So Bungie’s first-person shooter has dropped into our lives and into our consoles last week. As someone who has reached the level 20 cap and has spent every free moment possible roaming the ruins of obsolete human colonies, I’ve compiled a wee list of tips that I’ve acquired during my gaming sessions.
But first, let me get something out of the way. As I’m sure you have all been reading the slow trickle of reviews popping up all over the internet in regards to Destiny (I have been doing so obsessively), I won’t be doing a traditional review for the game. For starters, much of what I felt that fell short in the beta, still remains. And that isn’t to say that the game hasn’t improved from the beta, because it has. There are a bunch of different game modes, missions and loot that were nonexistent during the beta, especially once you reach level 20. Also, much of what I felt were positive aspects of the game remain as well. It’s hard to even think of another shooter with as flawless mechanics, or as beautifully haunting scenery as Destiny. If you want to get a better sense of how I feel about the game, check my mini review over here for CHOM’s Girls on Games.
Regardless of my critique of the game itself, I still find myself anticipating getting home to hop on and continue my quest to become Legend. That should say something, right?
So instead of breaking down the game in a structured review, I’d rather write up some quick tips for you guys who have already purchased the game, or are planning on purchasing it regardless of its mediocre reviews. It’s more fun this way.
Tip #1: Explore, Explore, Explore
Bungie’s open-world IP isn’t just huge for the sake of being impressive. While part of the enticement of exploring is to take in the beauty of each planet, it’s also for practicality. The more you explore, even while on specific missions, the more your Guardian will benefit. If you go off the beaten path, you’ll be able to find secret chests that contain gear and weapons, crafting materials and more glimmer, all of which will help you in becoming bigger and stronger.
Tip #2: Glimmer Makes The World Go Round
Glimmer is Destiny’s answer to cold, hard cash. While it’s pretty useless other than buying regular and uncommon items, (which serve no purpose once you start gearing with Legendary and Exotic items), cool new ships or ammo, there is one place that it still has a purpose, and that’s with the Tower’s Cryptarch. In case you didn’t notice, every time you either decrypt an item, or purchase an item from his store, he levels up. Upon reaching a new level, he will gift you a legendary item. It’s win win. So start collecting that glimmer, Guardians!
Tip #3: Bigger Isn’t Necessarily Better So Check Your Gear Stats
For anyone who has played Diablo, or similar games, will know that a higher stat number on your weapon or armour doesn’t equate to it being better. While a regular level 100 gauntlet might seem better than your 87 uncommon gauntly, you should usually choose the latter. Check the description and what it’ll do for your Guardian. Some items may seem lower, but will add more strength points or add a neat perk to your chest plate, or weapon of choice. So take your time while hanging out at the Tower and check your gear.
Tip #4: Get Out There And Meet People!
Bungie has put a strong emphasis on the multiplayer aspect it’s latest IP, be it competitive or cooperative. Whether you want to test your skill against other Guardians, or grind some patrols and strike missions for more XP and loot, it’s always more fun doing it with a group of people than riding it solo. Even Destiny’s upcoming massive raids will require you to actually join with 5 other friends to complete; you won’t be able to use their matchmaking service. While it sucks to have to find 5 other people to simultaneously join a raid rather than have Bungie doing for you, it’s for our own benefit. The raids will take a real long time to complete, and it would be tragic to be near the end, and have a few teammates drop out leaving you with the impossible task of completing it on your own, because you won’t be able to. Also, some of Destiny’s missions, bounties and strikes can be repetitive. This is easily rectified by doing so while chatting and having fun with people. So, either find a clan online (I suggest using the Destiny subreddit) or meet people in-game.
Tip #5 Make Sure Your Level Is Higher Than The Mission Requirement
About midway through the earth missions and onwards, I was always a level or two above what the mission called for. While you can complete a mission or strike with a level 18 requirement being level 18 yourself, I highly recommend you don’t. Instead, do some bounties to gain XP to level up in between missions. You’ll have an easier time completing tasks (this rings especially true if you’re completing the story mode alone, die a lot less and generally have a better time).
Tip #6: Take Advantage Of Your Power Weapons
It’s so easy to switch between your primary and special weapon in the heat of a battle, that your power weapon can go unnoticed. But word of advice: don’t. I fall victim to this slip-up all.the.damn.time, yet when I do remember it, it changes the tide of the battle. The machine gun works really well to break shields, while your rocket launcher deals heavy damage during boss fights. Also, because heavy weapon ammo drops are sometimes sparse, you should pick some up at the good ol’ Gunsmith. Even with long cool downs, those bad boys are worth every glimmer.
Tip #7: Keep Moving
A violation of this tip is considered sacrilege to long time FPS fans, but a very important one for newbies: keep moving and never stand still. This is crucial for both story mode and competitive multiplayer. A moving target is way harder to kill than one that is standing still. It can be difficult at first to simultaneously shoot while moving, but with a little practice, you’ll get the hang of it real quick. Bungie may have used many a different terms to describe what genre of game Destiny is, but lets not kid ourselves. At its core, it’s a sic-fi shooter with fantasy elements and the people who have bought the game thinking otherwise will benefit from this tip.
Tip #8: Precision Weapons Are Your Friend
The default gun Destiny starts you off with is the auto-rifle. While you can eventually get really powerful auto-rifles, I suggest you ditch it the moment you find a primary precision weapon, such as the scout rifle or hand cannon. Again, they may be more difficult to use at first, but you will benefit from it in the long term. The same can be said about sniper rifles. Using precision weapons will enable you to get more critical hit shots (aim for the head!), which will kill your enemy quicker. My weapon combo is hand cannon and sniper rifle, which i feel is a good balance between close and far range, and is especially useful in Destiny’s competitive mode, the Crucible. However, you don’t need to use that exact setup to succeed. It’s more important to play around with weapons and see what you’re comfortable with. Just don’t avoid precision weapons, even if they seem harder to use at first.
If you guys have any other tips to add or share, sound off in the comments section let us know!