare to dig in…

Raids
  • A  Raid playlist is now available featuring one Raid in the director each week
    • Recommended Light level: 390
    • New Weapons, Armor, Armor Ornaments, Ghosts, Sparrows, Shaders and Emblems to discover
    • Players will receive one Age of Triumph Armor Ornament token for successful completion of the featured Raid (once per week per account)
    • All Challenge Modes are enabled on the weekly featured Raid
      • Players will receive one Age of Triumph Armor Ornament token for successful completion of Challenge Modes (once per character, per Challenge Mode, per week)
    • Players will receive a “Knuckles of Eao” by completing a featured Raid’s opening encounter (once per week, per account)
      • Use Knuckles of Eao then defeat a Raid boss in the weekly featured playlist to receive extra rewards
      • Knuckles of Eao consumables stack to a maximum of 5
  • Three of Coins should now activate on the following bosses:
    • Templar
    • Atheon
    • Ir-yut
    • Crota
  • Added Challenge Modes to the following Encounters:
    • Atheon
    • Templar
    • Ir-yut
    • Crota
  • Fixed an issue where killing Ir-Yut would not always end the Deathsinger encounter and players would have to deal with infinitely respawning Knights
  • Removed a condition that prevented Fireteams of less than three from progressing past the Gorgons in the Vault of Glass
  • Fixed an issue where one of the door switches in the second Vosik encounter was partially obscured by the wall and difficult to hit with a SIVA Charge
Crucible
Crucible Director 
  • Updated core nodes to cycle between available activities on a weekly cadence:
    • Node 1 cycles between Control and Clash
    • Node 2 cycles between Rift and Supremacy
    • Node 3 cycles between Elimination and Trials of Osiris (on weekend only)
    • Node 4 cycles between Skirmish and Salvage
    • Node 5 cycles between Rumble and Rumble Supremacy
  • Weekly Featured Crucible activities consolidated into a single node
    • Weekly Featured activities include Combined Arms, Zone Control, Mayhem Clash, Mayhem Rumble and Doubles
    • Classic playlists have been removed, players who do not own Rise of Iron can now access the Weekly Featured Crucible activity
Crucible Bounties
  • Updated Crucible Daily Bounties to be more inclusive, no longer requiring specific Subclasses or Fireteams
  • Added new Weekly Crucible Weapon Bounties to the Crucible Quartermaster
    • Possible Weapon rewards include items from the Crucible Vendor, Crucible Playlists, Iron Banner and Trials of Osiris
  • Lord Shaxx will now offer his Weekly Bounty for both available 6v6 modes each week
  • Trials of Osiris Bounties have been updated:
    • Existing Bounties will remain in your inventory and can be completed to acquire their respective rewards
    • New versions of the Bounties will now be offered by Brother Vance and can be completed daily when Trials of Osiris is active
    • Armor and Weapon rewards from Bounties updated to include all non-adept Y3 items
Quests
  • Crucible Quest chain from Lord Shaxx has been removed, you can complete the current quest you are on but will not acquire the next quest in the chain
Iron Banner
  • Dusty Iron Engrams updated to decrypt immediately upon purchase
  • Dusty Iron Engrams now have a chance to contain Year 2 Iron Companion Armor
  • Iron Banner match rewards updated to include Year 2 Iron Companion Armor
  • Slightly increased chance for Year 1 and Year 2 armor rewards from Iron Banner matches
  • Support added for Iron Banner Mayhem Clash
  • Some vendor items on Efrideet have had their rolls updated
Trials of Osiris/Elimination
  • Fixed an issue where a player on the surviving team could use Fireborn to cause the round to continue even when all enemies were dead
General
  • Made Special Ammo crates instantly refill your Special Weapon on pickup
  • Disabled Join-in-Progress for Rumble playlists if any player has at least 100 points
Private Matches
  • Removed Power and Vehicle options, added Ammo and Respawn options that vary by mode:
    • Ammunition –  Default, No Special, No Heavy, No Ammo Crates
    • Respawns – Teammate Revives, Instant, After 3 Seconds, After 5 Seconds, After 10 Seconds
    • Vehicles are now enabled on maps that support them, except in Inferno modes
    • Round Time options adjusted for Elimination to default to 90 seconds to match the playlist setting
Maps
  • Fixed an issue where players were able to leave the intended playable area on Icarus and Skyline
Patrols
  • Fixed an issue where Plaguelands patrols were not dropping collection items
Grimoire
  • Grimoire card “SRL: Sparrow Racing” can now also be earned from Private Matches using the Sparrow Racing gametype
  • Players who have acquired the Y3 Khvostov will be awarded all Grimoire cards for the Khvostov Manual pages (including pages 1, 15, and 17) upon entering Orbit
  • Players will now be awarded with the Y1 Icebreaker Grimoire card upon acquiring the Y3 Icebreaker. Players who have already acquired the Y3 Icebreaker will receive the card upon entering Orbit
Sandbox
  • Health Regen changes:
    • Changes reverted:
      • Suros Legacy perk
      • No Backup Plans
      • Ward of Dawn cast
      • Apotheosis Veil
      • Embrace the Void
    • Kept the recent changes, but increased the amount of Health/Shield given per kill from 36 to 57:
      • Hungering Blade
      • Transfusion: Cooldown was also removed
      • Cauterize: Cooldown was also removed
      • Red Death perk
      • Lifesteal:  Also applies to The Ram
  • Memory of Skorri will now require a kill to start working and will charge Supers for 1 minute, or until the round ends or the player dies
  • Sidearms will no longer allow ammo to stack through death and instead will reset to a single magazine every respawn
  • Added 1 round to Truth’s maximum inventory and increased its reload speed to max
  • Added more flinch to No Land Beyond and widened its potential recoil space — it will recoil the same amount, but not necessarily in the same direction
  • Recovery reduction was removed from the Blink Talent Grid Nodes and the time the player was left HUDless has been lowered
  • Hand Cannon range falloff now starts  ~3m earlier
  • Auto Rifles’ minimum damage (damage done at maximum range falloff) increased by 7%
  • Kills with Necrochasm no longer require headshots to explode enemies (flying enemies such as Shanks and Wizards  do not explode)
  • Increased Recovery given by Astrocyte Verse’s Move to Survive perk from +3 to +7
  • Fixed an issue where the Rescue Mag perk would replenish ammunition when taking self-damage
  • Fixed an issue where changes to the Shotgun perk Rangefinder intended with Hotfix 2.5.0.2 did not go into effect
  • Fixed an issue that where changes to Shotgun in-air accuracy did not go into effect
Strikes
  • New Nightfall modifier: Daybreak combines the Epic and Mayhem modifiers every fourth week
  • Nightfall blue flames and Radiant Light Reputation bonus on completion have returned
  • More aggressive idle player detection; now in line with Crucible Activity
  • Fixed an issue in The Nexus where the Aegis would be continuously deleted and respawned
  • Fixed an issue in The Shadow Thief where players would get the “Joining Allies” message while in the playable space during the fight with Taniks
Vendors
  • Increased the reputation awarded by the Gunsmith for completing weapon tests
  • Eris Morn now accepts Moldering Shards and charged Antiquated Runes as donations in exchange for Crota’s Bane reputation
  • Adjusted the price of ammo synthesis for purchase from Eris Morn
  • Shiro-4 will now accept Isenfyre Tokens in exchange for 500 Vanguard reputation
  • The Crucible Quartermaster now sells ammo synthesis consumables in exchange for Hadium Flakes
  • Vendor items sold for Legendary Marks have had their light levels increased to 380
  • Vendors selling level 40 Legendary Armor and Weapons now update perks and stats at the weekly reset
    • This includes the following vendors:
      • Vanguard Mentors and Quartermaster
      • Crucible Quartermaster
      • Lord Shaxx
      • Dead Orbit
      • New Monarchy
      • Future War Cult
  • Xûr now sells two new Exotic weapon bundles each week in addition to his regular weekly sale items
    • Each bundle costs 30 Strange Coins and 25 Silver Dust and contains 1 Exotic Weapon and 1 matching Weapon Ornament
  • Two new Emotes are available from the Emote Kiosk: Please and Thanks
  • Adjusted the rarity of certain ships available from Amanda Holliday
Silver Dust Store
  • Many Eververse items available from the Dawning are now available on the Silver Dust Kiosk
  • Sterling and Radiant Treasures have been removed from the Silver Dust Store
  • New Silver Dust Engram items have been added to the Silver Dust Store and their corresponding vendors for a cost of 5 Silver Dust
  • Items obtained from these Engrams dismantle into 1 Silver Dust:
    • Arena Engram – Lord Shaxx – Contains infusible Crucible Armor from Year 1 and 2
    • Exodus Engram – Arach Jalaal – Contains infusible Dead Orbit Armor from Year 1 and 2
    • Warpath Engram – Lakshmi-2 – Contains infusible Future War Cult Armor from Year 1 and 2
    • Unity Engram – Executor Hideo – Contains infusible New Monarchy Armor from Year 1 and 2
    • Triad Engram – Vanguard Mentors – Contains infusible Vanguard Armor from Year 1 and 2
    • Sterling Engram – Silver Dust Store – Contains Spektar Armor from Year 2’s Sterling Treasure
    • Icy Engram – Silver Dust Store – Contains Chroma Armor from Treasures of the Dawning
      • Cost is 10 Silver Dust, items dismantle to 5 Silver Dust
  • Players who have previously obtained Dawning and Desolate Armor pieces may purchase these items from the Silver Dust Store
Eververse
  • Treasure of Ages is now available for purchase from Eververse
  • The Treasure of Ages contains existing Eververse items, as well as many new items to collect:
    • Shaders
    • Weapon Ornaments
    • Ships
    • Triumph Armor Set
  • Players can receive up to three free Treasure of Ages per account per week for their first completion of the following activities:
    • Heroic Strike playlist
    • Weekly Crucible playlist
    • Weekly Story playlist
General
  • Fixed an issue impacting some players’ ability to join Fireteams over local network connections
  • Fixed an issue preventing dropped Engrams from being sent to the Postmaster if the player disconnects without returning to Orbit
  • Fixed a bug causing equipped Sniper Rifles to occasionally become invisible
  • Fixed an issue that allowed Supers to stay activated longer than intended
  • Twilight Garrison now changes color to match the equipped Shader
  • Skeleton Keys and Siva Fragments may now appear at Postmaster to prevent an issue where these items may have been removed from Character Inventory

 

News, Xbox LIVE, Xbox One, Xbox One S

Destiny 2 officially revealed

Rumours about Destiny 2 being imminently revealed have been floating around for about a week now, and with Activision confirming the sequel would be hitting shelves this year back in February in their Fourth Quarter 2016 results, it’s no surprise to finally see something official.

Destiny 2 was announced a couple of hours ago (at time of writing) with a rather unceremoniously posted image on the official Destiny Twitter.

Details on the sequel unfortunately end there, but E3 is fast approaching so we won’t have long to wait until we find out what’s next for the FPS MMO.

 

Events, Xbox One

Dames of Destiny host special Twitch event

The Dames of Destiny are hosting a special three-day event from October 28 to October 30, to raise money and awareness to breast cancer.

They will be live throughout the weekend at www.twitch.tv/dames_of_destiny, with a host of special guests, including big names in the Destiny streaming world such as:

  • Guardian Outpost
  • Guardian Radio
  • Lady Desiree
  • TripleWreck
  • And many more…

The Dames of Destiny, and their affiliate clan the Safegamers, will open up the event on Friday, with the featured streamers taking their turn on Saturday and Sunday.

dames-schedule

Keep an eye on the Dames of Destiny Twitter account for up to date information regarding the stream, and to find out how you can help.

News, Trailers, Xbox LIVE, Xbox One, Xbox One S

Destiny: Rise of Iron official launch trailer

With the launch of Destiny: Rise of Iron just days away Bungie have released the official launch trailer.

Destiny: Rise of Iron brings a new cinematic story campaign, a new location ‘The Plaguelands’ to explore, a brand new social space ‘Felwinter Peak’, a new six-player Raid, new and remastered three-player co-operative Strikes and even more ways to customise your Guardian with all-new weapons and gear.

Destiny: Rise of Iron will launch on September 20th for the Xbox One but if you want to find out further information, check out the official website here.